Does The New Heart Teaching Set Believers Up For Disillusionment?

There is much being taught about the new heart within the grace movement.

Sometimes I wonder if the new heart teaching sets believers up for disillusionment.

What do I mean?

We are taught that because we have a new heart, we will automatically start loving people and living purely.

We are taught we will freely release love to others and fully rise above sin.

But what happens when this is not the experience of many believers who understand the teachings of a new heart?

What happens we they continue to struggle with feelings and patterns

of anger, bitterness, jealousy, fear, worry, lust, and many other patterns

of thinking and behavior?

They may be left feeling disillusioned.

They may be left thinking they must not have a new heart.

They may be left thinking they are not saved because they are finding that their real-life experience is not consistent with what they have been taught about having a new heart.

I agree, through belief in Jesus, we have a new heart, meaning our hearts have been cleansed from all sin.

Christ now indwells us.

We call God “Abba Father.”

But this does not mean we will automatically start releasing love to people and fully rising above sin.

We still live in the flesh.

We still live in the world.

We still have patterns of thinking and behaving that we have carried over into our new life in Christ.

These patterns of thinking and behavior do not fade away easily.

They do not go away because we have a new heart.

The are still there.

So don’t be disillusioned by the new heart teaching that you will automatically begin loving people and living purely because you have a new heart.

For many, but not all, this transformation takes a lifetime.

Give yourself grace as you grow in grace.

You are saved.

You have a new heart.