Heart Transformation: The Essence of True Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Transformation of the Heart Over External Actions

True faith is not about religious activism or intellectual pursuits but about the transformation of the heart. The child of God is more concerned with their spiritual condition than with external actions or knowledge. This focus on the heart is a sign of genuine faith. [28:48]

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV): "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."

Reflection: What specific area of your heart needs transformation today, and how can you invite God to begin this work in you?

Day 2: Love Over Knowledge

Knowledge can lead to pride, but love builds up. The Apostle Paul warns that knowledge can puff up, but the true child of God seeks to grow in love and humility, focusing on the state of their heart rather than their intellectual achievements. [30:29]

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (ESV): "Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that 'all of us possess knowledge.' This 'knowledge' puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God."

Reflection: In what ways can you prioritize love over knowledge in your interactions with others today?

Day 3: Delight in Relationship with God

The religious person may attend church out of fear or obligation, but the true child of God delights in their relationship with God. This delight is a sign of the life of God within them, a wellspring of eternal life that satisfies the soul. [36:43]

Psalm 37:4 (ESV): "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Reflection: How can you cultivate a sense of delight in your relationship with God today, rather than approaching Him out of obligation?

Day 4: Joy and Privilege in God's Presence

The true test of being a child of God is not in what we demand from our faith, but in the joy and privilege we find in being in God's presence. This joy is marked by thankfulness and praise, amazed by the grace and love of God. [42:16]

Psalm 16:11 (ESV): "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Reflection: What is one way you can express thankfulness and praise to God today for the privilege of being in His presence?

Day 5: Joy in Prayer and Scripture

The more we delight in prayer and scripture, the more certain we can be of our faith. The child of God finds joy in being in the presence of the Father, not out of obligation, but out of genuine love and desire for fellowship. [44:11]

Colossians 3:16 (ESV): "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Reflection: How can you intentionally create space in your day to find joy in prayer and scripture, allowing it to deepen your relationship with God?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of faith, it is crucial to distinguish between being religious and being a true child of God. The religious person often focuses on actions and knowledge, believing that these external pursuits justify their faith. However, the true child of God understands that what truly matters is the state of the heart and the transformation that comes from being born of God. This transformation is not about what we do or know, but about who we are in Christ. It is about being more concerned with our spiritual condition than with our intellectual or religious accomplishments.

The religious person may be an avid reader of theology and church history, yet still miss the essence of being a child of God. Knowledge can lead to pride, but the true child of God is more concerned with the heart's condition. This concern is a sign of genuine faith, as it reflects a desire for spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with God. The Apostle Paul reminds us that knowledge can puff up, but love builds up, and it is love that should be the foundation of our faith.

Moreover, the true child of God finds delight in their relationship with God, not out of fear or obligation, but out of genuine love and joy. This is in stark contrast to the religious person who may attend church out of fear of punishment or as a form of insurance. The child of God delights in the presence of God, finding joy in prayer, scripture, and fellowship with other believers. This delight is a testament to the life of God within them, a wellspring of eternal life that satisfies the deepest thirst of the soul.

Ultimately, the true test of being a child of God is not in what we demand from our faith, but in the joy and privilege we find in being in God's presence. It is about being filled with thankfulness and praise, amazed by the grace and love of God. This is the essence of true Christianity, a life transformed by the Spirit of God, marked by a deep and abiding relationship with the Father.

Key Takeaways

1. True faith is not about religious activism or intellectual pursuits but about the transformation of the heart. The child of God is more concerned with their spiritual condition than with external actions or knowledge. This focus on the heart is a sign of genuine faith. [28:48]
2. Knowledge can lead to pride, but love builds up. The Apostle Paul warns that knowledge can puff up, but the true child of God seeks to grow in love and humility, focusing on the state of their heart rather than their intellectual achievements. [30:29]
3. The religious person may attend church out of fear or obligation, but the true child of God delights in their relationship with God. This delight is a sign of the life of God within them, a wellspring of eternal life that satisfies the soul. [36:43]
4. The true test of being a child of God is not in what we demand from our faith, but in the joy and privilege we find in being in God's presence. This joy is marked by thankfulness and praise, amazed by the grace and love of God. [42:16]
5. The more we delight in prayer and scripture, the more certain we can be of our faith. The child of God finds joy in being in the presence of the Father, not out of obligation, but out of genuine love and desire for fellowship. [44:11]
** [44:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:33] - Activism vs. Being
[29:21] - Knowledge and Pride
[30:14] - Heart Over Head
[31:14] - The Danger of Biography
[32:10] - The Heart's Condition
[33:49] - Negative vs. Positive Faith
[35:01] - Religion of Fear
[36:43] - Delight in God
[38:25] - Demands vs. Privilege
[40:25] - True Christian Faith
[42:16] - Joy and Thankfulness
[43:39] - Delight in Prayer
[45:01] - Ezekiel's Roll
[47:01] - Living Water
[48:42] - Closing Remarks

Sermon Clips

The religious person may attend church out of fear or obligation, but the true child of God delights in their relationship with God. This delight is a sign of the life of God within them, a wellspring of eternal life that satisfies the soul. [00:36:43]

The more this book means to you, the more certain you can be that you're a Christian. The more prayer means to you, the more certain you can be that you are a Christian. How much do we pray, my friends? Do we get delight in prayer? Do we enjoy prayer? [00:44:11]

The child of God knows that what matters is what he is, that he's born not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of men, but of God. I am what I am by the grace of God. So he now is much more interested in that than in anything else. [00:28:48]

Knowledge says the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians puffeth up, and it all does. A man becomes proud of it. He lets you know what he's been reading and how much he reads, and he lets you see his library and so on. He's really proud of it, but he's betraying himself. [00:30:29]

The man who is a child of God is much more concerned about what he is, about the state of his heart. Oh, how subtle these things are, and th sub as the devil, you know, even Christian biography can be dangerous. Are these things not strange? [00:30:40]

A sign that we are truly the children of God is that we become less and less negative and more and more positive in our relationship to this. What do I mean? Well, I mean this: to the religious men, there's no question about this at all. [00:33:49]

The characteristic of the child of God is this: he doesn't come for what he gets. Of course, he gets, but he doesn't come for that reason. He comes, oh, because of a sense of privilege. You don't go home in order to get something; you go home because you like being home. [00:42:16]

The child enjoys it. It is as honey in his mouth. It is as Mana to him. It is as the wells of Salvation open to him. Well, there we are. We must leave it at that for this morning. God willing, we will go on with this. [00:47:01]

The true test of being a child of God is not in what we demand from our faith, but in the joy and privilege we find in being in God's presence. This joy is marked by thankfulness and praise, amazed by the grace and love of God. [00:42:16]

The more we delight in prayer and scripture, the more certain we can be of our faith. The child of God finds joy in being in the presence of the Father, not out of obligation, but out of genuine love and desire for fellowship. [00:44:11]

The religious person may be an avid reader of theology and church history, yet still miss the essence of being a child of God. Knowledge can lead to pride, but the true child of God is more concerned with the heart's condition. [00:30:29]

Ultimately, the true test of being a child of God is not in what we demand from our faith, but in the joy and privilege we find in being in God's presence. It is about being filled with thankfulness and praise, amazed by the grace and love of God. [00:42:16]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?