"And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man." Mark 7:14-15
There are Christians who, in effect, define righteousness by what they shun. They keep away from certain foods and drinks, from certain people and certain places. There certainly are occasions when Christians do well to keep their distance, but our Lord's emphasis was against that way of defining unrighteousness. He stressed one's internal attitude, regardless of the external surroundings: "That which cometh out of a man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lascivioussness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man" (Mark 7:20-23).
It is convenient to focus on the sins of others. This keeps the spotlight away from oneself. And it is convenient to understand sin in terms of actions that can be physically avoided. One can thereby avoid disturbing thoughts about attitudes such as coveting, envy, and pride, which our Lord includes on his list of "evil things" right along with theft, murder, and adultery.
God everywhere shows a lot of concern about sin, and so should we. But it is the nature of sin to deceive us, even when we think we are being righteous. We must work at keeping our understandings and emphasis in line with what God has revealed to us.
May your concept of righteousness line up with God's as He blesses you with a wonderful week-end.
Love in Christ Jesus, Sandy
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