Alternate Plans
Bible Order: Exod 17–20
Chronological Order: Gen 30:25–31:55

 

What Flows From Your Heart?

Matthew 15:10–28

To this day there are still some who claim Christ as their Savior but feel compelled to follow the traditions of the old Mosaic Law.  I don’t find anything particularly offensive about such a compulsion but unfortunately some of these people think you aren’t saved unless you agree with them and do the same.  This is wrong.  This attitude is the same attitude Jesus fought during His earthly ministry.  There is much to commend about Mosaic tradition but it has nothing to do with salvation.  The issue is and has always been the condition of one’s heart.

 Jesus repeatedly made the point that God wants hearts turned toward Him.  The Law itself had been provided to show us that whether we had one law or 600 laws we just couldn’t earn our way into Heaven.  The Law was inadequate.  The reason the Law was inadequate is that it addressed the externals of a man.  It focused on things going from the outside in when what was of importance was what went from the inside out.  Jesus makes this point in today’s passage.

Matthew 15:10-11 ESV

“And he called the people to him and said to them, ‘Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.’”

This really ticked off the Pharisees who were scrupulous about observing Mosaic Law.  There were very stringent rules about washing before eating, about food preparation, and even which foods were “clean” or “kosher”.  To violate these laws was considered a great sin – you were defiling yourself, you were made “unclean”.  To a Pharisee there wasn’t much worse than that.

While cleanliness and wise food choices are good policy in general, these things really don’t have anything to do with ones relationship with God.  That issue always comes down to who’s in control – are you in control or is He in control.  We are talking about your heart.  You can say you belong to God and are under His authority but do you then go around living your life like you are in control.  The Pharisees placed themselves in control.  They determined that if they followed the rules, the Mosaic Law, they could earn their way into right relationship with God.  This was completely false.  Right relationship to God involves a heart that is completely submitted to Him.  That heart knows that you have no right to be in a relationship with Him and it is only His grace and mercy that makes such a relationship possible.

Look at what Jesus says in explanation of the verse above.

Matthew 15:17-20 ESV

“Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 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. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

We focus so much attention and effort on the externals while neglecting the internals.  Disobedience isn’t a result of your environment or because you mother didn’t love you enough, or because you didn’t get that sled you wanted for Christmas when you were six.  I often use the term “stumble” when talking about sin but let’s be honest, sin – disobedience- isn’t really an accident. In the final analysis, you don’t obey God because you don’t want to.  That disobedience comes from the bottom of your heart.  You are self-centered and want to be your own God.  That is what defiles you before a holy God.  It is from that self-centered god-complex that evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander and any other sin comes.

I will never stop calling you to regular fellowship with believers, daily Bible reading and prayer but neglect in doing these things will not make you a bad Christian.  The condition of your heart will dictate your relationship with God and until you deal with that, these spiritual disciplines will mean nothing.  Jesus gave us the way to make our hearts right with God.

Luke 9:23 ESV

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”

The cure to the defiled self is self-denial.  To get your heart in the right place you must deny yourself – your wants and desires.  You must put Christ first.  When you accepted Christ you did that – you denied self.  Have you since, like Peter, denied Him?  Who is in charge?  Who is in control?  What flows from your heart?  Is it self-centeredness or self-denial? Get off the throne that rightly belongs to Christ.  Kneel before the throne that you once usurped and worship the One True God.  Put Him first in everything you think, say, and do.

Have a blessed day!

Your brother and servant in Christ,

Bill

Dying to self, living to serve!

Your email: