External and Internal Remodeling

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

Ezekiel 11:19-20

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”

 

When a house is showing age as well as wear and tear it is time for a remodel job to take place. Rusty exterior siding is removed and new siding installed. Old paint is scraped off and new paint applied. Doors are replaced, stairs and steps repaired and new landscaping is done in many a remodel job. Inside a house numerous things might need to be remodeled as well. Walls might be removed to provide for better utilization of the house. Old appliances are retired and replaced with new ones. Light fixtures are upgraded and of course new wallpaper or paint is applied as well. But do we need remodeling as people? I think so.

 

We are all born needing a remodeling job. All of us are born sinful and full of fleshly desires. As we grow, our sinful nature exerts its influence on our lives. It begins to train us to serve its lust for all sorts of things. It strives to encourage behaviors that are inappropriate, rude and selfish. No matter how good we think we are, deep within the core of our being is the sinful flesh with which we were born. We know this and some of us that are motivated or convicted will try to do the remodel job ourselves.

 

In Jesus’ time the Pharisees were such a kind of people. They attempted to have an outward form of godliness that they constructed themselves. This came from their remodeling techniques of laying down rules and regulations that they could keep externally to impress people and gain power. Internally there was a different story. The condition of their internal heart changed very little if at all and Jesus confronted them about this fact. Several verses illustrate this point when Jesus held them accountable for ignoring their internal heart condition.

 

Matthew 23:25-26

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

 

Matthew 23:27-29

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

 

Mark 7:5-7

“He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

 

The Pharisees were intent upon remodeling their outward behavior but had neglected the internal condition of their heart. Jesus knew His Father’s purpose for people was to give them new hearts through transformation of their internal condition by changing their spiritual standing with Him.

 

Matthew 12:33-37 discusses that the internal condition of a man or woman determines what flows out of their mouth, actions and behavior. The external is influenced by the internal so the internal remodeling job must take place so that the external change can take place. This passage states,

 

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

 

We will give an account of our actions at the final judgment for how we behaved and spoke in our life because our actions reflect what was actually in the deepest part of our hearts. It is an absolute fact that God knows the secrets of our heart and knows all that we do (Psalms 44:21).

 

So how can we allow spiritual remodeling to take place in our hearts?

 

Before any remodeling job can begin in a person’s life they must first relinquish this task to the hands of God. First, accepting Jesus as their personal Savior lays the foundation for the remodeling process to begin. Once this takes place their past, present and future sins are forgiven. They are also given the Holy Spirit to live within them so that the process of reshaping their heart and mind can take place. The responsibility for remodeling a person’s life depends not only on God, but also on the person as well. God uses His Word, the Holy Spirit and His intervention in their lives to shape their character, heart and mind. But He requires the cooperation of the Christian. The Christian must live up to his or her commitment to Jesus Christ and submit their lives to Him. Jesus should not be viewed only as a great teacher but as Lord and Master, otherwise any submission is partial and incomplete. Jesus was a great man, but also God in the flesh.

 

Numerous scriptures challenge us as Believers to participate in this remodeling process.

 

Romans 12:1-2

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

 

Here we are instructed to offer ourselves to God and sacrifice our will to our Heavenly Father as an act of worshipful obedience. God commands us to be transformed, or remodeled, by the renewing of our minds.

 

Romans 14:17-18

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.”

 

Here the point is being made that the important aspects of spiritually remodeling our lives does not reside in external practices but through the transformation of our internal condition or thought life. If we allow the internal remodeling process to take place in our hearts and minds our external behavior will follow suit. Many times external behaviors can seem to indicate spiritual growth and transformation, but eventually lack of spiritual change in a person’s heart will reveal the poor foundation that such external behavior rests upon.

 

Ephesians 5:3

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”

 

This scripture passage might be called the “building inspector’s standard.” The Holy Spirit is the spiritual building inspector of any remodeling process that goes on within the life of a servant of God and God’s Word is the “building code” that sets the parameters of proper behavior. Again, the internal remodeling is the most important and if this takes place the outward or external remodeling will reflect what is happening externally in a Believer’s spiritual life.

 

If we allow God to remodel our lives from the inside out we will live by the Spirit and bring honor to Him. Galatians 5:16-18 talks about conflict involved between the flesh and the Spirit and the fact that if we live by the Spirit we will not let the sinful flesh influence us. It says,

 

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.”

 

The most critical part of a Christian’s life is their submission to God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. When this is done on a consistent basis, they will be walking in step with the Holy Spirit. This lifestyle will demonstrate that the remodeling project going on in their life is continuing in a positive direction, a pure and holy direction. God provides the instruction and power to accomplish this and the Christian submits and obeys.

 

So I would encourage you to let God remodel you from the inside out. He is licensed and approved to reform your heart, mind and soul. He will not only perform this task in an excellent manner, He will involve you in the process as well and you will be pleased with the outcome and more importantly, so will He.

 

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”