How can understanding Mark 7:20 help us discern true purity in God's eyes? Unpacking Mark 7 : 20 “ ‘What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him.’ ” Jesus speaks to people who believed ceremonial washings could make them clean. He shifts the focus from hands to heart, from externals to internals. Purity, in God’s eyes, is measured by what flows out of the inner person. Why the Heart Matters Most • 1 Samuel 16 : 7 — “ …the LORD does not see as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” • Proverbs 4 : 23 — “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.” • God’s appraisal starts inside; actions and words merely expose what is already lodged within. Tracing the Flow: From Inner Motive to Outer Action Mark 7 : 21-23 (see full passage) catalogs evils that “come from within.” • Thought → Desire → Choice → Behavior → Reputation. • When the stream upstream (the heart) is poisoned, downstream words and deeds cannot remain clean. Contrast: Works of the Flesh vs. Fruit of the Spirit • Galatians 5 : 19-21 lists the “works of the flesh,” echoing Mark 7’s defilements. • Galatians 5 : 22-23 presents the “fruit of the Spirit” — evidence of a purified heart. • The Spirit’s fruit isn’t stapled onto us; it grows from an internally renewed nature (John 3 : 3, Titus 3 : 5). Practicing Discernment of True Purity 1. Examine speech. Jesus says, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12 : 34). Habitual words reveal inner quality. 2. Review private thoughts. Sin often blooms in secrecy before it shows publicly (Psalm 139 : 23-24). 3. Check repeated behaviors. Patterns, not isolated lapses, indicate the heart’s bent (1 John 3 : 7-9). 4. Pursue heart renewal, not cosmetic righteousness. External rule-keeping without regenerated affections leads to hypocrisy (Matthew 23 : 25-28). Guardrails for Maintaining Purity • Daily exposure to Scripture purifies and renews the mind (Ephesians 5 : 26). • Confession brings hidden darkness into light (1 John 1 : 9). • Fellowship encourages accountability and mutual sharpening (Hebrews 10 : 24-25). • Active dependence on the Spirit empowers obedience that springs from within (Romans 8 : 13-14). The Reward of a Pure Heart • Psalm 24 : 3-4 — Only “he who has clean hands and a pure heart” may stand in God’s holy place. • Matthew 5 : 8 — “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Understanding Mark 7 : 20 moves purity from the washbasin to the soul, steering us to pursue the inner transformation without which outward cleanliness counts for nothing. |
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