by David Brenneman
In the company's early years and across countless millions of computers you would find a logo about what was inside by a certain company. The idea was that by seeing their symbol you would just trust that what was there was good, no questions asked.
Was reading in Mark 7 this morning and that reminder came from reading this.
"After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the person which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which come out of the person are what defile the person." And when He later entered a house, away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding as well? Do you not understand that whatever goes into a person from the outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated? (Thereby He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying "That which comes out of the person, that is what defiles the person. For from within, out of the hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery, deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, envy slander, pride, and foolishness. All these things come from within and defile the person."" Mark 7:17-23 NASB.
Look at that list...take it from this direction: That list is the list of symptoms from the world's foremost authority on human nature. The world's greatest Physician. The one who created every single human being who's ever lived. Every single angel and angel turned demon.
In John 1: 1-5 NASB "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was in the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it." (Vs 1:5 NASB).
When you look at yourself, and what comes out of your mouth, out of your actions during your day, what do you see? Do you see traits as listed above or do you see the fruits of the Spirit? Galatians 5:22-23 NASB "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law."
When you look at how people would be before Jesus comes, are you on this list or any portion there-of? 2 Timothy 3:2-5 NASB "For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoide such people as these.".
Consider this passage as well: "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever."
So what's inside of you? What 'shines' each day that you are awake and out in your world? I say in out in your world because some don't really go anywhere much of the time....but you DO shine something...something always is coming out of you when you are awake and lucid.
Your desires...are they what God would have come out of you?
Your wants...are they what God would want to see you wanting?
Your thoughts...would you want them played on a jumbotron in front of Jesus in Heaven?
Do you excuse your behavior, your thoughts, your actions rather than confessing them for what they are and making a firm attempt not to do them or think them?
What's inside of you? You read all that I have read this morning on this...so what say you?
We read in Romans 14:12 NASB "So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God."
What will yours be? Will it show you thinking only of yourself? Will it show you wanting what God has wanted of you in your life? Will it show endless excuses for not doing what has been commanded in His Word?
It's funny how movies have all the really good quotes. "Your thoughts betray you, my son..." - Darth Vader.
Do your thoughts betray you? Do the words of your mouth betray you? What comes out of your heart? Go back to what Jesus said in Mark 7. Do any of those describe you?
As is commonly known in the medical/psychological world...until some people are ready to admit they need help, they won't accept it or go after it.
We accept so many lies from this world because they arrive on a silver platter with all kinds of garnishments.
We accept so many lies from this world because of the brute force of being given no apparent way out but to accept it.
But remember Daniel and his friends. They are good examples of standing firm. Ephesians 6:14 NASB "Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness." 1 Peter 1:13 NASB "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, set your hope competely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
So what's inside of you? Have you sold out to the things of the world? Your company? Your health? Your this, your that? Who are you really living for?
Facing reality is part of this. Facing the truth is part of this. People talk about these revival's springing up at Universities and Colleges. A revival is of God when they do happen. Hearts and minds confessing, admitting, that God is right and they are wrong. People returning to God because the Spirit draws them back to God and they cannot keep silent about the great things that God's doing in them and for them.
Matthew...a Levite...had thought he was a betrayer of his people. He became a tax collector. God, through Jesus, called him back. He went from feeling like and believing he was unsaveable to being saved and counted as one of the Disciples of Christ, and Apostle even later on. He did not like his job taxing his own people. Likely lying and being greedy. Some of the things on that list from Jesus in Mark 7. This is but one example.
What of you? What's inside of you? Are you living a life seeking your own ease and comfort? Are you at all concerned about doing what Jesus said those who are in Christ to ought to be doing? Does selfishness at all define you? How about some level of greed? How about...well go back and really think on Mark 7.
It's not about me eliciting a response out of you. It's about you listening to the Spirit of God.
We are not going to be congratulated on our worldly achievements, our wealth, our health, our things of this world that we accumulated by Jesus.
We are going to watch all those things be tested by the fire of His Truth, to see what we did in the body after coming to Christ, to see if anything remains.
Look in Matthew 25 at what Jesus said concerning those at the Judgment after He separates the sheep from the goats. Those who did come to Him and be saved from those who did not. V34-36 NASB "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lor, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prision, and come to You? And the King will answer and say to them, 'Trutly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine you did it to Me."
We read the next part where He addresses those who weren't saved, who rejected Him and He tells them they did none of these things.
What's inside of you? Does the Light of Christ shine in your life or is it on a dimmer switch and is hardly noticable? Are you so focused on career, on health, on what achievements you can get out of life that you're forgetting who it is you're to be living for in Christ?
So...what's inside?
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