What Is On The Inside?

Have you ever given serious thought to who you are? In the grand scheme of God’s entire Creation, each of His chosen people is very unique.
Malachi 3:16 “And they shall be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “in the day that I will make up My own special jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own
son who serves him.”

Exodus 19:5 “Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth
is Mine.”

God is simply telling each one of us, “Every person on earth is My creation. I created all beings. I could have picked anyone on the earth to be mine. Instead of all the others, I chose YOU.” We have to remember our great God has the power to create an entire universe, and He can use His power to do anything He desires. He chose YOU, He chose me – not your neighbour next door. He chose YOU to be part of His family. Have you ever considered what a significant privilege it is to be personally chosen by God?

Ephesians 1:13 says, “You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”. God paid a huge price in order to purchase you and me! The death of His Son, Jesus
Christ, cannot be understated as a huge sacrifice on the part of both the Father and the Son. Since we have faith in the process and meaning of Jesus’ death and
resurrection and have committed ourselves to Him, we have each been sealed – set apart – from other people on this earth. I have a couple of geodes that I have collected over the years. They are quite a marvel of God’s creation, and help me to remember just how unique I am. As God’s children, we physically look no different from other people – on the outside.

However, God has given each of us something VERY special – on the inside. His Holy Spirit. Once we have been sealed with His Holy Spirit, we are no longer common, but very special to Him. We are no longer part of the “crowd.” We are set apart, because we are now changed…on the inside.

Just as with the geode – we may look like everyone else on the outside; but when you examine the inside, we are different. God sees what is on our “inside”.

The inside is what makes us special in God’s sight. It is what we develop on the inside that marks us as different in God’s mind. An true Christian, chosen and sealed by God, will look like all the other people on earth. But God knows the heart. He knows that we are very different from the others – on the inside! His Holy Spirit helps to shape us into a jewel on the inside.

Consider:
Psalm 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 26:2 – Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
Psalm 139: 23-24. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts, And see if any wicked way is in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.

Reflect and Respond:
What are the character traits that we should be striving to develop, on the “inside”? How do you build righteous character? What are some strategies you employ? For more on this subject, download FREE our booklet, HOW TO BUILD GODLY CHARACTER.

• Sandee Willshaw