Today we are reading Mark 7. In this chapter Jesus speaks about things that make a person spiritually unclean. The keyword for this chapter is “koi-no-o”. The definition is “to make common, to defile”. “And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”” Mark 7:20-23 ESV The religious leaders of Jesus’ time thought that external obedience made a person holy. Jesus corrects them and explains that it is the sin from within that we should be concerned about. This is what defiles us. What do you do when tempted by your sinful desires? How do you keep from being defiled? The truth is that nobody can live perfectly so we are entirely dependent upon Jesus to purify us from our sins. May God give you peace as you confess your defilement and receive His grace! Pastor Tim
