Christian behavior. It’s a matter of the heart, right? It’s being transformed from the inside out. But is that all it is?
We’ve reached our final Fruit of the Spirit in Listen When He Speaks. Self-control.
Somewhere in the middle?
On one side are the rule-makers, the ones who believe our behavior earns God’s favor. Many think there is a prescribed look for Christ-followers, and can harshly judge those who don’t practice faith like they do. They may not even realize how they place image above true transformation.
On the other, those for whom grace is license. It’s all grace, grace, grace; don’t judge me. For them Christianity becomes more about authenticity than transformation.
According to Paul and James, and Jesus Himself, real true faith is neither of those things. But how do we become committed to being honest about our pasts and our struggles without letting ourselves to stay stuck? Should we just wait for magical transformation of behavior and beliefs we may or not be uncomfortable with?
Regardless of the direction from which we come at the issue, we should never be comfortable with sin in our lives.
Sometimes we just have to do what we know is right, even if we don’t feel like it. We don’t need heart agreement. We can’t just wait for our heart to be onboard.
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
James 4:17, NASB
Our hearts can be terrible guides for our choices and actions – for what we do as believers, and how we guide new believers as they seek to live lives that honor God,
Read more about the danger of following our hearts in Who Can Understand It? here.
It’s a problem when authenticity is more important than spiritual growth. Sharing from our failures, our weakness, our brokenness is good, but meaningless if we haven’t grown beyond them, or are growing. We can’t let the realness of our experience and how others relate to it be an excuse to dwell in the parts of our story God wants to redeem for His glory.
Even heart transformation that changes us from the inside our requires cooperation. It’s not usually a lightning-strike matter of immediate freedom from patterns of sin or unhealthy behavior.
Living lives that honor God and being transformed into His image require conscientious effort on our part. Spiritual discipline.
Read more about What Faith Alone Can’t Do.
Not all change comes from the inside out. Sometimes we need to lead our hearts. Sometimes knowing something is wrong is the only motivation God gives. We won’t always be first blessed with a heart that doesn’t want the opposite, that isn’t satisfied to settle for less than the best. At times we have to work at odds with what our heart wants us to do.
God calls us to work from head knowledge no less than heart.
Listen When He Speaks
Our Listen When He Speaks theme for October is Self-Control.
What is Listen When He Speaks? A different kind of Scripture reading and writing plan. Learn more here. Or sign up here.
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This month’s suggested Scripture memory passage is Proverbs 16:32. Memorize in the translation of your choice.