Transcript

Evidence of a Changed Heart

2 Corinthians 10:7-11
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Pastor Randy Smith

This past week I just finished reading an excellent book. We have it available in our bookstore. It's called "Gospel-Powered Parenting" by William Farley. The author's premise throughout the book is that we as Christian parents have really done a substandard job of raising our children in the ways of Christ, despite the time and effort we may have invested. We have sought to focus on their behavior rather than their heart. We have failed to live as godly examples ourselves. We have underestimated the role of the father in the family. We have neglected discipline and affection. We have expected too much from their youth leaders. We have revealed to them our priorities are other than Christ . All in all, we have abandoned the principles from the very gospel we claim to believe and cherish as it pertains to the way in which we raise our children.

Yet while there is tremendous responsibility upon a parent and God often works through the faithful parent, the author makes it clear that only God can change a child's heart. We can't save our kids. We can't regenerate their souls or grant them new life. There must be a miracle wrought in their heart by the Holy Spirit. And when God does that work; there will be evidence of it!

Here is how he put it: "New birth...means one has enthroned Christ in the center of one's life. You become a Christian when your life, thinking and behavior begin to resolve around Jesus Christ. Until that happens, professions and decisions mean very little. Changed behavior processing from a spiritual heart transplant is the only certain evidence of new birth" (Gospel-Powered Parenting, p. 30). Did you catch that final sentence? "Changed behavior processing from a spiritual heart transplant is the only certain evidence of new birth." God saves and when He saves there is also (and always) evidence of His presence.

Like what kind of evidence you ask? Let me give you two examples from the last two lessons I taught in this church.

First, remember Wednesday night? We have been discussing the command to rejoice in the Lord. We have been mentioning that prayer is one of the tools God uses to give us joy. Possibly one reason we don't feel that joy when we pray is because our prayers are no different than an unbeliever.

Here is how John Piper said it: "Most people, before their prayers are soaked in Scripture, simply bring their natural desires to God, In other words, they pray the way an unbeliever would pray who is convinced that God might give him what he wants: health, a better job, safe journeys, a prosperous portfolio, successful children, plenty of food, a happy marriage, a car that works, a comfortable retirement, etc. None of these is evil. They're just natural. You don't have to be born again to want any of these. Desiring them - even from God - is no evidence of saving faith. So if these are all you pray for, there is a deep problem. Your desires have not yet been changed to put the glory of Christ at the center" (When I Don't desire God, p. 165-166).

My point, one indication of a truly changed heart is not only a desire to pray, but offering prayers unlike unbelievers that seek to follow Scripture and terminate on the glory of Christ - evidence of a changed heart.

A second example comes from last Sunday's lesson. You'll remember we talked about spiritual warfare. Believers and unbelievers both know there's a battle out there. Their enemy is the person or persons. Our enemy as believers is the demonic forces in heavenly places. Their weapons are manipulation, deception, violence and intimidation. Our weapons are righteousness, peace, prayer and the Scriptures.

As Paul said, we do not wage war "according to the flesh" (2 Cor. 10:3). We use weapons that are "divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses" (2 Cor. 10:4). Believers see the battle from a completely different perspective. Our strength is the Holy Spirit. Our aim is God's glory. Our goal is to proclaim the truth of the Bible for the transformation of human minds (people held captive as Satan's prisoners of war) so they may adopt a new worldview by bringing "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). Again, the way we fight our battles reveals more evidence of a heart transformation.

By now you can see where we are going with this sermon. There is much more to being a Christian than just picking up some new morals, adding a few words to our vocabulary and popping into a church when it fits into our schedules. Being a Christian means being given an entirely new heart that now sees and thinks and smells and hears and speaks on an entirely new wavelength.

Chapter 10 starts the third and final section of 2 Corinthians. In this section, Paul will unleash his full arsenal on the unrepentant minority of the church that was a deadly cancer within this spiritual household.

You see, they wanted Paul out of the way so they could further their destructive beliefs. So in doing so they told lie after lie in an all-out assault to destroy his reputation and hence his following. They claimed that he was a deceiver, that he was only in it for the money, that he couldn't be trusted, that he lived a secret life of sin and (as we saw last week) that he walked in the flesh. Paul again finds himself refuting their attacks, specifically now that he's bold when writing letters, but an unimpressive wimp when he's before your face (remember that from last week in verse 1?). How does he refute this? He points to specific evidence as to how God has and is working in his life!

