A New Heart
A NEW HEART
Read Psalm 51:1-4, 7-10.
“Wow!” Brent’s eyes were wide. His parents had just been explaining that Grandpa was going to have a heart transplant as soon as a donor could be found. “That’s neat!” said Brent.
“It’s amazing,” agreed Dad. “We must remember, though, that the operation is not always successful. Let’s trust the Lord to bring Grandpa through it.”
“What if he has the heart transplant and then dies?” asked Brent’s little brother, Samuel. “He wouldn’t go to heaven.”
“Of course Grandpa would go to heaven,” said Mom. “He’s a Christian.”
“But my Sunday school teacher said we won’t go to heaven unless we’ve asked Jesus to come into our hearts,” replied Samuel. “So if Grandpa has a new heart, he won’t be a Christian anymore.”
“Oh, I see the problem,” said Dad. “Think about this: If I say you have a big place in my heart, do I mean you are really inside my heart?”
Samuel thought for a moment. “No. I guess you mean that you love me a whole lot.”
Dad nodded. “Right! And when we say we ask Jesus to come into our hearts, we don’t mean He is really in our hearts. What we mean is that we love Jesus very much. No matter what heart is inside Grandpa’s body, he loves Jesus.”
Samuel smiled. He was happy again.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you wondered what it means to ask Jesus to come into your heart? The word heart often does not refer to the physical heart in your body. Instead, it refers to your real “self”—the real you. It’s the part of you that goes on living after the body dies. It’s the part that sins and needs to be saved. Have you asked Jesus to take those sins away?
TO MEMORIZE:
Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
Ephesians 3:17
LET JESUS LIVE IN YOU.
From the book
