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The Lord Yeshua (Jesus) said, in the Old Testament and reiterated in the New Testament, that He would put His laws in our minds and write them on our hearts. Much confusion has ensued over what He meant by these statements. This article will discuss some of the theological beliefs regarding the law being put on our minds and written in our hearts and will define what Yeshua (Jesus) actually meant by this.
JOHN 16:25 (NKJV):
“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language.”
Since the law is not literally written on anyone’s heart or mind, the Scripture references of the law being put on our minds and written on our hearts infers a deeper figurative metaphorical meaning that is to be understood.
THE MORAL LAW ON OUR CONSCIENCE
ROMANS 2:14-15 (NKJV):
For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness.
Moral laws have been put in the minds and hearts of man to direct all mankind. We all have a conscience to guide us in judging right from wrong. According to the Scripture account, when Cain slew Abel he didn’t have the law which said, “You shall not murder.” Cain, after having killed his brother Abel, tried to conceal the deed from YHWH (the Lord), because his conscience bore witness against himself knowing what he did was wrong (Genesis 4:8-9).
Although given a moral conscience, a person can willfully ignore and sear it in order to live lawlessly and guilt free (1 Timothy 4:2). This is the case with the sexually immoral, swindlers, idolaters, and abortion providers. When a person is of God and does something wrong, the Holy Spirit is grieved within that person (Ephesians 4:30). Wicked people who have seared their consciences, and do evil continually, have closed the door to the Holy Spirit.
FOLLOW WHATEVER LAWS THE HOLY SPIRIT TELLS YOU TO FOLLOW?
Many Christian theologians have explained that the law being put on our minds and written on our hearts is related to the Holy Spirit leading believers to follow whatever selective laws that the Spirit leads them to follow, and not the whole law. This is based on an out of context reading of Galatians 5:18, which states, “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” It is clear that when Galatians 5:18 is read in the whole context of verses 16 and 17, it means, “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the [unlawful desires of the] law [of the flesh].”
Many believers think that the Spirit will lead them to follow whatever laws God puts on their minds and writes on their hearts. Some then cease studying God’s laws through the Scriptures, and then merely follow their own consciences, their own hearts and minds (Deuteronomy 12:8; Judges 17:6, 21:25; Proverbs 12:15; Jeremiah 17:9). Many believe that God’s laws are abolished and if they are not, then the Holy Spirit will convict them otherwise.
This is a faulty, simplistic way of thinking, which leads many to lawlessness.
The Holy Spirit will not guide anyone to truth without a believer seeking answers through a study of the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:14-17). God wants us, as believers, to seek out all of His commandments (1 Chronicles 28:8) by trusting in His written, unchangeable word and then His Spirit will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
GOD’S LAWS ARE WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS THROUGH YESHUA (JESUS)
JEREMIAH 31:31-33 (NKJV):
“Behold, the days are coming, says YHWH (the Lord), when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says YHWH (the Lord). But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says YHWH (the Lord): I will put my l will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts.
YESHUA (JESUS) RENEWED THE COVENANT THROUGH HIMSELF
The Hebrews were given God’s covenant when YHWH (the Lord) led them out of Egypt. The covenant was the Torah (law) given to them through Moses. The Hebrews broke the covenant, the commandments issued to them, which they failed to keep when they served other gods and otherwise sinned.
Yeshua (Jesus), throughout His Messianic mission, obeyed all the laws of the covenant that He had made with Israel. He knew no sin and died to atone for the sins of mankind, paying the death penalty for us, in our place.
For believers who wish to follow Yeshua (Jesus) in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24), the Torah (law) is not merely written on stone tablets and in the Book of the Law of Moses any longer. The law has now been put on our minds and hearts, because Yeshua (Jesus) obeyed the law, showing us the way to do it, and because Yeshua (Jesus) suffered and died for us. What was once the law to be obeyed through obedience alone, has become the law to be followed by the example of our Lord and Master following it. Furthermore, knowing the terrible sacrifice Yeshua (Jesus) suffered on the cross to atone for our sins, because we didn’t obey His laws, compels our minds and moves our hearts to obey all of His commandments, just as He obeyed them (1 John 2:3-6) so as to not grieve the Holy Spirit within us (Ephesians 4:30).
There is no truth in the person who says, “It is impossible to obey all His commandments,” (Deuteronomy 30:11-20) or “If you keep His commandments, you are refusing grace and are trying to earn salvation” (John 14:15; Hebrews 10:26-29; 1 John 5:3-4).
Yeshua (Jesus) came down to earth from heaven, obeyed all the commandments, suffered horrible torture, and died on the cross to atone for the sins of mankind. The lazy lawless Christian says, “Jesus followed the law, so I do not have to” and “The law is too difficult to follow.” Really? Yeshua (Jesus) did all that for you and it is too difficult to honor His holy feasts (Leviticus 23), His 7th day Sabbath day (Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 31:16), and it is too hard to refrain from eating unclean creatures (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14), or getting a tattoo (Leviticus 19:28)?
HEBREWS 8:8-11 (NKJV):
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.”
HEBREWS 10:16-17 (NKJV):
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
GOD’S LAWS ARE YET TO BE FURTHER INGRAINED ON OUR HEARTS AND MINDS
In the aforementioned Hebrews 8:8-10 and 10:16-17 passages, it is clear that Yeshua (Jesus) is not only referring to the law being written on our hearts and minds during this age, but also to a much greater extent in the age to come, during His Millennium Kingdom reign, where no one will be asking his neighbor, “Do you know the Lord,” for all who dwell in His kingdom will know Him. The righteous saints of the first resurrection (Revelation 20:6) who are counted worthy (Luke 21:36) to enter His kingdom as first fruits will be cleansed of all sin (Isaiah 1:18), being truly born again (John 3:3) in the regeneration (Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54), and will be made immortal and incorruptible.
In our renewed state of immortality and incorruptibility, as we become God’s sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18), God’s laws will truly be firmly established on our minds and written on our hearts, for all time, and as incorruptible beings we will never again sin throughout all eternity, as we dwell with God forever (Revelation 21:1-4).
