A Change of Heart

Ephesians 4 : 20 – 24, But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. NKJV

It’s very easy to become a born again child of God but it’s very challenging, to say the least, for a Christian to become Christ-like. The Lord gives us natural examples to show us spiritual principles. Whenever Jesus taught the people of His day He would use physical things and human problems in order to communicate and relate to people who were carnal thinkers so that they could comprehend spiritual concepts.

When a woman gives birth to her baby she realizes the infant is going to act and speak as an infant. It is the parents’ responsibility to nurture and train that child up in the way that he or she should go. When you look at a new born baby or an infant, you don’t always know if they are a girl or boy. It takes time and development for a baby to take on its own characteristics that distinguish its’ identity.

If we don’t understand that a Christian has to be renewed in the spirit of their mind where they begin to look Christ-like, we might have a tendency to say they’re not really saved based on their actions. Just because a person believes in Jesus for their soul’s salvation doesn’t mean that they have allowed the Word to change their heart.

Spiritual immaturity is manifested in our actions. If we haven’t taken the time to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into the truth then we will remain carnally minded and our actions won’t always align with our beliefs. When this occurs it causes others to question the authenticity of our faith. Paul definitely understood the transformation process of being changed from a carnal minded person into a spiritual minded disciple of Christ. He had to undergo such a transformation in his own walk and life.

The Bible is our moral compass. It teaches us how we should behave, vote, conduct business and how to settle disputes within the body of Christ. Therefore, Christians are to show their love for the Lord by keeping His commands. Until the Word of God is revealed to our heart than it is possible for a Christian to walk in carnality or the ways of the world.

If your actions contradict the Word of God and people see the contradictions, than your witness of Christ is made ineffective. In other words, there will be no fruit in your life. Jesus said that we should live in such a way that men will see our good works and cause them to glorify the Father because they know our works are of Him. Let me challenge you today to align any area of your new life that doesn’t agree with the Word of God.

As a Christian, our conversations are to be holy and not filled with gossip and filth. Jesus asked how sweet water and bitter water can flow from the same fountain. It was in the context of Him teaching about doing His will and not just being religious that He spoke of this fountain in us. He doesn’t want us to only have a form of godliness but He wants us to be clothed in humility and godliness as the children of God. To seek change means that you must first seek God and He will cause the change to occur that you seek.

Being changed from the inside out,
Pastor Asa Dockery