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Matthew 15:15-20
The Apostle Peter confronts Jesus about the meaning of His statement, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man” (Matthew 15:11, NKJV). Jesus goes on to explain, “Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man” (Matthew 15:17-20). The Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 14:17 (HCSB), “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Jesus teaches us in Matthew 12:34-35 (KJV), “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” And to tie this all together in simple truth as taught by Jesus, He declares in Matthew 6:21 (NKJV), “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This is a promise and example that in the heart is the true ways of man.
The Bible teaches us in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. And in Romans 6:23 we learn, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It is our hearts that are in need of cleansing; it is our hearts that have been defiled by the sinful nature; it is our hearts that Jesus came to heal – to cleanse – to pay the price for that in which we cannot because of the evils that we have in our hearts; it is the gift and forgiveness of God through our Savior Jesus Christ that heals us – out hearts, and cleanses us from sin, that in God’s eyes – through believing in Jesus – our Savior, we are forgiven from sin and made as white as snow.
Proverbs 27:19 (ESV) states, “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” God speaks through the Prophet Ezekiel of a new heart and a new spirit for those who repent (Ezekiel 11:19, 18:30-31), and the LORD said to the Prophet Samuel, “For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, NKJV).
You may ask, “What is the connection between the mouth and the heart as pertaining to salvation in Christ Jesus?” The Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 10:9-10, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The heart is the center of the defilement that comes from man and controls the things that a man speaks; it is a change of heart from which the sincere words must come that brings us to repentance and a new life in Christ Jesus! Jesus came to give the gift of forgiveness, and He will forgive you too if you will humble yourself to Him, repent, and ask.
Dear LORD,
We are learning of the evil that comes from the hearts of man – from our hearts, that is in need of forgiveness. Please lead us to repentance so we too can experience the forgiveness of Christ Jesus and live a new life of righteousness. In Jesus name I pray, amen.