Change From the Inside

“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:1-2

As we walk our Calvary road we come to realize that our greatest danger comes from within. The red lights and flashing jewelry of this world are outward temptations but they only tantalize what is already inside of us.

What is inside of us we don’t like to talk about. We tend to encapsulate the rottenness of sinful human nature with a squeaky clean appearance, with the right Christian words, and with giving, sharing, or praying in the sight of others.

Many Christians have become no different than the culture around them. Inwardly they shelter bitterness, anger, hatred, thefts, greed, murders, lust, and idolatry; they worship self and their hearts actually contend against God. Is it no wonder that so many that we talk to scoff as they see only a religious shell and not the light of Christ shining forth?

Repentance is needed not some hyped revival. Seeking God is called for and not masking over iniquity with bigger church meetings, more polished preachers, or louder and more lavish song services. Quiet and broken soul searching and examining our lives in the light of God’s Word will return our hearts to Christ.