In verse 7 he begins by saying, "You are looking at things as they are outwardly." As I just read, the NASB and NIV versions translate "look" in verse 7 as an indicative. Probably best to translate "look" as an imperative. In other words, "Look at the things you can see!" To put it into simple terms, the accusation is that Paul is not the man. Paul is simply saying, "Look at the facts! What do you see! What's their track record? Compare them to me. How many sinners were converted under them? How many churches did they plant? How many congregations did they strengthen?"

You'll remember the false teachers made all kinds of dubious claims. It was the kind of stuff that can't be verified. It was the kind of stuff that secular celebrities could claim. The false teaches set themselves up as rock stars. They misled many, especially many in the worldly-minded Corinthian church. Paul's simply asking the few rebels to examine their lives and his life from a spiritual perspective. "Do you have spiritual eyes? Look at what you see. Evaluate this for yourself and then determine who is the real deal based on objective evidence!" As Paul says in the remainder of verse 7, "If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we." Again, we are talking about evidence of God's presence in his life!

Paul's strategy in asking others to examine his life (as to whether he is a true teacher from the Lord or not) is directly off the teaching of our Savior from Matthew 7. "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits" (Mt. 7:15-20).

Actually, in much of the remaining context in this letter we see Paul pointing out the fruits in his life to make it clear to the church that he was not only a mature believer, but also a teacher and an apostle of Jesus Christ. We'll see the humble reluctance he had in bringing up his spiritual fruit, but he does it only to boast in the Lord and safeguard the purity of his beloved church so they'll be following the right guy.

He reminds them that he preached the gospel free of charge so nobody could claim he's only in it for the money (2 Cor. 11:7-9). He reminds them of his tremendous physical suffering for the gospel (2 Cor. 11:23-27). He reminds them of his deep emotional love for the purity of the church (2 Cor. 11:28-29). He reminds them about his incredible visions granted by God (2 Cor. 12:1-6). He reminds them about God's sufficient grace in his weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:7-10). He reminds them about his signs and wonders (2 Cor. 12:12).

When people seek to counterfeit money, it goes without saying they make it as close to the original as possible. Obviously the closer to the original, the more successful is the counterfeit. So all experts identify counterfeits by knowing the details of the original so well that the errors are much easier to spot. False teachers are no different. To the unsuspecting Christian they can look an awful lot like the original. In chapter 11 Paul will tell us that "even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness" (2 Cor. 11:14-15). Sheep in wolves' clothing!

So what Paul is saying here is that if they want to tell the difference between him and them all the church needs to do is carefully examine their respective lives. Who looks more like the original? Who looks more like Jesus Christ?

So let's take this to a practical level for you and I. In a recent ABC news poll 83% of America identified themselves as Christian. Now I'm not saying it's our job to determine who's in and who's out (unless there are clear doctrinal errors), but I really have to wonder if four out of every five Americans are truly saved?

In chapter 13 of this letter Paul will say, "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Cor. 13:5). We should examine Bible teachers as to whether they are true or false based upon their fruits, but when it comes to salvation, the examination should always be on ourselves based on our identifiable fruits. The examination is this. Is there evidence that I have been transformed by the Holy Spirit ? Am I a counterfeit or am I really following the original, Jesus Christ Himself? Is there spiritual fruit? Is there evidence of God's presence within me based upon looking at my attitudes and priorities and interests? Is it seen in what I think about, how I spend my money, where I spend my time, what I want to see accomplished, what I want said at my funeral? My friends, the world crucified Jesus. They hated Him! Is my life for Christ in stark contrast with the world and the way I used to live?

In verse 8 Paul says, "For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame" (cf. 2 Cor. 13:10).

We just started a good book Thursday night for our family devotionals. It's by Josh McDowell and is called "Don't Check Your Brains at the Door." The first chapter described the seductive nature of Satan. He has this tremendous ability to get people to believe that he is the king of fun and God is nothing more than a celestial kill-joy . In other words, if you conduct your life following the Bible and seeking to please God, you are really going to miss out on a whole lot of excitement. The Devil has the world convinced that if they get over on his side and start driving in the fast lane they'll find themselves with a boatload of happiness.

Really? Is that true? Let's pull out the sword of the Spirit - the Word of truth! Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn. 10:10). Isn't Satan the "adversary" and the "roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8)? When we take our thoughts "captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5) we see Satan's tempting desires coated with candy on the outside, looking and smelling good, but filled with poison on the inside that after an occasional short-term pleasure often terminates in infinite pain.

