Is My Christian Mask Slipping?

The other night at WOW (Bible Study), we were discussing a question regarding Rom. 12:1-2, and how we are to serve God and daily become a living sacrifice. We talked about how righteousness happens from the inside out--internally being filled with the Spirit and God's Word, and how that works out into your life. It's interesting how the Christian life flows from the heart. God has to work in you--you have to change, not change appearances.

The focus of the world is all about the appearance of a thing, neglecting the thing itself. You can't paste on righteousness, as every other religion in the world tries to do (the religion of human achievement). From the makeup-and-hair movement, to the self-improvement movement, to the religious movement of the moment, everything is about making it look good--it doesn't change who you are. So many people headed through that wide gate, thinking they look okay when they're whitewashed tombs. So sad.

I think it's easy even for the Christian to fall into that mindset: How does my Christianity look? Am I worshipping right? Am I giving enough? Am I kind enough? We can't live like that. We have to go deep into what God can do internally--the heart surgery, the whole-person change.