Mark 7:23 (AV)
All these evil things¹
come from within,
and defile² the man.
¹) Bad, of a bad nature or condition. In an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad.
²) To make common, to make (Levitically) unclean, render unhallowed, defile, profane.
Other translations:
All these evil [purposes and desires] come from within, and they make the man unclean and render him unhallowed. [AMP] All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." [ESV] All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. [KJV] All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'" [NIV] All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God." [NLT] All these evil things come from within and defile a man." [NKJV]
Some further information:
Of all these He concludes (Mark 7:23),
- That they come from within, from the corrupt nature, the carnal mind, the evil treasure in the heart; justly is it said, that the inward part is very wicked, it needs to be so, when all this comes from within.
- That they defile the man; they render a man unfit for communion with God, they bring a stain upon the conscience; and, if not mortified and rooted out, will shut men out of the new Jerusalem, into which no unclean thing shall enter.
Now let us reflect on this
Pharisees are outside people.
They raise all sorts of things that have to do with the outside of life.
It is the traditions which are commandments of men and which make the commandment of God of no effect.
The outside of the drinking cup is cleaned. But God does not ask for the outside, but for the inside, the heart.
Not what goes into man defiles him, but what comes out of man.
Evil things come from his heart. And these evil things, words, and deeds, and also thoughts, defile a man.
How often we are more concerned about the outside of our life than the inside?
▪︎ Are my clothes fitting well?
▪︎ Am I well shaven?
▪︎ Do my shoes shine?
▪︎ Is my hair properly combed?
Everything to make a good impression.
But what does your heart look like?
Mankind is worried about how they appear in the eyes of other people, but we rather should be worried about how we look in the eyes of God.
The Lord shows us today our evil heart, which is the cause of sin, and which must be renewed.
Yes, that heart must be renewed, it must be cleansed.
On the outside you can look so beautiful, and there is nothing to say about that, but remember: That it is not enough!
For nobody can stand before God with a dirty heart.
Twitter: @SchoemakerHarry
Website: https://devotionals.harryschoemaker.nl
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