When we accept Christ, and acknowledge Him as our Lord and Savior, we undergo a spiritual heart transplant. Our old heart, which has been plagued by the evilness of this world, has been replaced with a heart that is transformed by the Holy Spirit. This operation, while at the beginning seems to be an easy process, turns out to require much more effort than originally thought.
The Christian lifestyle is not an easy one. It requires constant conviction from the Holy Spirit in order to stay on the narrow path. The problem arises when our worldly body begins to reject our new heart; then it becomes an issue of spiritual maturity and discipline.
Ephesians 5:8-9 shows us exactly what this spiritual heart transplant is all about, and what the "post-operation" outcome should be like: "For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true."
When a patient comes out of surgery, the doctor comes to them to see how they are progressing and make sure the patient has discipline enough to take care of themselves after the surgery. In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps to keep us accountable so that we may constantly progress in our walk with Christ through spiritual maturity and discipline. Don't worry, if you've accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior and Believe that He died on the Cross in order to save you from your sins so that you can enter into the family of God, then your spiritual heart transplant was successful! God is not only over-qualified, He's also the only one who can complete such an operation! But, if your behavior and lifestyle don't reflect the change that God has produced in His followers, then you need to get a spiritual check-up!
So what can we do in order to strengthen our spiritual maturity and discipline? Well, we aren't left hanging in this passage from Ephesians. In Ephesians 5:10-11, we see exactly what we must do in order to work out the heart that has been graciously given to us: "Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them."
By faithfully searching for what pleases God, whether it be through reading the Bible, communicating with fellow Christians, or prayer, you will find that you will have a better understanding of the moral standards that we as Christians are to hold. The more you know about God's moral expectations, the more you can stay away from the "worthless deeds of evil and darkness".
The world we live in definitely has its many false doctors who will try to persuade you into thinking they have a better operation. But, I tell you the truth, God is the only one who can truly save you from this evil world; He is the only one who can perform such a spiritual heart transplant. Keep your eyes on the Lord, and work on your spiritual maturity and discipline; by doing so, you will find that you will spark the change of heart that brings forth the spiritual heart transplants of others.
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