The nature of God is contained in the life of God, and the fullness of the Godhead is hidden in the life of God; therefore, the law contained in the life of God is compatible with God Himself and with the nature of God. Hence, this law is the law of God Himself. In other words, it is God coming to be our law. The laws of life that the life of God brings into us are the laws spoken of in Hebrews 8:10, which have been imparted into our mind and inscribed on our heart. These laws are different from the laws of the Old Testament. The laws of the Old Testament are the laws that God wrote with characters on stone tablets outside of man (Exo. 34:1, 28), but the laws of life are the laws that God has written with His life on our heart within us.
The laws which were written on the stone tablets are outward laws of letter, dead laws, and laws without power; they are laws which are unable to accomplish anything upon man (Rom. 8:3; Heb. 7:18-19). The laws which are written on the tablet of our heart are the inward laws of life, living laws, and laws with great power; they enable us not only to know the heart’s desire of God and to follow His will but also to know God Himself and live out God Himself.
The natural laws contained in any kind of life always enable a creature to spontaneously know how to live and act; thus, they are living laws within a creature. A hen lives and lays eggs according to the natural laws contained in the hen’s life. She spontaneously knows how to do these things and thus lives them out. No man needs to give her any outward law. The natural laws in her life are living laws within her. They spontaneously enable her to know how she should live and even enable her to live in this way. Hence, natural laws, not outward regulations, cause her to live a certain way; this is the inward law of life.
Likewise, the natural laws contained in the life of God are its natural abilities; they enable us to spontaneously know how God desires us to act, how to be pleasing to Him, and how to live Him. The natural abilities, or the natural laws, of the life of God enable us to know whether something agrees with the nature of God or contradicts the nature of God, whether it is something God wants us to do or something God does not want us to do. Thus, the natural abilities, or the natural laws, of the life of God become our inward laws.
Because the laws which are written in us are the natural abilities and natural laws of the life of God, the Bible calls them laws. The law of the Spirit of life, spoken of in Romans 8:2, is the law of life in us. This law is called the law of the Spirit of life because it is derived from the life of God. The life of God is in the Spirit of God, and this life cannot be separated from the Spirit of God.
The life of God is powerful; the Spirit of God is also powerful. Since the law of the Spirit of life is derived from God, the powerful life and the powerful Spirit of God must also be in the law of the Spirit of life. The life of God in us is the source of this law, and the Spirit of God in us is the Executor of this law. This law enables us to have not only divine knowledge but also divine power. Once we are regenerated with the life of God and the law of the Spirit of life is in us, God desires that we be His people and live in Him according to this strong and mighty law, this law of great power.
What is a new heart? To have a new heart means that our old heart has become new. God gives us a new heart by renewing our old heart. Ezekiel 36:26 says that God gives us a new heart and puts a new spirit within us; He takes away the heart of stone out of our flesh and gives us a heart of flesh. Taking away our heart of stone and giving us a heart of flesh means that He gives us a new heart by renewing our old heart. Originally, our old heart opposed God and did not desire God. Our heart was as hard as stone toward God; it was a “heart of stone.” However, when the Holy Spirit regenerates us, He causes our heart to repent of sin and become soft toward God; hence, our heart of stone becomes a “heart of flesh.” Our hard stony heart is our old heart; our soft heart of flesh is the new heart God gives us. This means that when we are regenerated, God renews our old heart and makes it soft.
Our heart is the organ of our inclination and affection; it represents us with regard to our inclination, affection, delight, and desire. All our inclinations, affections, delights, and desires are functions of our heart. Before we were regenerated, our heart was inclined toward sin, loved the world, and desired things of passion. However, it was cold and hard toward God, without any inclination and affection. When God regenerates us, He renews our heart and makes our heart a new heart with new inclinations, new affections, and new delights. Once we are regenerated and saved, our heart inclines toward God, loves God, and desires God; it also delights in and desires spiritual things, heavenly things, and the things of God. Whenever such things are spoken of, our heart is joyful, responsive, and desirous. This is the function of our new heart.
God renews our heart and gives us a new heart through regeneration because He wants us to incline toward Him, adore Him, and desire Him. Previously, we did not love Him and could not love Him because our heart was old and hard. Once He renews, softens, and turns our heart, we are able and willing to love Him. Since our heart is a new heart, it has a new function. This new function is to incline toward God and to love God and the things of God.