For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Jesus spoke this to show defilement comes from within, not from eating with unwashed hands or breaking human tradition, for what comes out of the mouth reveals the heart. Evil thoughts arising inside give rise to outward sins like murder, adultery, theft, false witness and blasphemy, because the heart is the fountain and words and deeds are its streams. The heart is evil by nature and cannot be cleansed by outward forms or human effort, but must be purified by the Spirit in the new birth, which transforms nature and makes the life pure. Since all sin has its seat in the mind, right thinking governs character, so every thought must be brought into obedience and centered on what is holy and true. Christ reads every heart with nothing hidden, and while people cannot judge hearts, the defiled are known without mistake by their fruits.
Setting and True Defilement
Jesus spoke these words to explain His parable after the Pharisees were offended and Peter asked for its meaning, teaching that ceremonial handwashing and other human traditions do not define obedience to God. When such rules are treated as more sacred than God's law, they distract from its great principles. True sin and pollution are inward, not from what enters the mouth or from eating with unwashen hands. What comes out of the mouth comes forth from the heart, and those things defile the person.
Defilement comes from within, out of the heart and through the mouth. Evil thoughts arising in the heart give rise to evil actions and speech. From that inward source proceed murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, and other evil thoughts and deeds. When the source is impure the life flowing from it is tainted.
The heart is the fountain and root, while words and deeds are the fruit and streams flowing from it that make known the nature of the spirit cherished. Outward appearance cannot reveal the heart, but a person's fruits disclose character. Those who hold the truth in unrighteousness can therefore appear outwardly righteous, like the wise virgins, while remaining defiled. A heart full of enmity will endeavor to cover its true sentiments by feigning to be just and righteous, yet those sentiments remain cloaked only until opportunity comes to express them.
Christ knows and reads all hearts, with nothing hid from Him. Jesus reads the thoughts, the underlying tendencies are known, and all are written in the book, so that all presentations feigning to be just are worthless.
Evil Heart Requires Renewal
The heart is evil by nature and, when not renewed by grace and subdued by Christ, is carnal and the source from which evil character, conduct, words, thoughts and plans proceed to produce moral defilement. Sin arising there defiles the heart itself and blinds the eyes, darkens the mind, and by repetition dulls the conscience until people lose the reflection of God's character. Within remain dark, unpurified corners where a thousand faults in the weaving of life may be seen while many more inward sins remain unseen and without excuse. That inner throne meant for God has become a source of abominations reflecting Satan's character, and this corruption has become universal.
From that unclean heart proceed pride, vanity, an evil temper and covetousness, with jealousy, envy and evil suspicions, malice and other cherished sins taking root within, along with bitterness and untrue thoughts of God stirred by Satan and desires hidden from the light. Such uncleanness is revealed by evil thoughts and speech and by outward wrongdoing, even when a person appears religious. Removing only the outward signs of these evils does not cleanse the heart from which they grow.
Outward religious forms cannot make a person pure, nor can human effort and keeping the law cure the sinning soul, for the heart itself must be purified before the life can become pure. Merely reading the law's outward commandments does not benefit, since its truth must enter the soul and enlighten the mind.
Purification of the heart by the influence of the Spirit of God in the new birth is positively necessary preparatory to the development of a righteous and symmetrical character. Conversion is a transformation of nature, a death to sin and self and a wholly new life, effected only by the Holy Spirit and not by human power. When the fountain of the heart is purified the stream flowing from it becomes pure, the invisible mind that governs actions becomes the motive power of good, wicked thoughts are put away and evil deeds including murder, sexual sins, theft, false witness and blasphemy are renounced. Then love, peace and humility take the place of anger, envy and strife to create a new being in the image of God.
Pure Thoughts, Pure Life
The fact that adulteries come out of the heart proves that all sin has its seat in the mind, and the seventh commandment reaches the thoughts and intents of the heart, so that to conceive unchastity in the mind and to cherish impure desire is unchastity of the mind. Defilement comes from within, from evil proceeding out of the heart through the mouth, and moral purity and improvement depend on right thinking and right acting. Evil thoughts destroy the soul, while pure thoughts have ennobling power and a damaging influence belongs to evil thoughts, for as a person thinks so is he.
Right control of thoughts is precious, preparing mind and soul to labor harmoniously for the Master and being necessary for peace and happiness in this life, with thoughts centered in Christ. The converting power of God changes the heart, refining and purifying the thoughts, yet without determined effort to keep thoughts centered on Christ grace cannot reveal itself in the life. The mind must therefore engage in spiritual warfare, with every thought brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ and all habits brought under God's control, using every means God gives to govern and cultivate thoughts and bring the mind into harmony with His mind. Thoughts must be placed on holy things, pure and true, and then His truth sanctifies body and soul and spirit, gives power to rise above temptation, and makes spoken words wise.
