Have a Heart of Good News

God is on your side.

God loves you.

These are timeless truths.

Yet how do I know that I can take God at His Word?

He gave His own Son for us, even while we were still sinners (Romans 5: 8).

God gave us the best that He had, His Son, so how can we assume that He will not also give us all things with His Son? (Romans 8: 31-32)

In fact, we receive a new identity in Christ, not one of "sinner", but saint:

"To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1: 7)

This new identity comes to us because of our new standing in Christ:

"1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." (Ephesians 2:1-3)

We have an intimate relationship with God, because He has adopted us:

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8: 15)

and

"6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." (Galatians 4:6-7)

One of  the most profound passages in Scripture, which outlines the New Covenant, also sheds light on our new identity, or "new heart":

"And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh:" (Ezekiel 11:19)

"The heart of stone" represents the law, or a judgment/condemnation mindset. The "heart of flesh" has been also rendered a "soft heart." Another translation of the Hebrew word "basar" would read "Glad tidings" or "Good News". In effect, the Holy Spirit now lives in every one of us, convicting us of our new standing in Jesus, that we are no longer judged as sinners, but can rejoice in a new standing of everlasting righteousness (Daniel 9: 24) and life (John 3: 16)