Externals? Christians come in many flavors and there is one thing that all have in common; a certain, outward pride in their denomination. We build our separate churches to protect our differences. Sadly, we often pride in not being like those who are not like us. Outwardly we confess doctrines and practice teachings that identify us and make us who we are.
Think about it. Like an athlete striving to look fit on the outside without a concern for inward fitness, an outward focus on Christianity becomes an effort to “look” like a Christian ought to look without regard to who he really is on the inside.
God’s Word tells us: “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake’” (Romans 1: 5).
It’s the inside Christian that possesses him. Ultimately, when it comes to seeking God’s praise for who we are, that praise is never dependent upon the outward, external things we value so highly. God looks at the heart, not the pew. Externals are extras; it’s the internals that count with God. He has a purpose for our lives, a purpose realized only in obedience to His will.
“I pray today in Jesus name that each of us would strive to live a Christian life faithful to obeying God’s Word and abiding in His grace to not only profess our faith, but to live it. Amen!”
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34) www.thispassingday.com