Thoughts for another day

Mar. 3, 2008

Today's verse: Mt. 15:18. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

You know, for the last few days I have been preparing a session on sin, (not the best of subjects to talk about though) and more than talk about sin, I have been thinking of how the Grace of God has cut through the sin and wiped us clean. It’s wonderful the way God approaches us and changes us and assures us of our cleanliness…He even says, ‘come let us reason together, if your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they will be as wool.’

What’s this got to do with our verse today? Well, a lot. I have been thinking about man’s tendency to sin. And I find that it is high in some and low in others, mostly high anyway! But if I were to look at certain traits of sin, let’s say envy and bitterness, why are some people not that way at all while some are inside out bitter and envious? To arrive at the answer, I thought it best to look at what our Lord says in the verse above.

Jesus speaks of those things with which our heart is full. When there is an external stimulus, the full heart pours out what’s in it which is: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy…v. 19. So, how do our hearts get filled with such trash? See, by nature, we are sinful. Just as gravity drags objects to the surface of the earth, so our natures drag us to things against God because the world in which we live is sinful and sadly the whole world is in the control of the ruler of the world who is constantly at war with ‘niceness’ and negates it with ‘badness’. By our evil desires, sin takes birth and the devil knows how to exploit our desires, playing upon our basic instincts, producing sin and evil to disastrous effect.

That is why Jesus says, come to me the source of living water, because He understands us and He knows that only in Him will we find the strength needed to repel the devil’s attacks and keep our basic instincts under control apart from washing ourselves clean. So today, I pray that each one of us becomes eager by His Grace to gain control over our emotions and stand firm in our quest to serve God and be His, fully.