God is looking at our lives, not just listening to our words. He is watching to see whether the fire is real—whether the conversion has truly taken hold—whether the old man has been crucified and a new creature has come forth. God has to change you. He cannot have you breaking His heart for all eternity. That is why He insists on the new birth. That is why He insists on the fire. That is why He insists on the cross. Because He loves you too much to leave you the way you are. But the change must be real, and it must go all the way down to the roots. A coat of paint on a rotting wall is no good to God. He wants to tear the wall down and build something new from the foundation up. And the foundation is Jesus Christ, and there is no other.