“And He aid, ‘what comes out of a
man, that defiles a man. For from with, out of the heart of men, proceed evil
thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness,
deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. Al these evil
things come from within and defile a man.”—Mark 7:20-23
Down through the centuries, the Jews
turned their focus to the outward act of circumcision instead of the inward act
of faith as the reason for salvation.
This, too, was a source of contention between Jesus and the religious
leaders. They emphasized all the outward
acts the Lord had commanded and were totally disregarding the condition of
their hearts. Jesus said that if an
individual would cleanse their heart,
their actions would inevitably change too.
The condition of a person’s flesh is
not the important thing. God is
interested in a person’s heart, not if their flesh has been circumcised or not.
Today, the religious questions center
around the doctrine of water baptism, church membership, and other outward acts
that some preach are necessary for salvation.
Your faith in the love of God, as
expressed through Jesus on the Cross and in His resurrection is the only thing
God demands for your justification.
Religious rites mean nothing when it comes to salvation. Your heart is what matters to God. You can rejoice today that your heart safely
trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Prayer—Father
I thank You that my heart is right with You and because it is out of the
abundance of my heart my mouth will utter things that are pleasing to You, in
Jesus’ Name. Amen.
