A Branded Heart - Daily Devotional September 4th 2009

Daily Bible Reading - 2 Kings 9, Lamentations 5, 2 Corinthians 3-4

A Branded Heart

A lot of people treat Christianity like the brand of cloths they wear because after all, we live in a consumer driven society. You see someone wearing a pair of jeans from target and you automatically assume different things about them, the same is true for the person wearing True Religion Jeans. We assume that the person wearing the more expensive jeans must have more money than the person wearing the jeans from target. The truth of the matter is that many people wearing the more expensive clothing and driving around in the more expensive car may have less money. Because they have less money they get the more expensive things to cover for the fact that they are flat broke.

This mentality has crept its way into Christianity to a certain degree. Christians have become more concerned about the brand of Christianity they are wearing rather then the state of their heart. In other words, if I look like a Christian on the outside then I am ok, while there is absolutely no heart change and nothing that truly separating me from someone who is not a Christ follower. This is a sad place to be because this appeases our conscience more than pleasing the heart of God. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7b, " For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance,but the LORD looks on the heart.". God is looking for a branded heart not an outward cover, but we are consumed with appearances more than substance.

We want others to see our good works which is notable and awesome if there is substance behind it. The problems is that we end up focusing on good works more than we do our heart. We think, "if people see my organization, if people see what I'm doing for the homeless or in this other country or if they see my efforts for..." The heart of the matter is that if we have a truly branded heart then good works will flow out of it but I cannot brand myself with good works or just words. If I am doing this I am like the person who is in debt driving around in the expensive car and wearing cloths I really can't afford.

Paul Says this in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, "You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." Paul is saying that we are known as Christians because we have a heart that has been branded by God's grace and love. Because our heart is so branded it speaks so loud and clear to all who are around. Not only that but as you read this passage you see that this way is more glorious. We do not have to carry around an outward appearance of something carved in stone like in 2 Corinthians 3:7. Rather our heart is transformed and that transformation is so powerful that it shows up on the outside.

Listen to the words of 2 Corinthians 3:9, "For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory". In other words, if we find some glory in the outward appearance of our faith (the law carved in stone) how much more glorious is it when we actually have our heart branded in righteousness by the Spirit of God. The second one is much more glorious because there is freedom in knowing that I am not working for my righteousness but just receiving it by the grace of God as He brands my heart.

My question is this, are you set apart living a life of substance that is not in debt because your heart has been truly branded? Or are you wearing a brand and trying to set yourself apart by doing things and your heart is not changed at all? Think about it today and allow God to brand your heart.

Tomorrows Bible Reading - 2 Kings 10, Ezekiel 1, 2 Corinthians 5-7

Dream Big
Ben