The heart is a fountain: when it is impure the conduct flowing from it is tainted, and when it is cleansed the resulting life is pure, so repentance, self-control, and reform are required. Pride, vanity, an evil temper, and covetousness proceed from the carnal heart when it has not been renewed by grace, but when the heart is refined, softened, and ennobled, words and actions show the change, as surrender to God leads to trust in His promises, earnest prayer, and determined effort to govern speech and conduct. Sin defiles the heart and blinds the eyes, which makes the cultivation of a sound character and resistance to evil essential. Thoughts and plans that defile come from dark, unpurified corners of the heart that need to be purified, and although a person may see a thousand faults in the life he is weaving, many more remain unseen within, for which inward sins there is no excuse, while a life that partakes of the divine nature will break with the enemy and reveal it.
The heart is the root and fountain and words and deeds are the fruit and streams that flow from it and make known the nature of the spirit cherished, so a heart full of enmity is not right with God and must be thoroughly changed. Such a heart will endeavor to cover its true sentiments by feigning to be just and righteous, yet the true sentiments remain cloaked only until opportunity comes to express them, while Jesus knows and reads the thoughts, the underlying tendencies are known, all are written in the book, and all presentations feigning to be just are worthless. Grace reigning in the heart produces heavenly principles, so a true pure heart has truth in the inward parts, expresses truth and truth only, and reveals a refining influence in just principles and acts. Unless the heart is transformed the life is a deception and a fraud, for while the root of bitterness is cherished in the heart it will bear the fruit of gall and wormwood, but when the heart is changed the bitterness of character is seen in its true hateful character while good words and deeds appear as the fruit of the changed heart.
Defilement comes from within, out of the heart and through the mouth, in evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies, yet outward appearance does not reveal the heart, so those who hold the truth in unrighteousness can appear outwardly like the wise virgins while remaining defiled. Human beings cannot read the heart and have no authority to say who is wise and who is foolish or to separate the tares that closely resemble the wheat, but like every plant the Father has not planted the defiled will be rooted up, and the angels know them without mistake by their fruits. Sin and guilt begin in the heart, and the law's outward commandments cannot benefit those who merely read them, for its truth must enter the soul and enlighten the mind. Even a transgression that seems small is measured against God's standard of righteousness, and disobedience is condemned because it disregards God's requirements.
Jesus spoke this to show defilement comes from within, not from eating with unwashed hands or breaking human tradition, for what comes out of the mouth reveals the heart. Evil thoughts arising inside give rise to outward sins like murder, adultery, theft, false witness and blasphemy, because the heart is the fountain and words and deeds are its streams. The heart is evil by nature and cannot be cleansed by outward forms or human effort, but must be purified by the Spirit in the new birth, which transforms nature and makes the life pure. Since all sin has its seat in the mind, right thinking governs character, so every thought must be brought into obedience and centered on what is holy and true. Christ reads every heart with nothing hidden, and while people cannot judge hearts, the defiled are known without mistake by their fruits.
Setting and True Defilement
Jesus spoke these words to explain His parable after the Pharisees were offended and Peter asked for its meaning, teaching that ceremonial handwashing and other human traditions do not define obedience to God. When such rules are treated as more sacred than God's law, they distract from its great principles. True sin and pollution are inward, not from what enters the mouth or from eating with unwashen hands. What comes out of the mouth comes forth from the heart, and those things defile the person.
Defilement comes from within, out of the heart and through the mouth. Evil thoughts arising in the heart give rise to evil actions and speech. From that inward source proceed murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, and other evil thoughts and deeds. When the source is impure the life flowing from it is tainted.
The heart is the fountain and root, while words and deeds are the fruit and streams flowing from it that make known the nature of the spirit cherished. Outward appearance cannot reveal the heart, but a person's fruits disclose character. Those who hold the truth in unrighteousness can therefore appear outwardly righteous, like the wise virgins, while remaining defiled. A heart full of enmity will endeavor to cover its true sentiments by feigning to be just and righteous, yet those sentiments remain cloaked only until opportunity comes to express them.
Christ knows and reads all hearts, with nothing hid from Him. Jesus reads the thoughts, the underlying tendencies are known, and all are written in the book, so that all presentations feigning to be just are worthless.
Evil Heart Requires Renewal
The heart is evil by nature and, when not renewed by grace and subdued by Christ, is carnal and the source from which evil character, conduct, words, thoughts and plans proceed to produce moral defilement. Sin arising there defiles the heart itself and blinds the eyes, darkens the mind, and by repetition dulls the conscience until people lose the reflection of God's character. Within remain dark, unpurified corners where a thousand faults in the weaving of life may be seen while many more inward sins remain unseen and without excuse. That inner throne meant for God has become a source of abominations reflecting Satan's character, and this corruption has become universal.
