Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭45‬ ‭AMP‬‬
The [intrinsically] good man produces what is good and honorable and moral out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart; and the [intrinsically] evil man produces what is wicked and depraved out of the evil [in his heart]; for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart.

So how does this work? How do we become good when sin has entered our hearts and we do things that are evil?

I often wondered about this question as a young man, because I sinned. I would look around and see others who looked like their lives were so “put together” and polished from the outside.

These types of people will stress saying the right things to impress leadership. They never question or voice concern over anything in the church. They volunteer for church activities that are highly visible. They never share any personal struggles or sin issues. Being vulnerable is not an option. And they will gossip in a sneaky way, at times through prayer requests, and judge others behind their backs.

The sad thing is, these “religious people” who do these things to look good on the outside, many times lack a heart-level faith. What Jesus is pointing out here is what we call hypocrisy.

In contrast, a life of goodness and light in Jesus is lived by first admitting we are wretched sinners.
“But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬)

Then we accept God’s Great Gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Through his death he paid the price for our sins once and for all — he was the perfect sacrifice. And through his resurrection we are risen with him into a new birth spiritually. With this new birth comes the Holy Spirit who is designed to be in control of our hearts.

The Holy Spirit enters the sinner’s heart and cleanses it from the inside out. He helps us to understand and know what is on the heart of God. So that what comes out of our mouths is of him. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬)

What I think about and what I allow into my mind has an impact on what comes out of my heart in speech and actions.

Lord, thank you for your truth which drives out sin and evil in my heart. I am a sinner saved by grace and I am an “in process” child of God. Each day, I must come before your throne and cleanse my mind and heart. You are worthy of my devotion. You have great plans for me as I follow you and fill up my heart with your good things!