External and Internal Change

Back to Sermons WOR

As we study the first three chapters of the Book of Hebrews we notice the actions we are supposed to take, such as "see to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart." Right here, in this admonition, is exposed the error of today’s Evangelical teaching. We are being commanded to do something. There is no indication that God will do this for us in some sovereign manner.

(6/26/2005) I will make a statement right now. We of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ have two desperate needs. One desperate need is to to bring our teaching into alignment with the New Testament. The second need, equally desperate, is that God will pour out on us His Spirit.

Perhaps most of us would agree that we are in desperate need of an outpouring of God’s Spirit on our churches. For too long, administrative-type leaders (who are needed in the operation of denominations) have striven for success by consulting their computers and demographic studies rather than looking to the Spirit of God to accomplish the work of the Kingdom.

The second need is not apparent, probably, to most Evangelical leaders and teachers. This second need has to do with our misunderstanding of the operation of the new covenant. But until we change our doctrine, no outpouring of the Holy Spirit will produce the lasting impact we desire. We are defeating with our unscriptural teaching the building of God’s Kingdom.

We all would agree, I believe, that it is desirable we be changed into the moral image of the Lord Jesus Christ. But we may have two destructive opinions concerning how such change is to come about.

The first opinion, often expressed these days, is that we do not have to be concerned about a change in our behaviour. Christ living within us will bring about such change without effort on our part.

The second opinion, even more widely expressed, is that behavioural change is not critically necessary in the present hour. When the Lord comes He somehow will accomplish such change by His sovereign power, that is, if such moral transformation actually is necessary. Who knows? Perhaps we will continue forever as sinners saved by grace! There will not be many new creations after all.

The result of such unscriptural reasoning could be predicted by a sociologist. The behaviour of numerous Christians remains unchanged. The result is a severely damaged testimony, the consequence of the damaged Christian testimony being the current moral degeneration of our country.

Perhaps we do not understand the mechanics of moral change, much less the supreme importance of moral change to citizenship in the Kingdom of God.

Let us think about two aspects of behavioural change: external change and internal change, and their relationship to each other.

External change has to do with the behaviour people can see. Internal change has to do with the forming of Christ in us such that our behaviour is conformed to the moral image of the Lord Jesus.

Internal change is the goal, and such change is eternal. However—and this is the mistake in current thinking, perhaps—external change comes first and is our responsibility.

As we read the New Testament, from Matthew through Revelation, we notice numerous exhortations to righteous behaviour. All such exhortations were given by Jesus, some by Him in Person when He was on earth; some by Him through His Apostles.

When we read an exhortation, such as "Awake to righteousness and stop sinning," we are to go immediately to God in prayer. We are to ask for His help that we may fulfil this command.

The Holy Spirit operates the new covenant. When He warns us that we are coming short in some area, such as that of forgiving someone who has harmed us, we are to go to prayer immediately until we have been enabled to forgive the individual. This is external change.

When we cooperate with the Spirit of God in the work of external change, Christ is formed in us. When Christ has been formed in us sufficiently, we will be able to forgive everyone who injures us. Christ is not formed in us until we cooperate with the Spirit in external change.

Therefore the new covenant works along two line. First, the Spirit of God enables us to conform our behaviour to the commandments found in the New Testament. Second, as we eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood, His Divine Substance and Nature are formed in us. As Christ is formed in us we begin to keep His commandments by our new nature.

Our goal is to endure such transformation until it truly can be said of us that we are living no longer but Christ is living in us.

Back to Sermons WOR