Inner Transformation: The Path to True Holiness

Devotional

Day 1: Inner Transformation Leads to Outer Change

True transformation begins from the inside out. Often, people focus on external changes, believing that altering their circumstances or behaviors will lead to fulfillment. However, the essence of faith teaches that real change starts within. The scriptures, particularly in the book of Hebrews, remind us that the old system of external sacrifices was merely a shadow of the good things to come. It was never about the rituals or outward acts, but about the heart and the inner transformation that God desires for each of us. This inner change naturally leads to changes in our external behavior, as we begin to live out the love and grace that we have received. [46:41]

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Hebrews 8:10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one internal attitude or belief you need to surrender to God today to allow for true transformation in your life?

Day 2: The Old Covenant vs. The New Covenant

The old covenant, with its repeated sacrifices, was a shadow of the good things to come. It could never truly cleanse or transform, but served as a reminder of sin. In contrast, Jesus' sacrifice was once and for all, bringing about true holiness and wholeness. This is not something that can be achieved through human efforts or external actions, but through the transformative work of Jesus in our lives. The writer of Hebrews challenges us to shift our focus from the external to the internal, emphasizing that God works from the inside out. [50:00]

"For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near." (Hebrews 10:1, ESV)

Reflection: How can you embrace the new covenant in your daily life, moving away from relying on external rituals to focusing on the internal work of Christ?

Day 3: Holiness from Within

Holiness is not about adhering to a set of rules or performing certain rituals. It's about allowing Jesus to change us from within, to impart His righteousness to us, and to make us whole. This inner transformation naturally leads to changes in our external behavior, as we begin to live out the love and grace that we have received. It's about trusting and obeying, allowing God to work in us and through us, and living in a way that reflects His holiness. [53:38]

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you allow Jesus to transform your heart today, so that your actions reflect His holiness?

Day 4: Baptism as an Outward Expression

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change, a declaration that we have chosen to follow Jesus and allow Him to work in our lives. It's a celebration of the new life that we have in Him, a life that is marked by holiness and wholeness. As we celebrate baptisms, we are reminded of this inner transformation and the commitment to live out the love and grace we have received. [01:15:58]

"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4, ESV)

Reflection: How does your life reflect the inward change that baptism symbolizes? What steps can you take to live out this newness of life?

Day 5: Living Out Holiness

We are called to live out the holy life, allowing the inner transformation that Jesus brings to be reflected in our actions and interactions with others. This is not something we can achieve on our own, but through the work of Jesus in our lives. By trusting and obeying, we allow God to work in us and through us, living in a way that reflects His holiness. [01:12:28]

"Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical way you can demonstrate the holiness of Christ in your interactions with others today?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound truth that true transformation begins from the inside out. We often find ourselves caught up in the external aspects of life, believing that if we can just fix what's on the outside, everything will fall into place. However, the essence of our faith teaches us that real change starts within. This is a lesson echoed throughout the scriptures, particularly in the book of Hebrews, which reminds us that the old system of external sacrifices was merely a shadow of the good things to come. It was never about the rituals or the outward acts, but about the heart and the inner transformation that God desires for each of us.

The writer of Hebrews challenges us to shift our focus from the external to the internal, emphasizing that God works from the inside out. The old covenant, with its repeated sacrifices, could never truly cleanse or transform. It was a constant reminder of sin, rather than a solution. In contrast, Jesus' sacrifice was once and for all, a perfect act that brings about true holiness and wholeness. This is not something we can achieve through our own efforts or external actions, but through the transformative work of Jesus in our lives.

Holiness is not about adhering to a set of rules or performing certain rituals. It's about allowing Jesus to change us from within, to impart His righteousness to us, and to make us whole. This inner transformation naturally leads to changes in our external behavior, as we begin to live out the love and grace that we have received. It's about trusting and obeying, allowing God to work in us and through us, and living in a way that reflects His holiness.

