What Comes Out of Your Heart?

What Comes Out of Your Heart?

by David Brenneman 

"After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Matthew 15:10-11.

 "Peter said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.” Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.” Matthew 15:15-20.

Oh the things that I have heard coming out of the mouths of countless people. 

A Christian Comedian once said about a Bible story he was doing a parody on "Hey man! Do you eat with that mouth?".

Further...consider this:

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:33-37.

Realistically...should Believers join in what the world calls fun or acceptable to do or say when it violates Scripture?  

The Bible says "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29.  

Yet Christians do join in the world at various events to cut down people. Berate people. Certainly enter into judgment against people. Some use it as an acceptable excuse to swear and curse. They do it because it is something the world says is enjoyable and they want to be accepted in those circles. 

Never realizing that all they are doing is giving free reign to sin in their mortal bodies. That sounds familiar. 

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace." Romans 6:12-14.

All this being said...what is coming out of your mouth?  

What are you showing yourself and the world who is really the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life?

But wait, there's more...

What are you intentionally spending your time and money on that absolutely isn't doing a thing to glorify God or to grow you in Christ but IS compromising the Word of God?  

These too are evidences of the state of your heart.  

I saw a short video this early morning that made me realize that mankind has indeed relearned how to make shrines that really are for their gods. Not to call out specifics of companies but we can go to most any DIY stores to get whatever to recreate whatever suits our fantasy world. Then people get radically upset when they are called out concerning these shrines...thus proving what they are. 

What are you possibly enshrining in your life? What does really come out of your mouth that shows what's really going on in your heart?

With you does the same mouth produce both blessings and cursing?

"With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh." James 3:9-12.

If the Church is to be the Church then a really hard personal self-examination needs to take place.  

It's a necessity if the Church is going to have a Godly impact on the world.

What does come out of your heart through your mouth? Hatred? Bitterness? Anger? Loathing? Faked or real, it ought not to be. Lives are at stake. Jesus wasn't joking around on His way to the cross to die for the sins of mankind. 

What is coming out of your mouth?

Misguided loyalty to companies or to teams? Misplaced desires to things or people who you are giving what belongs only to God in Christ Jesus?

Would a non-believer think you weren't saved by what comes out of your mouth or by the priorities of your life? Would they step into your home to find shrines to things or people?  

Get real with yourself. Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.