Words do not save us. A desire to be cleansed from our sin by Christ is a show of placing faith in Him. He will only change a person if they want to be changed by Him.
Those who would rather change themselves through their own effort, will only see a humanly temporary change, not the change that Christ can do. God will let us do things our own way, but it will not be lasting because our flesh gets weary from the trying.
Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Psalm 46:10
"“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
If anyone just wants His blessings and the safety He has to offer, then He will not change them into a new creation and they will not have His blessings.
Proverbs 23:6
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Psalm 51:17
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
Do we want Christ? OR Do we just want His stuff?
"8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
Too many people are trying to reach God by their own efforts, some even demanding of Him as though He owes them something, when in fact, we owe Him everything.
Christ is not a puppet to demand things from nor someone to be ignored except when we need Him. He is not there to help us be a better person, He is the one to change us into what He wants us to be, an entirely different creation from what we were before we trusted Him.
To many think their character is their own project for God, this is wrong. God works in us He makes us new, we cannot make ourselves new because it is done from the inside out, a matter of spiritual change. When we are spiritually changed, then our flesh will follow.
Ephesians 2:10
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them."
