Dr. Christian Barnard Archives

Do you or someone you know suffer from heart trouble? It’s miraculous what the field of medicine can do today—from stents to a complete transplant. Patients who would have certainly died now have a second chance at a longer life thanks to these advanced developments.

From those well-known—such as former Vice-President Dick Cheney— to my personal family, heart surgery is commonplace. If stents had been available in 1977, my grandmother would have probably lived much longer than 75, but fortunately for my 93-year-old mother, they saved her life in 2010.

I recall December 3, 1967, when Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the world’s first human heart transplant in Cape Town, South Africa. Although his patient survived only 18 days, this news catapulted to the same importance as the first lunar landing just two years later—man’s first scientific steps into these unknown worlds, where their advancements still continue to multiply.

Amazing stuff.

Hopefully, you may never need a physical heart transplant. But do you know that we are all in need of a new spiritual heart? Due to Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, our spirits are born in sin. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12 NASB).

Jeremiah 17:9 describes the heart as being …more deceitful than all else and [is] desperately sick…(NASB).

Mark 7:21-23 spells it out: For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man (NASB).

Wow, what a mess. How do we fix this problem? In our own power, it’s impossible. But with God’s power, all things are possible.

God has prepared a new heart for those who believe in Him. And it’s a doozy. Ezekiel 36:26 promises us that moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh (NASB).

In Psalms 51:10, David pleads to God after he acknowledges his sin with Bathsheba: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (NASB).

Jesus Himself enlightens us when he preached the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8 NASB).

The salvation we receive through Jesus’ blood shed on the cross and our new heart assures us of our eternal home in heaven. All we have to do is repent, believe, and receive. It’s a free gift.

Think about it—if you needed a physical heart transplant, would you ask the surgeon to postpone it? No, the issue of life versus death prompts immediate action.

So, what about your spiritual heart check-up? If you’re already saved, you’ve received your new heart. But what about those who haven’t accepted Jesus yet? Remember, we’re not promised tomorrow.

Listen, now is really the right time. Now is the day of salvation! (2 Corinthians 6:2 ISV).