One of the most misunderstood ideas in the Christian walk is the condition of the believer’s heart. A lot of people say that as part of denying themselves, they should deny their heart.
We’ve often heard the verse from Jeremiah quoted: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”(Jeremiah 17:9). It’s true — but that was written before the cross, and it describes the condition of the unregenerate heart, not the new heart promised to believers in the New Covenant.
So let’s ask the honest question: As a believer, is my heart still evil?
Our Heart WAS Evil
Jesus agreed with what Jeremiah said in Jer 17:9:
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”
— Matthew 15:19 (NIV)
There’s no doubt — before salvation, our hearts were filled with sin, selfishness, and rebellion. The root of sin was not just in our behavior but in our very nature. That’s why external rule-keeping was never enough. The heart needed to be changed.
We were promised a NEW heart
God, in His mercy, promised something radical — not behavior modification, but a heart transplant:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
— Ezekiel 36:26 (NKJV)
This isn’t poetic language. It’s a promise that God would fundamentally transform the inner life of His people. No longer would we be defined by sin, shame, and rebellion. Instead, we would be re-created from within for every believer.
We HAVE RECEIVED the New heart
The New Testament makes it crystal clear that in Christ, this promise has been fulfilled:
“For this is the covenant that I will make… I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts.”
— Hebrews 8:10 (NKJV)
God’s law is no longer merely written on tablets of stone but on the hearts of His people. This means the new heart wants to do God’s will. It isn’t deceitful. It isn’t evil. It’s alive to God. It was part of the New Covenant and it is finished!
Paul goes even further to say that in Christ, our very identity has changed:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
What was “old”? Our sinful heart, our corrupted nature, our rebellious mind — all of that is gone. What remains is new. You now have a heart that is alive, responsive, and clean.
So… Is Our Heart Still Evil?
If you are in Christ, the answer is NO! You no longer have an evil heart. You’ve been given a new heart — one that loves God, desires His truth, and is guided by the Holy Spirit. That doesn’t mean you’re perfect. You still wrestle with the flesh. But your core identity is no longer sinful — it’s redeemed.
It’s important to stop identifying yourself by your past or by a misapplied Old Testament verse. You are a new creation with a new heart, called and empowered to live a life that pleases God.
Final Thought
The next time you hear, “the heart is deceitful above all things,” remember: that’s who you were — not who you are. In Christ, your heart has been changed. You are no longer trying to live for God with a corrupted nature. You’ve been made new, and your heart now beats in rhythm with His.
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