Motives Matter

 

 

“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.”

— Matthew 15:18

 

This parable offended the Pharisees, the disciples expressed. Why is this offensive? Because it speaks to motive not just action. It speaks to a person’s desire and purpose in life. 

 

Jesus said the inner being is what can defile a person. Yet, not just defiles (dirties) but makes the man (the Pharisee with whom Jesus spoke, then the disciples as He explained it—Jews then every person) ceremonially unclean—defiled by sin and unable to enter into God’s presence. 

 

Why insist on human traditions, which are transmitted orally from one generation to the next, or man’s rules and laws, which are just human interpretations from man’s sinful mind and understanding? What comes from the mouth comes from the heart. 

 

What then has greater power in your heart, mind, and spirit—being in a right relationship with God or proving to and getting the “approval” from other people? Consider your heart. What is your desire, purpose, and driving force in your life? What leads you?

 

 Instead of offending God, part with tradition and align your heart, mind, body, and spirit with God. Be not defiled, but cleansed by Him through belief in Jesus.

Engrafted Living

 

“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

— ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬‬

“Pure” means it’s free from the contaminating influences of sin. Undefiled means not stained by sins. A person can only be free from the influence of sins and cleaned of sin if he or she has believed in Jesus and been made clean by Him, by the salvation He gives to those who believe in Him.

Only this person—the cleansed one whose life shows the influence of the Spirit through being grafted into the Vine—can worship God without defilement. Only the person cleansed by Jesus’ blood and not under the influence of sin can genuinely worship (offer pure and undefiled religion/worship) God. 

This type of worship extends from the walls of the church into the believer’s everyday life. It includes visiting and looking after (taking care of) orphans and widows in distress (emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually). 

Pure, undefiled worship also includes keeping oneself unstained by the sinful world. Every action, thought, word, and attitude should come from a heart of worship, guided by the Spirit, and flowing as fruit from the Vine. 

Worship does not end when we step outside the church walls. It includes living the life into which you’ve been engrafted. Live affecting other people’s lives with Jesus’ love and care. Live letting the Spirit grow you by worshiping God daily by the changing of your mind, attitude, heart, words, and actions so all these things become pure and undefiled religious worship of God. From this, others will be affected by Jesus by being saved, being grafted into the Vine, and being continual worshipers of God, too.

“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬-‭22‬, ‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭

Attending Means More

 

 

“My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart.” (Proverbs 4:20-21)

 

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

 

My children, listen to my words of wisdom and live them out. Make them part of who you are by thinking about and meditating on them. In this way, these wise godly ways of life will become yours in what you watch, say, think, and do. Remember most of all to guard your heart, for from what flows out of it in action and word shows if you are living according to God and His wisdom, about which I taught you. [paraphrase]

 

Attending to someone’s words is more than acknowledging him speaking, more than hearing him speak, and more than listening to what he says. Attending is listening, meditating on, understanding, and then acting upon what is taught. Inaction to what is taught is action. It’s refusal to believe and obey the person’s wisdom and teaching. 

 

Keeping a person’s words in one’s heart is part of attending. It’s a pondering on it, guarding that lesson as important, and acting upon it. Keeping a person’s words changes one’s life. In this passage, the person speaking was Solomon, the one to whom God granted wisdom as his gift. Keeping Solomon’s teachings—his words—can be considered equal to keeping God’s words because wisdom comes from God. 

 

Keeping God’s words is guarding them in your heart so that lies cannot change your mind, heart, and actions. Keeping God’s words protects you from evil. They remind you of what is good (from God) and what is evil. They protect your mind and the people you teach and help. They protect your heart so that your spirit is not confused and put into chaos. God’s words keep you connected to Him through His Spirit living in you, a believer in Christ. 

 

How can you hear, listen, and know God’s words, His wisdom? By reading, studying, and meditating on what you read in the Bible every day. By listening to Bible-based preaching and teaching. By praying and fellowshipping with other believers. 

 

Are you attending to and keeping God’s words? In what way are you slacking off in your relationship with Him—praying, reading and studying His word, worshipping Him, listening to Bible-based preaching and teaching? It’s never too late to return to God and to hear, listen to, keep, and do what He says. Right now, take the time to pray to God and return to Him.

Love and Protection

 

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:17 [AMPC])

Yesterday, I was reading about the armor of God in Ephesians 6 in the Amplified translation of the Bible. In verse seventeen, Paul said, “Take the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the word of God.” I had never read that last part before, “that the Spirit wields.” Yes, we understand each of these pieces of armor is God’s armor for His children who take and wear it. In our heads, as we read this chapter of Ephesians, we know this armor comes from God and helps us in our battles. The question though is this; how many of us just take it and do what we think we must do? God did not intend His children wear it without His power, strength, guidance, encouragement, and knowledge.

Consider verse seventeen. The point of this verse is you must take hold of God’s sword and join Him in holding the sword while He defends you or leads you. Do you understand this? The same thing should happen as we put on each piece of armor. The armor is God’s. He gives it to us and commands us to put it on each day, just as Paul commanded the Ephesians. Never do Christians have ownership of the armor they wear. The armor comes from God to help us.

This same thing applies to each piece of the armor we take and wear. Consider it this way. Wear the helmet to protect your head and keep remembering God is your salvation. Put on the shield of faith so you douse the flaming darts and arrows Satan shoots your way to kill you and lead you to doubt God and His protection and goodness over you. Continue to have a strong faith. Put on the armor of preparation to cover your feet. These armored shoes will prepare you to be ready with the good news of Christ, with firm-footing and stability to battle in rough terrain without doubting God. They will lead you in God’s path for your safety and His purpose of peace. Put on God’s breastplate to protect your vital organs and to give you His integrity and righteousness through Jesus. Tighten the belt of truth around you so you will always know God’s truth and can defeat Satan’s lies and not become distracted and forlorn by them. With each these pieces of armor, always pray in the Spirit with every kind of prayer. By doing this, God encourages you as you wear it and you have faith in Him in all things remembering He is almighty. Most of all, put on God’s complete armor, by which He saves you from Satan’s distresses, so you can resist him and stand firmly in your faith in God.

So many of us pray for the armor of God then walk away thinking, “I've got this.” Instead of this attitude, we should put on God’s armor and walk with Him holding onto His sword, wearing His helmet, tightening His belt around our waist, stepping in faith in His shoes, and raising His shield, so He wins the battle for us. By doing this, God receives the glory, He encourages us in our faith, grows us to be like Him, and we become closer in oneness with Him. Each piece of the armor of God is for bodily protection and a minute-by-minute reminder that God is the One who goes before us, behind us, above us, and with us. His armor protects us from doubting, from fearing, from quitting, and from falling. 

The Spirit wields the sword.

We hold it with Him while He swings it for God’s glory and our good. 

When was the last time you took God’s armor and allowed Him to protect you and be your champion?