January 5 | Inner Transformation, Not Outer Performance

Today’s Bible in a Year reading from Genesis 13–15 and Matthew 5:1–26 centers on a challenging but straightforward truth: God is far more concerned with inner transformation than outward performance. From the promises given to Abram to the words of Jesus on the hillside, Scripture makes it clear that faith is notmeasured by appearances, but by what is happening within the heart.In Genesis, Abram’s journey continues in quiet,unseen ways. He chooses peace over conflict, trust over control, and belief over visible proof. Genesis 15 tells us that Abram believed God, and that belief was counted as righteousness. Long before there was evidence of fulfillment, God was shaping Abram internally, forming a faith that rested on trust rather than outcomes.Matthew 5 pushes this truth even further as Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount. He addresses anger, reconciliation,motives, and the posture of the heart. Jesus makes it clear that righteousness is not about external compliance, but about internal alignment with God’s will. Obedience that does not flow from the heart will always fall short. Today’s reading invites us to pause and reflect on what kind of faith we are practicing. Are we focused on looking right, or on being transformed?