As we celebrate baptisms today, we are reminded of this inner transformation. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change, a declaration that we have chosen to follow Jesus and allow Him to work in our lives. It's a celebration of the new life that we have in Him, a life that is marked by holiness and wholeness.

Key Takeaways

1. True transformation begins from the inside out. We often focus on external changes, but God desires to work within us, changing our hearts and minds to reflect His holiness. This inner change naturally leads to changes in our external behavior. [46:41]
2. The old covenant, with its repeated sacrifices, was a shadow of the good things to come. It could never truly cleanse or transform, but served as a reminder of sin. In contrast, Jesus' sacrifice was once and for all, bringing about true holiness and wholeness. [50:00]
3. Holiness is not about adhering to rules or rituals, but about allowing Jesus to change us from within. It's about trusting and obeying, allowing God to work in us and through us, and living in a way that reflects His holiness. [53:38]
4. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change, a declaration that we have chosen to follow Jesus and allow Him to work in our lives. It's a celebration of the new life that we have in Him, marked by holiness and wholeness. [75:58]
5. We are called to live out the holy life, allowing the inner transformation that Jesus brings to be reflected in our actions and interactions with others. This is not something we can achieve on our own, but through the work of Jesus in our lives. [01:12:28]
** [72:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[43:45] - Inside vs. Outside
[46:41] - Focus on the Inside
[48:44] - The Old System
[50:00] - Dim Preview of Good Things
[52:13] - Ineffectiveness of Old Sacrifices
[53:38] - Obedience Over Sacrifice
[66:04] - Jesus' Perfect Sacrifice
[67:39] - New Covenant
[68:20] - Holiness from Within
[70:51] - Trust and Obey
[72:28] - Living Out Holiness
[73:18] - Invitation to Transformation
[74:56] - Prayer for Wholeness
[75:58] - Celebration of Baptism
[77:31] - Closing and Blessing

