THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
I will bestow upon them a new heart. If You are to grant them a heart, why was it not given earlier? They were unable to receive it before the time of discipline and correction. Observe the greatness of this gift, which also reveals the cause of their transformation. Yet this illustration suggests otherwise, for the corrupt cannot be raised to goodness. It is said that the righteous endure, while the wicked do not. This holds true, not due to a matter of essence but to a matter of choice, as it concerns a distinction in quality rather than substance. And if one asks, “Why does He not also offer good promises through this?” it is because He amplifies their apprehension, so that they might confront the reality of their trials.