Since the false teachers were used by the Devil, it's only natural to think that they would look impressive on the outside with artificial fruit, but only destroy the Corinthian church in the long haul. Paul knew that and that's why he was so emotionally charged in this letter, especially chapter 11-13.

They spoke frequently of their authority. And Paul spoke frequently in this letter of his authority as an apostle. So how could the church tell who was the true authoritative voice they needed to be listening to? We see it here in verse 8. Their authority was just like Satan's - to further their own prideful agenda by using (and even destroying the church) in the process. Paul claimed just the opposite. Verse 8, his "authority" was given to him by the Lord "for building [them] up and not destroying [them]. And everything we see in Scripture regarding Paul's life testifies to this unmistakable truth!

Here's another great indication that God has truly changed our hearts. When we are saved, Christians are given a completely new affection for the local church.

When our family was in Utah last summer on vacation my daughters were looking at shirts. Bored out of my mind (did I just find purgatory?), I began reading the backs of all the novelty shirts. You can really learn a lot about society from doing this! I noticed one with the following caption: "I'd rather be in the mountains thinking about God, than in church thinking about the mountains." What's wrong with that? To the unbelieving mind it actually sounds very spiritual! But to the Christian mind we see it very differently! We can love the mountains and there are fewer places where we might see more of God's beauty in creation, but that does not mean it is a substitute for the local church.

Acts 20:28 says Jesus "purchased [the church] with His own blood." We've seen Paul's great love for the church. Just wait until we get to the next chapter and we'll see how much he suffered for it. You see, Christians have a heart not for this world, but the world to come and as we've said repeatedly, there is nothing as close to heaven as being in church - the corporate worship, the fellowship, the service, the like-mindedness!

Do we love the church? Specifically, do we have this heart like Paul that is concerned for its strength and stability? Do we want to see others in the church "built up," edified, encouraged? Do we want to see people with a strong walk with Christ? Do backsliders and carnal believers burden our heart? Are we serving others? Are we praying for the church? Are we supporting its ministries with our faithful presence? Are we making a personal investment in the lives of other believers? Is this a stronger church because of you? Are you on the construction crew or demolition crew? If you were in Paul's shoes could you boast that you are on the construction crew? And as Paul said at the end of verse 8, can you do that based on the observable evidence and "not be put to shame?"

Lastly in verses 9-11 we read, "For I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. For they say, 'His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.' Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present."

As a Christian, Paul lived a life of integrity. What you heard about him was the same as if you saw him. What he did in private was not more shameful than what he did in public. How he acted around unbelievers is the same as to how he acted around believers.

You see, the opponents claimed (as we discussed last week), that Paul was bold and mighty when writing from a distance, but timid and cowardly when face-to-face. They only saw Paul from a worldly perspective and they used this judgment to malign him even further.

As for his speech, to them it was "contemptible." He lacked the polished rhetorical skills used by the popular orators of their day and highly prized by the Greek culture. Maybe Paul was even a little dry. We recall that story of the young brother named Eutychus who fell asleep during Paul's preaching and dropped three stories when he fell off of the window sill (Ac. 20:8).

As for his "personal presence," nothing spectacular. We have no pictures of Paul or even physical descriptions of his appearance from the Bible. The earliest and most reliable account says he was "baldheaded, bowlegged, strongly built, a man small in size, with meeting eyebrows, with a rather large nose" (The Acts of Paul and Thecla). I'll leave it at that!

All that mattered to Paul was doing ministry to impress God and not people. He never wanted to do anything that would draw unnecessary attention to himself . Paul's goal was that after preaching the Word and loving people that He'd get out of the way and allow Jesus Christ to build His church through his life and ministry.

Even the way the church evaluated him based upon his letters was worldly. What they failed to see is that Paul was gentle among them the first few times in hopes of their repentance. He came, 10:1, "by the meekness and gentleness of Christ." He wasn't weak. He was filled with the Spirit leading him to be self-controlled and patient. But he promises that when he comes for the third time (2 Cor. 12:14; 13:1) things will be much different and that the individual they portray from his letters, verse 11, will be the very person they will see when personally present. No inconsistencies. Impeccable integrity.

And is that true for you? Is there integrity? Can you boast in what God has done in your life? Can others boast in what God has done in your life? Is there evidence of a transformed heart?