From the Inside Out

We have spoken in recent weeks about two beautiful parts of God's work that should always be in evidence when Jesus is the Lord of a church doing life together:

* God's renewing grace: God takes repentant sinners, forgives us, and, within life of the church fellowship, renews us for service. It happens only when we simply, humbly, courageously, and faithfully follow the teaching of Scripture in Galatians 6:1–2: "When a brother is caught in sin, you who are spiritual must restore him."

* God's reconciling power: God takes people broken from him by sin and (all too often) disagreements with one another in the church family, forgives us, makes us right with him, and makes us one with one another. It happens only when we simply, humbly, courageously, and faithfully follow the teaching of Scripture in Philippians 4:1–2: When sisters (or brothers) are not of one mind, help them "stand firm together in the Lord."

Today, we come to the passage of Scripture that describes the practical inner work (some call "spiritual formation") that needs to happen for us to become the kinds of people God promises we will be through his power and grace. As we grow spiritually, we should become those with the grace to be involved in renewing others to God's service rather than become those who must be renewed—or who prevent God's renewing grace from being practiced. The Bible describes inner Christlike traits that enable us to become God's agents of reconciliation rather than those whose lives lead to divisions.

Scripture teaches that the Spirit of God does his sanctifying work in our lives from the inside out. In general, the therapies of our world usually recommend techniques that work from the outside in. We sometimes think that we change human beings by changing their environments. Jesus comes into people and changes us in ways that empower us to change our environments.

But how? Today, we will look at the beautiful instructions from Philippians that, if followed, should lead to "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." The Apostle Paul tells us that when we put them into practice, "the peace of God will be with us" (Philippians 4:7, 9).

May it be so for all of us—to God's glory alone.

To His Glory,

Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor