A Heart That Is Undefiled
As important as it is to give attention to physical cleanness, it is even more important to be concerned with moral and spiritual cleanness.

We come to this conclusion by recalling that the nation of Israel was rejected by Jehovah, not because they were physically unclean, but because they became morally and spiritually corrupt.

Through the prophet Isaiah, Jehovah told them that on account of their being a "sinful nation,the people heavy with error," their sacrifices, their observance of the new moon and sabbath, yes, even their prayers had become a burden to him.

What should they do to gain God's favor again? Jehovah said: "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the badness of your dealings from in front of my eyes; cease to do bad." - Isaiah 1:4, 11-16.

To appreciate further the importance of moral and spiritual cleanness, consider what Jesus said when the Pharisees and scribes asserted that his disciples were unclean because they did not wash their hands before taking a meal. Jesus set matters straight by stating: " Not what enters into his mouth defiles a man." Jesus explained: "The things proceeding out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those things defile a man. For example, out of the heart come wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, fornications, thievieries, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things defiling a man; but to take a meal with unwashed hands does not defile a man." - Matthew 15:11, 18-20.

What can we learn from Jesus' words? Jesus was pointing out that wicked, immoral and unclean acts are preceded by wicked , immoral and uncleand leanings in the heart. As the Disciple James put it, "each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire." (James 1:14,15)

Thus if we do not want to fall into grievous sins that Jesus described, we must root out and keep out of our heart any tendencies toward such things. That means we must be careful about what we read, watch and listen to.

Today, in the name of free speech and artistic license, the entertainment and advertising industries are turning out an endless barrage of sounds and images that cater to the cravings of the fallen flesh. We should be determined not to allow any such ideas to take root in our heart. The key point is that to be pleasing and acceptable to God, we must constantly be on guard so as to maintain a clean and undefiled heart. - Proverbs 4:23


Next time: Cleansed For Fine Works