From that unclean heart proceed pride, vanity, an evil temper and covetousness, with jealousy, envy and evil suspicions, malice and other cherished sins taking root within, along with bitterness and untrue thoughts of God stirred by Satan and desires hidden from the light. Such uncleanness is revealed by evil thoughts and speech and by outward wrongdoing, even when a person appears religious. Removing only the outward signs of these evils does not cleanse the heart from which they grow.
Outward religious forms cannot make a person pure, nor can human effort and keeping the law cure the sinning soul, for the heart itself must be purified before the life can become pure. Merely reading the law's outward commandments does not benefit, since its truth must enter the soul and enlighten the mind.
Purification of the heart by the influence of the Spirit of God in the new birth is positively necessary preparatory to the development of a righteous and symmetrical character. Conversion is a transformation of nature, a death to sin and self and a wholly new life, effected only by the Holy Spirit and not by human power. When the fountain of the heart is purified the stream flowing from it becomes pure, the invisible mind that governs actions becomes the motive power of good, wicked thoughts are put away and evil deeds including murder, sexual sins, theft, false witness and blasphemy are renounced. Then love, peace and humility take the place of anger, envy and strife to create a new being in the image of God.
Pure Thoughts, Pure Life
The fact that adulteries come out of the heart proves that all sin has its seat in the mind, and the seventh commandment reaches the thoughts and intents of the heart, so that to conceive unchastity in the mind and to cherish impure desire is unchastity of the mind. Defilement comes from within, from evil proceeding out of the heart through the mouth, and moral purity and improvement depend on right thinking and right acting. Evil thoughts destroy the soul, while pure thoughts have ennobling power and a damaging influence belongs to evil thoughts, for as a person thinks so is he.
Right control of thoughts is precious, preparing mind and soul to labor harmoniously for the Master and being necessary for peace and happiness in this life, with thoughts centered in Christ. The converting power of God changes the heart, refining and purifying the thoughts, yet without determined effort to keep thoughts centered on Christ grace cannot reveal itself in the life. The mind must therefore engage in spiritual warfare, with every thought brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ and all habits brought under God's control, using every means God gives to govern and cultivate thoughts and bring the mind into harmony with His mind. Thoughts must be placed on holy things, pure and true, and then His truth sanctifies body and soul and spirit, gives power to rise above temptation, and makes spoken words wise.
The heart is a fountain: when it is impure the conduct flowing from it is tainted, and when it is cleansed the resulting life is pure, so repentance, self-control, and reform are required. Pride, vanity, an evil temper, and covetousness proceed from the carnal heart when it has not been renewed by grace, but when the heart is refined, softened, and ennobled, words and actions show the change, as surrender to God leads to trust in His promises, earnest prayer, and determined effort to govern speech and conduct. Sin defiles the heart and blinds the eyes, which makes the cultivation of a sound character and resistance to evil essential. Thoughts and plans that defile come from dark, unpurified corners of the heart that need to be purified, and although a person may see a thousand faults in the life he is weaving, many more remain unseen within, for which inward sins there is no excuse, while a life that partakes of the divine nature will break with the enemy and reveal it.
The heart is the root and fountain and words and deeds are the fruit and streams that flow from it and make known the nature of the spirit cherished, so a heart full of enmity is not right with God and must be thoroughly changed. Such a heart will endeavor to cover its true sentiments by feigning to be just and righteous, yet the true sentiments remain cloaked only until opportunity comes to express them, while Jesus knows and reads the thoughts, the underlying tendencies are known, all are written in the book, and all presentations feigning to be just are worthless. Grace reigning in the heart produces heavenly principles, so a true pure heart has truth in the inward parts, expresses truth and truth only, and reveals a refining influence in just principles and acts. Unless the heart is transformed the life is a deception and a fraud, for while the root of bitterness is cherished in the heart it will bear the fruit of gall and wormwood, but when the heart is changed the bitterness of character is seen in its true hateful character while good words and deeds appear as the fruit of the changed heart.
Defilement comes from within, out of the heart and through the mouth, in evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies, yet outward appearance does not reveal the heart, so those who hold the truth in unrighteousness can appear outwardly like the wise virgins while remaining defiled. Human beings cannot read the heart and have no authority to say who is wise and who is foolish or to separate the tares that closely resemble the wheat, but like every plant the Father has not planted the defiled will be rooted up, and the angels know them without mistake by their fruits. Sin and guilt begin in the heart, and the law's outward commandments cannot benefit those who merely read them, for its truth must enter the soul and enlighten the mind. Even a transgression that seems small is measured against God's standard of righteousness, and disobedience is condemned because it disregards God's requirements.