On This Day: The Heart That Gets Us in Trouble

   And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:14-23)

   There have been times when I have been shocked to realize how different Jesus’ teachings are from the way churches live. And one of the most glaring contrasts is still between religion’s focus on externals and God’s focus on our hearts. 

   In the early 90’s, I read Larry Crabb’s book, “Inside Out” and heard this strange idea that church folks are more committed to their self-protection (keeping God away from their hearts) than they are to knowing and doing the will of God. Three decades later that is exactly what I have seen. 

   In fact, most church people I have known not only focus on externals instead of matters of the heart, but they have put considerable energy into making their churches like that and expend constant energy trying to keep them that way! The whole while we have the word of God filled with the good news of how God changes hearts. 

   One of the most significant prophecies about this is in Ezekiel 11:19 and repeated in 36:26. There God promises, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” 

   Paul spoke about this when he wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (II Corinthians 5:17). He included this focus when he spoke about baptism (something universal to the church throughout the whole world and all the rest of time), “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). 

   Churches should not be such a breeding ground for things like “evil thoughts, coveting, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness”. Jesus called these “evil things” and called us to “hunger and thirst for righteousness”. 

   Because it is true that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9), we must confess the “evil things” in our hearts and set our minds on the Spirit who will lead us in the newness of life. 

   Hiding in arguments about externals did not work for Jesus’ opponents back in the day, and we cannot expect he will tolerate it from us now. He has a much better way for us and his love cannot leave us self-justifying a wash-your-hands policy that leaves people with hearts far away from God. 

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
(Psalm 24:3-5)

© 2024 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8

Email: in2freedom@gmail.com 

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)