From Appearance to Reality
Recovering the Way of Jesus: From External Good Works to Inner Transformation
by Raimer Rojas
(English & Español)
by Raimer Rojas
(English & Español)
In the story recorded in the Gospel of John 12:1–8, a woman pours out an expensive perfume on Jesus, wiping His feet with her hair in an act of deep devotion. In the background, Judas Iscariot raises a quiet objection: “Why wasn’t this sold and given to the poor?” On the surface, it sounds right—wise, responsible, even righteous. But Jesus honors the woman’s act, and the author reveals what was hidden: Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. What appeared virtuous on the outside was misaligned on the inside. It is possible to stand for what is right externally while remaining unchanged internally. This moment is not just about Judas—it is a mirror.
This same tension continues today. Many believers sincerely want to follow Jesus, yet much of modern Christian life is still driven by external good works without deep inner transformation. We assume that doing the right things will eventually make us the right kind of people. Jesus never assumed that.
In the Sermon on the Mount (Gospel of Matthew 5–7), Jesus repeatedly says, “You have heard that it was said… but I say to you…” (Matthew 5:21–22, 27–28, 33–34, 38–39, 43–44). He is not adjusting behavior—He is exposing the source. He moves from actions to desires, from what is visible to what is driving what is visible. We can obey the letter of the Law while completely bypassing the heart. (Matthew 23:25–28) And that is exactly what He confronts.
When Jesus says, “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3–4), He is speaking within a clear warning: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them…” (Matthew 6:1). He describes people who give, pray, and fast in ways that draw attention—acts that are outwardly right, yet inwardly aimed at being seen (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16). It is in that context that He says not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. He is not calling for literal unawareness, but confronting a deeper tendency: to turn even our obedience into something we use for ourselves.
The issue is not the action—but what we do with it internally. Do we release it to God? Or do we hold onto it—replaying it, measuring ourselves by it, quietly building identity from it? Jesus redirects our focus: “…so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4) From being seen by others to being seen by the Father.
This is where freedom begins. Freedom from the need to be seen. Freedom from building identity through obedience. Freedom from quietly feeding the self. Good works flow from love and are released to God—without the need for recognition, credit, or internal applause. This is what real obedience looks like—no longer performed, but expressed.
If Jesus made this so clear, why do we still struggle? Because...
we settle for surface change
we mistake behavior for transformation
we ignore our motives
we attempt change without deep dependence on the Spirit
we reward performance more than honesty
we avoid the deeper work of the heart
The result is a form of Christianity that looks right—but lacks depth, freedom, and endurance.
Transformation does not mature in isolation. It is tested, revealed, and sustained in relationship. Jesus formed people in shared life. Not at a distance. It is in relationship that what is hidden becomes visible. Where patience is tested. Where love is proven. Where truth becomes embodied. Isolation hides immaturity. Relationship exposes it—and becomes the place God reshapes it. If your transformation cannot survive real relationships, it has not yet reached your heart.
At some point, the question becomes unavoidable: What do you actually love? Not what you say—but what you return to. What you dwell on. What you rely on when no one is watching. Jesus is clear: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). If we are serious about transformation, we must face what is truly driving us. The heart must be seen before it can be transformed.
So we stop hiding. Even from ourselves. We bring our inner world into the light (Psalm 139:23–24; 1 John 1:7). We allow Jesus to name what is disordered. And we respond—not by justifying, but by surrendering. What is exposed in the light can be transformed by grace.
This kind of change is not instant, and it is not accidental. It begins when we see clearly—when Jesus exposes the gap between what we do and what is driving what we do. Instead of ignoring it, we choose honesty. We bring what is revealed into the light. What is misaligned, we surrender. What is true, we receive.
But this is not a private process. It is lived out in relationship, where our lives are seen and our love is tested. Where truth moves from idea to reality. And through it all, we remain close to Jesus—listening to His words, observing His life, and allowing His Spirit to reshape us from within. Over time, something begins to shift. Our loves change. Our motives are purified. Our obedience becomes the overflow of who we are becoming.
This is why transformation cannot be reduced to effort. It is the result of discipleship. A lifelong commitment to:
Be with Jesus
Become like Jesus
Do as He did
We are not changed from a distance—we are changed through proximity. Jesus does not merely teach truth—He reveals the truth about us (Hebrews 4:12–13).
And this is why trying harder will never be enough. You cannot produce love by striving. You cannot manufacture humility by effort. You cannot create purity at the level of behavior alone. You are transformed by walking with the One who embodies it. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Over time, your loves are reordered. Your identity is secured. Your obedience flows from a different source. What once required effort begins to feel natural—not because you are unaware, but because you are aligned.
This is the invitation of Jesus: Not simply to do what is right but to become the kind of person from whom what is right naturally flows. A life...
where you no longer settle for external change, but allow Him to transform the heart beneath the behavior
where you face what truly drives you and bring it into the light
where your life is formed in relationship, not isolation
where you walk closely with Jesus and are shaped by His presence over time
where your loves are changed, your identity is secured, and your obedience flows from a new source
where good works no longer serve you — but flow through you, from a heart that has been made new
This is the way transformation happens. And this is the life Jesus invites you into.