Proof Text #7 - Eze. 36: 25-27
24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!” (Eze. 36: 24-32 nkjv)
First, the context shows that this regeneration, this giving of a new heart and spirit, is specifically directed to members of the Israelite nation. It has reference to what God will do in the end for the remnant of the nation. That it is applicable to Gentiles even now is not doubted. In fact, it is applicable to all who believe in Christ and repent of their sins. That it is pictured as being wholly the work of God I do not doubt. God says "I will" and "you shall." It is an unconditional promise. The thing that we must determine is what role, if any, faith and repentance play in this promised salvation. Does the above description of salvation and regeneration exclude evangelical conversion?
In the conversion of the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus we have an individual example of God doing what he had promised to do in the above passage. In that Damascus road encounter with the risen Lord the apostle Paul was brought to faith and repentance. This was his regeneration. It did not exclude his conversion. Paul also, in writing of this experience, said that it was a pattern to them who would, like him, believe to everlasting life.
"However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life." (I Tim. 4: 16)
On the Ezekiel passage Dr. Gill comments:
"Our countryman, Mr. Mede, thinks that the sense is, that the conversion of the Apostle Paul was a pattern of the conversion of the Jews in the latter day; and his thought seems to be a very good one: the apostle's conversion is a pledge and earnest of theirs, and showed that God had not cast away all that people; and carries in it some likeness and agreement with theirs: as his, theirs will be in the midst of all their blindness and unbelief; and when they have filled up the measure of their sins; and they will be a nation born at once, suddenly, and by the immediate power and grace of God, without the ministry of the word, which they will not hear: thus they will be converted as he was, and become as hearty lovers and friends of the Gentile churches."
When Gill says that Paul's conversion was "without the ministry of the word," he means as preached by human messengers of the gospel during the moment of his conversion. He certainly knew the gospel. He knew what the Christians said about Christ. He had heard Stephen's sermon. So, though it was without the word, i.e., apart from hearing it at the time of his conversion by a preacher, yet he heard it directly from the Lord. Paul left the Damascus road encounter a believer that Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God. Thus, his regeneration, his obtaining a new heart and spirit, occurred at the same time as his conversion, at the time when he was made a believer by sovereign grace and love.
But, he agrees with Mede that it is talking about "the conversion of the Jews in the latter day." Notice how he calls it "conversion," by which he also includes regeneration. But, as stated, it also is true of Paul, yea, of every Christian, be he Jew or Gentile, when they are converted by faith.
Another verse that shows that the conversion/regeneration of Paul was a picture of the final conversion of the Jews en mass is this one:
"Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time." (I Cor. 15: 8)
I believe that Paul is saying that he was seemingly born again prematurely, ahead of time (Greek τῷ ἐκτρώματι - aborted). It does not mean that he was born of God late, as some translations suggest. Rather it is like an abortive delivery, denoting that it was before the expected time. On this text Dr. Gill wrote: "it seems best to understand him of an abortion, a miscarriage, or birth before its time."
In respect to the time of his conversion, in comparison with the first apostles, his conversion and apostolic ordination, he was born later than they. But, in respect to the Jews at the end of the age, just prior to the coming of the Lord, he was born before them. His words "last of all" may give credence to the view that his conversion (birth) was past the "due date" of his expected birth. No doubt both ideas are true. As respects his birth as an apostle in comparison to Peter, James, John, etc., he was born late. As respects his birth in comparison with the end time Jews, he was born ahead of time.
Commented Albert Barnes:
"As of one born out of due time - Margin, Or, "an abortive." Our translation, to most readers, probably, would not convey the real meaning of this place. The expression, "as of one born out of due time," would seem to imply that Paul meant to say that there was some unfitness "as to the time" when he saw the Lord Jesus; or that it was "too late" to have as clear and satisfactory a view of him as those had who saw him before his ascension. But this is by no means the idea in the passage. The word used here (ἔκτρωμα ektrōma) properly means an abortion, one born prematurely. It is found no where else in the New Testament..."
That the end time conversion of the Jews is to happen miraculously as in the case of the apostle Paul is a view that seems to be the teaching of the scriptures, and many commentators recognize it. Still, the point to emphasize is that his being given a new heart and spirit was not separated from his believing in Christ. That the promise of a new heart and spirit involves conversion (faith and repentance) there can be no doubt. All of the descriptive terminology of the passage involves or implies faith. The salvation experience involves being cleansed and in the bible this occurs by faith in the word of God. It also involves receiving the Holy Spirit and this also occurs by faith. The new heart and spirit is the effect of receiving the Spirit by faith.
The giving of a new heart and the taking away of the heart of stone is not a physical work, but moral or spiritual. This is what many Calvinists fail to understand. A change of heart is not so much different from a change of mind, which is repentance. In fact Paul speaks of the "impenitent heart" (Rom. 2: 5). Surely the new heart is a penitent heart. Paul also speaks of the "evil heart of unbelief." (Hebrews 3: 12) The new heart is a repenting and believing heart. This is the heart God gives or produces in the work of conversion.
Now let us notice this passage dealing with the same saving experience:
“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. “Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? “For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!” (Eze. 18: 30-32 nkjv)
This passage shows that the Hyper Calvinistic interpretation on the passage from Ezekiel 36 is not correct. It shows that repentance and faith are the means for obtaining the new heart and spirit. Do the Hyper Calvinists believe in commanding dead sinners to "get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit"? And, just how do sinners obtain this new heart that is characterized by repentance and faith? It is through union with Christ and that is by faith. Now notice these words of the apostle:
"For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” (II Cor. 6: 16-18 kjv)
This text also finds God calling upon spiritually dead sinners, who have hearts of stone, to "come out," and to "separate," i.e., to disattach themselves from the world, and why? So that they might attach themselves to the Lord. Receive the Lord, attach yourself to him, so that God becomes a Father to you, and so that you become his child. Receive Christ and Christ will receive you.
Yes, God does the cleansing. But, it is a cleansing that is sought by the morally filthy. Yes, their desire for cleansing is of the Lord, but it precedes the cleansing. Yes, God receives the sinner but it follows the sinner receiving Christ; And, again, such a will to receive Christ is the work of God in making him willing to do so. (See Psa. 110: 3; Phil. 2: 13)
In conclusion we see how the experience described by Ezekiel was a description of evangelical conversion, which always results from faith and repentance, and is not a watered down description of "regeneration," a regeneration that excludes conversion.
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