Christ Calls Us To Be Different.

When Christ was here on earth, he met plenty of religious people. He wasn’t impressed by their religion. They liked to think that they were different from other people. They were different – but not in a way that pleased the Lord. He looked at them and He said, “Hypocrites!” (Luke 12:56). They drew attention to themselves – but they did not direct attention to the Lord. Everything revolved around themselves. The Lord didn’t get a look in. Christ calls us to be different – different from the “hypocrites”. How are we to be different? How does Christ make the difference in our lives? We look at the “hypocrites”. What do we see? There was something missing. They had a big problem. Their hearts were closed to the Spirit of grace (Luke 12:57-59). If they were going to be changed, they needed to open their hearts to the Spirit of grace. If we are going to be changed, we must open our hearts to the Spirit of grace. We must learn to pray, “Spirit of the living of God, fall afresh on me … break me, melt me, mould me, fill me …” Real change does not come from within ourselves. It comes from above, from “the Spirit of the living God”. We do not say, “I’m going to make myself better.” We come to the Lord and we pray, “break me, melt me, mould me, fill me”. Real change is not our own doing. We do not change ourselves. It is the Lord’s doing. It is the work of “the Spirit of the living God”. He sees what we really are. He sees beneath the surface. He sees where there needs to be change. He creates in us a desire for change, real change. We talk about the need for change – but we don’t let it get too personal. He presses upon us the call for personal revival. He prompts us to pray: “O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee. Send a revival. Start the work in me.”