Defilement Comes From Within

-February 7, 2022-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man” (Matthew 15:11).

“But those things which proceed out of the heart, they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:18-19).

The Pharisees had formal religion much of which were devised by themselves. They believed in looking good on the outside, but were completely dead on the inside. Their hearts were far from God. Jesus rebuked them in Matthew 15:8-9, “These people draw near with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

The source of sin is the heart and that is where all defilement comes from. What one eats or drinks, how one dresses, or how much money one has makes no difference in the eyes of God. God sees our hearts. When we get saved, we have a new nature, but we also still have the old nature, which is in opposition to our new nature.

James wrote, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:13-15). The devil brings the temptation before us, but he cannot force us to succumb to it. We must stay close to the Lord, pray, and obey the Word of God.

Jesus said to, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” We are vulnerable and weak, and we need the power of the Holy Spirit to live a victorious life. We have the capacity to commit every sin, but also the power to overcome each one. In Matthew 25:18-19, Jesus mentions seven deadly sins: evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” They are start in the heart and are manifested in some outward action. We often consider stealing and lying as minor sins. We even call some lies, “white lies.” All sin is an abomination to the Lord.

Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” We cannot trust our sinful flesh, we must trust the Lord and obey Him fully. God desires that we be victorious over sin and the flesh. let us call sin what it is: wickedness and evil against the Lord, and hurtful to others.

Have a blessed day walking with the Lord and being on guard, watching and praying. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean