“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”
Matthew 15:18-19 (ESV)
We drink filtered water for the very reason that we do not want harmful contaminants into our bodies. We care more for this temporal body than our spiritual body which demands even greater care since it is eternal. As I apply and take in personally what Matthew 15:18 states, it means I am defiled from within. It is something no human can run away from. Some say we are born inherently good but that would be a lie since Isaiah 64:6 states our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. Apart from the righteousness of Jesus Christ, our propensity is to stumble and revert to our fallen nature and therefore, there is no good reason for me to take in more negativity and filth that would only fuel the nastiness that lie in the recesses of one’s being.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
The Litmus Test
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Luke 6:45 (NKJV)
If you find yourself taking comfort in expressions of anger, bitterness, envy, self-pity etc., does that align with your identity in Christ or the world? The world loves to take in bad judgment and equate it as transparency but does it ever make you wonder why the world thinks most Christians are hypocrites? This statement is clearly stemming from an ironically judgmental mindset as Christians are being painted with a broad brush by the world and this is why Hebrews 12:1 is something every Christian must bear in mind, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.”
The people who choose to reject God’s moral standards will be the very same ones who will lecture you on what is moral. They will not have a problem calling you out on your profession to Christianity since they actually expect you to be true to your claim and the very instant they see you fall short, then comes the pronouncement that Christians are nothing but hypocrites. Are you taking part in fueling this awful generalization?
You can’t pour out something good when you deliberately choose to nurture negativity in your life and call it Christian. We can try to mask it with positive words but our actions reveal a clearer picture. It convicts us. When outsiders see your words align with your actions, that is what truly attracts, not lip service.
As you would like to get refreshed, think also about what you are pouring out for the world to take in. It is from the good that is in your heart or is it filth?
“Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.”
Proverbs 4:23-24 (NASB)
Guard your heart and be mindful what you pour into your neighbor’s heart. Filter what you pour out and what you take in.
“See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.”
Luke 11:35
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That’s assuming a person is at the peak of their health and well-being; but take someone suffering from depression; or perhaps somebody who is emotionally out of control – always bottling up the anger at the injustice they see around them. To these people, this idea might sound like further confirmation that God has forsaken them because they aren’t as emotionally sound as others who have an easier time of it. I find that I really struggle and don’t really know where I’m going to be at from one day to the next.
“That’s assuming a person is at the peak of their health and well-being; but take someone suffering from depression”
Hello Jamie. Your statement assumes I don’t ever go through bouts of depression. I don’t mind people venting. But there is such a manner to express ourselves without aiding at defaming Christianity. Ironically, the world does not have a problem throwing the standard in our face even when they are devoid of an absolute standard. I mean can you imagine an apostate, someone who practically abandoned the faith and lecture someone who is fighting the good fight in what Jesus foretold His followers to be a life in this world that is not free from trouble and persecution?
“To these people, this idea might sound like further confirmation that God has forsaken them because they aren’t as emotionally sound as others who have an easier time of it.”
Matthew 28:20 states, “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus promised never to leave and forsake those who cling to Him and if one is a believer, the Holy Spirit is there dwelling in the person. If one is convinced of this, feelings of abandonment betray the truth. It becomes a matter of choice. Who will you listen to? The voice of truth or the voice of doubt?
I personally do not have the audacity to argue with what Jesus Christ Himself said. If I did, it would invalidate my claim to be His follower. I take it in and let it change me. I fall short more than I would like to but it doesn’t hurt to heed to the gauge to discern about someone more than what they let on. Pay attention to what comes out then line it up to the Word of God, the only reliable standard. I think we can both agree integrity is something even the world finds attractive.
@Jamie, God never forsakes anyone, whoever says that God does is a whisper that comes from Satan.
Isaiah 65:1-3
“I was sought by those who did not ask;
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
I said: Here I am, here I am,
to a nation that was not called by My name.
2 I spread out My hands all day long
to a rebellious people
who walk in the wrong path,
following their own thoughts.
3 These people continually provoke Me
to My face,
sacrificing in gardens,
Here the Lord was saying that all day long He was calling for His people to repent and come back to Him so that He can forgive them but they were unwilling. The twist is that there were people who were not His people and didn’t have the Law but yet they were the ones flocking to Him but those who knew Him were walking away.
God never rejects anyone, it’s the other way around, people are the ones who leave and reject the Lord.
In another passage, scripture says, 9 The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance-2 Peter 3:9.
Jamie, the Lord wants you to come back to Him but it has to be under His terms that yours. Strip yourself of any bias understanding and completely surrender to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and read His Word a fresh with new eyes not like before but by asking the Lord for understanding and letting Scripture not culture, scripture through the Holy Spirit give you the deep meaning of God’s Word.