Beyond External Practices: Measuring the Heart
Ezekiel 42:15
Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.
God does not measure us from head to toe; He measures us from the inside out. If we are not careful, we will put too much emphasis on the externals and not enough emphasis on the internals. Both areas matter, but first things must come first. Let us consider what Jesus said in Matthew 23:23; “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
Jesus is obviously not teaching us to neglect the lighter issues, but rather to keep them in their place. What is most important is what is on the inside. If we are measuring up on the inside, then the outside will take care of itself. We all know that what appears to be, and what is, can be two totally different things. That’s why it is important to understand the necessity of majoring on the major in our walk with God. Otherwise, we can become deceived by our own man-made religion.
Question: If we did not have our religious routine to practice ever so often, would we still have our faith intact? It is sad but true that for some, if you took their church away, then you’d also take away their faith. It is not near as important for us to be in church, as it is for Christ to be in us! Do not take me wrong; church is essential for our spiritual growth and development. I’m simply saying that our faith should rest, not on the machinery of religion, but upon Christ Himself.
This would explain why some think they will go to Hell if they don’t dress a certain way, or attend a certain church, or forget to read their Bible twice a day, or the list could go on and on. Friend, did not Christ become our total, complete, and perfect sacrifice? Did He not take care of the curse, the chains, and the condemnation of sin when He shed His precious blood on our behalf? Then quit measuring yourself in the wrong way! What matters most is whether or not your sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ. Without the blood, we would never measure up. Now, how do you measure up?
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.
God does not measure us from head to toe; He measures us from the inside out. If we are not careful, we will put too much emphasis on the externals and not enough emphasis on the internals. Both areas matter, but first things must come first. Let us consider what Jesus said in Matthew 23:23; “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
Jesus is obviously not teaching us to neglect the lighter issues, but rather to keep them in their place. What is most important is what is on the inside. If we are measuring up on the inside, then the outside will take care of itself. We all know that what appears to be, and what is, can be two totally different things. That’s why it is important to understand the necessity of majoring on the major in our walk with God. Otherwise, we can become deceived by our own man-made religion.
Question: If we did not have our religious routine to practice ever so often, would we still have our faith intact? It is sad but true that for some, if you took their church away, then you’d also take away their faith. It is not near as important for us to be in church, as it is for Christ to be in us! Do not take me wrong; church is essential for our spiritual growth and development. I’m simply saying that our faith should rest, not on the machinery of religion, but upon Christ Himself.
This would explain why some think they will go to Hell if they don’t dress a certain way, or attend a certain church, or forget to read their Bible twice a day, or the list could go on and on. Friend, did not Christ become our total, complete, and perfect sacrifice? Did He not take care of the curse, the chains, and the condemnation of sin when He shed His precious blood on our behalf? Then quit measuring yourself in the wrong way! What matters most is whether or not your sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ. Without the blood, we would never measure up. Now, how do you measure up?
~ Pastor Gary Caudill