Not Just Where You Sit, But How You Live
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven" - Matthew 6:1
A changed heart will always produce a changed life. When Jesus saves you, He does not just give you a new seat at the table. He gives you a new way to walk through the world. That’s what this section of Matthew 6 is getting at. Jesus is not impressed by religious activity. He is looking for genuine transformation.
You can go to church every week, raise your hands in worship, serve on three teams, and quote all the right verses, and still be living from your old self. That’s the danger Jesus is warning about. The Pharisees had all the outward forms. They prayed, they gave, they fasted. But nothing underneath had truly changed. Their actions were rooted in pride, not surrender. Their goal was visibility, not obedience.
True transformation starts in the unseen places. It looks like honoring God when no one is clapping for you. It shows up in how you treat people who cannot repay you. It means praying when nobody’s watching and giving without needing recognition. It means taking the lowest seat, not the platform.
You do not need to advertise your righteousness when Jesus is really the center of your life. He sees what is hidden. He rewards what is done in faith. The old self demands applause. The new self desires obedience.
So let’s take a step back and ask the hard questions. Has your heart really changed, or have you just changed seats? If Christ has made you new, then let it show in the way you live, not just in the things you say. Let the evidence of your salvation be humility, service, and secret faithfulness. That’s the life Jesus rewards.
A changed heart will always produce a changed life. When Jesus saves you, He does not just give you a new seat at the table. He gives you a new way to walk through the world. That’s what this section of Matthew 6 is getting at. Jesus is not impressed by religious activity. He is looking for genuine transformation.
You can go to church every week, raise your hands in worship, serve on three teams, and quote all the right verses, and still be living from your old self. That’s the danger Jesus is warning about. The Pharisees had all the outward forms. They prayed, they gave, they fasted. But nothing underneath had truly changed. Their actions were rooted in pride, not surrender. Their goal was visibility, not obedience.
True transformation starts in the unseen places. It looks like honoring God when no one is clapping for you. It shows up in how you treat people who cannot repay you. It means praying when nobody’s watching and giving without needing recognition. It means taking the lowest seat, not the platform.
You do not need to advertise your righteousness when Jesus is really the center of your life. He sees what is hidden. He rewards what is done in faith. The old self demands applause. The new self desires obedience.
So let’s take a step back and ask the hard questions. Has your heart really changed, or have you just changed seats? If Christ has made you new, then let it show in the way you live, not just in the things you say. Let the evidence of your salvation be humility, service, and secret faithfulness. That’s the life Jesus rewards.
Subscribe
If you were blessed by or directly benefited from this content, please subscribe to receive receive daily devotions to your inbox.
No Comments