Moving Beyond Outward Appearance to a Heart for God
Chosen to be Different As Christians, we define ourselves as those who have confessed with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believed in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. Through this faith, we are born again and adopted into the family of God. But with adoption comes a new identity. Just as God called the children of Israel to eat, dress, and live differently so the nations would know He is Lord, He calls us to a distinct way of life today. The question we must ask ourselves is: How shall I then live? The Trap of Outward Religion In Jesus’ day, groups like the Pharisees had perfected the "outward" look of righteousness. They had rules for everything, creating traditions to ensure they appeared to be following God’s commands. However, in the Sermon on the Mount , Jesus attacks this focus on external behavior. He reveals a hard truth: Outward behavior has no bearing on your relationship with God if your heart is not pure. “For out of the overflow of the...