Ezekiel 36:26: Does God Unilaterally Replace Hearts?

Introduction: The Calvinist Claim

Calvinists argue that Ezekiel 36:26 (“I will give you a new heart… I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh”) teaches monergistic regeneration—that God alone replaces the human heart without any cooperation from the sinner. James White (The Potter’s Freedom) asserts:

“Just as a corpse cannot resist resurrection, so too the spiritually dead cannot resist God’s sovereign work of regeneration” (pp. 283–284).
This article challenges this interpretation by linking Ezekiel’s prophecy to the call for human repentance (Ezekiel 18:31: “Make yourselves a new heart”) and arguing for synergistic grace where God initiates renewal, but humans respond freely.

The Calvinist Interpretation of Ezekiel 36:26

1. Monergistic Regeneration:
   • Calvinists claim the “new heart” is a unilateral divine act. Example:”God alone replaces the heart; man is passive, like Lazarus in the tomb” (White, p. 299).
   • Emphasizes total depravity (Ephesians 2:1-5): “Dead in sins” = inability to seek God.
2. Key Proof Texts:
   • John 3:3-8 (“Born of the Spirit”) and Titus 3:5 (“He saved us… by the washing of regeneration”).
   • John 6:44 (“No one comes unless drawn”): Irresistible grace ensures regeneration precedes faith.

Exegesis of Ezekiel 36:26 in Context

1. Covenant Restoration:
   • Ezekiel 36:24-28 ties regeneration to Israel’s restoration from exile. God’s initiative (v. 24: “I will gather you”) and promise (v. 27: “I will put my Spirit in you”) are central.
2. Corporate vs. Individual:
   • The promise is for the nation, not isolated individuals. Regeneration is part of God’s covenant faithfulness, not mechanical coercion.
3. Parallel to Ezekiel 11:19-20:
   • “I will give them an undivided heart… so that they will follow my decrees.” Renewal aims at obedience, implying human response.

Biblical Counterarguments: Human Responsibility

1. Ezekiel 18:31 (“Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit”):
   • God’s command presupposes moral agency. Calvinists claim this is an “impossible exhortation” to highlight human inability (White, p. 328).
   • Counter: The call to repentance is genuine (Ezekiel 18:30-32). Synergy is implied: God empowers response through prevenient grace.
2. Acts 3:19 (“Repent and turn to God”):
   • Peter’s sermon assumes hearers can respond to the gospel.
3. Philippians 2:12-13 (“Work out your salvation… God works in you”):
   • Human effort coexists with divine enablement.
4. Revelation 3:20 (“I stand at the door and knock”):
   • Invitation requires consent; grace enables but does not override will.

Theological Critiques

1. Monergism’s Logical Problem:
   • If regeneration is entirely God’s act, why are humans held accountable for unbelief (John 5:40)?
2. God’s Character:
   • Does monergism reduce God to a coercive force? Contrast with Hosea 11:4 (“I led them with cords of kindness”).
3. Nature of Regeneration:
   • Calvinists claim regeneration precedes faith (John 1:12-13). Counter: Faith and regeneration are simultaneous (Acts 16:14: Lydia’s “heart opened” to respond).

Practical Implications

1. Evangelism:
   • Monergism risks fatalism (“Why preach if God regenerates autonomously?”). Contrast Paul’s urgency (1 Corinthians 9:22).
2. Repentance:
   • 2 Corinthians 7:10 (“Godly sorrow brings repentance”) ties conviction to response, not coercion.
3. Assurance:
   • Synergism offers assurance through active faith (James 2:17-18), avoiding Calvinist anxiety (“Am I elect?”).

Addressing Calvinist Rebuttals

1. “God Enables the Response”:
   • Calvinists argue commands like Ezekiel 18:31 are futile without grace. Response: Prevenient grace enables all to repent (Titus 2:11).
2. “Faith Is a Gift”:
   • Ephesians 2:8 refers to salvation, not faith alone. John 1:12 (“Received Him”) implies active reception.
3. “Dead in Sins Means Inability”:
   • “Dead” = alienation, not incapacity. Luke 15:24: The prodigal was “dead” yet returned home.

Conclusion: Divine Initiative, Human Response

Ezekiel 36:26 and 18:31 are not contradictory but complementary:

• God’s Role: Initiates renewal, removes barriers of sin (Jeremiah 24:7).
• Human Role: Responds in repentance (Zechariah 1:3) and faith.

Synergistic Grace: God’s Spirit empowers, but the heart willingly turns (Acts 2:37-38: “Cut to the heart… Repent!”). As White admits, “Grace is resistible in the general call” (p. 205), yet Scripture balances sovereignty and responsibility: the Potter reshapes clay, but clay yields to His hands.