Scripture:
"Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack....." - Mark 10:21

No matter how sincere, devoted and disciplined our personal efforts are to live a godly life, we will always fall short. There are no searching eyes like the eyes of the Lord Jesus. He examines not just our actions but our hearts.

This young man had devoted himself to living his life as spotlessly and meticulously as he could. He thought he had fulfilled all the requirements of the law. Until he met Jesus, he was quite content with his accomplishment. But standing before the all searching gaze of the Lord he suddenly discovered his heart was not pure. He had prided himself in his ability to live his life purely and rightly. But now he was being examined by the Lord. When the Lord examined him, he went right to his imperfection. His impure heart.

The Christian life is much more than pure actions. It is much more than doing everything correctly. Our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and it is difficult to know it. Only the pure gaze of the Lord is able to expose our corrupt nature.

We can discipline our hands, our feet, our lips, or our actions to precisioned obedience to laws and rules. But that doesn’t change our wicked hearts. Only the transformation of the life of Christ within can deal with our impure motivations. Yes it is true. We must die.

The apostle Paul said it this way. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20

The rich young man went away from Jesus sorrowfully. He could not change his heart. Nor can we. But we can be changed by the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Old things can pass away and all things can become new. (II Corinthians 5:17 )

The Lord is still gazing at our heart. But we don’t have to go away sorrowful. We can submit our hearts to his transforming power. We can be changed. The Lord Jesus doesn’t want to purely examine us. He wants to change us from glory to glory.

Is the Lord is examining your heart today? What does he see? What is more what does he cause you to see? What have you discovered after being examined by the Lord?

Don’t be afraid let him examine you. But don’t stop there. Let him change your heart.