Sermon Clips

1) "Our world has gotten to where we think, once again, on the outside. And many people, especially in today's age, are all about, well, I got to try on the shoes before I get married. You know what I'm saying? I mean, that's a phrase that people use nowadays, that we, we, we need to sleep together before we, before we see if we're sexually compatible or whatever. And I'm thinking, no, no, it's not about the outside. It's the inside. Some people, it's, it's not, I mean, it's not just sexual. It's not just jobs. There's, there's all sorts of ways. It's, it's laws and politics. If we could just get this law enacted, and if we can get that person, if we can take care of the outside, then the inside will be taken care of. We think about the outside so often. And we want to take care of everything out here, but it's the inside." [46:41] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2) "The author of Hebrews is going, you have to understand that God doesn't work on the outside first. He works on the inside first. It's the inside that begins to make the difference. It's the inside. When the inside changes, then things on the outside begin to change and begin to be just that much different. In fact, starting in verse 1 of chapter 10, the writer says that the old system under the law of Moses, and listen, that was this old system, right? I mean, it was all this back here, all the things they'd ever been taught, all the things they'd ever thought of, all the ways they'd ever acted. The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow. It was a dim preview of the good things to come. But it wasn't the good things themselves." [48:44] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3) "The author of Hebrews is going, man, the things of the past, it was just a dim preview. It wasn't 4K. It wasn't HD. It wasn't the real deal. But he goes on. The author goes on and says that the old system, once again, that dim preview, the sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year. But they were never. They were never able to provide perfect cleansing to those who came to worship. You may not know. So let me take a quick second just to let you know. They were used to, in order to get close to God, in order to feel better with God, in order to have a good relationship with God, having sacrifices. That's where they were talking about the sacrifices, animal sacrifices. It was bulls and lambs and goats and birds and all sorts of stuff." [50:00] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4) "The author of Hebrews basically takes the the psalm the psalmist sayings in psalm 40 and begins to place them in into the mouth of jesus because he's talking about the christ the promised one and how these animal sacrifices animal sacrifices were never really what the heavenly father wanted in the first place it was all about obedience look i've come to do your will i've come to be obedient right it was all about obedience from the very beginning in fact the key in this little section from psalm 40 the keys that animal sacrifices wasn't the plan the plan was trust the plan was obedience that was the plan from the very beginning but the catch is is that obedience is the proof of trust we can go back to the very beginning i mean in the very beginning god said hey listen i've created this place for you adam eve i got a place for you it's it's this garden and it's full and it's going to provide for you and i've provided it for you so that you can experience but all i'm asking is that you trust me sounds like something you may have heard for the last two years or at least the last five years all i've asked is that you would just simply trust me it's what god's been saying from the very beginning and the only way that you ever see that somebody trusts you is through obedience it's the same way with your kids hey listen if you'll trust me this is the best way to act this is the way you live this is what will bring you life this is what will bring you joy and if you step outside of that then you will miss what i've been trying to say from the very beginning in the beginning god said trust me it's all i'm asking and sacrifices were the way of trust hey listen and if you go back you know to the fall and you go back genesis chapter three where where adam and eve they they do their thing they choose their own way and god what does he do he clothes them with animal skins and so animal sacrifices begin to be this way of trust and trust it begin to be a way that god said i'm going to provide for you but human nature human nature you know you and you and you and you you know us human nature in its in its normal way of acting turned animal sacrifices into a transaction well if i uh if i mess up all i got to do is is kill a goat and and god will be okay with it if i if i do this over here i just kill a lamb a lamb or a bull or a bird and i'll offer the sacrifices and and it'll be all okay i don't have to worry about anything and everything will be fine somewhere along the way people begin to take what god had provided and turned it into a transaction but over and over and over um samuel samuel was a prophet of god uh early on and and he was talking to a guy named saul saul was the king and saul had gone out and done his own thing he didn't follow the instructions he didn't trust instead he did his own thing and samuel looks at him and says to obey is better than to sacrifice saul is not about sacrifices it's about trusting it's about obeying it's about following what god has called you" [53:38] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5) "Holiness is not something we make happen. It's the work of Jesus in our lives. It's the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He changes us from the inside out. It's not the outside things. It's not being better. It's not showing up at church more. It's not praying more. It's not it's not giving more those are all good things and and those are things that will begin to change as we begin to live out but holiness and wholeness in our lives it happens as we trust and obey for there's no other way to experience the life that god has for you holiness is not what we do we can't do it we can't work at it we can't make it happen it's only through the work of jesus well then pastor what do i do how do i experience this holiness? How do I experience holiness? What does that even mean? What do I got to do? The first thing is just simply say, hey, Jesus, I need you. I need you as Lord of my life. I want you as Lord and Savior. I want you to change me. I'm tired of trying to be a better husband, and I'm tired of trying to be a better wife, and I'm tired of being a better co -worker or boss or whatever. And every time I try, I fail, and I fall flat. Lord, would you change me? And see, this doesn't matter. Some of you are here. If you're not church, and you're not into Jesus, then it's okay. But there's a moment the Holy Spirit is talking to you right now, and you're thinking, I get it. Because the better I try to be, the worse I end up being. Because the outside is not more important than the inside. And so if you've never trusted in Jesus, then it just simply starts with saying, Jesus, I want you as my Lord and Savior. To bring wholeness into this life. And I don't care if you've been following Jesus for a hundred years, and you've never fully given him everything, then it's the same prayer. Jesus, I want you as my Lord. Some people, some of us, we've been going to church for so long, man, we are 3 ,000 verses overweight. Because what we do is we know the whole Bible, but we don't know Jesus. You know what I'm saying?" [01:10:51] (136 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6) "Holiness. Holiness is not something we make happen. It's the work of Jesus on the inside of our lives. So we're just going to stop for just a moment. Ready? Because this is God's desire for you. Holiness is not something you do. It's asking Jesus to do something in you. So would you bow your heads and close your eyes for just a moment? Jesus, that's your desire for us is to be made holy." [01:13:18] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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