The Inner Life

The inner life describes what the Bible calls the heart. This is the place of decision, the seat of our emotions, and the place where God speaks to us. This is the area that is in most need of development after we are saved. Jesus says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45). What is found on the inside is what will come out. We live and act out of the contents of our hearts. This begs the question, What is in your heart? Have you allowed Jesus to transform your inner world? Have you allowed Him to take the disordered desires and transform them to desire the things of God? How do you know if this has happened? Do you truly desire to be obedient to God’s word? Are you loving your neighbor? So often Christians, in an effort to look Christian, force their external world to look the part of a follower of Jesus even though their heart is not in it. Jesus, quoting Isaiah, said to the Pharisees, “‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). We live in a culture that is obsessed with appearances. The church is no different. I realize that it is more difficult to order our inner life, but this is essential. This is a slow process, but it is a genuine transformation. Jesus came to transform lives from the inside out. Lasting transformation will not happen from the outside in. Are you committed to living a transformed life? If so, how is God at work in your inner life, your heart? Are you humbly submitting to God’s changes in your life? Are you challenging your thought life? Are you challenging how you feel about others? Are you asking for God’s guidance and help in making changes to your heart? This is where the real work of spiritual growth takes place.

Pastor Scott