February 5

Read: Mark 7:21-23

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts… covetousness, wickedness, deceit (Mark 7:21-22).

Evil Acts Come From Within

Jesus often turned the thoughts of His listeners to the fact that carnality is the source of sin — that evil acts are caused by an evil condition in man’s spirit. Of this inventory of the carnal heart, Paul Rees has said, “It reads like a sewer inspector’s write up.”

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

Elsewhere our Lord asked, “How can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matthew 12:34-35). “Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within… that the outside.., may be clean also” (Matthew 23:26).

Dr. B. F. Neely says carnality is that which “rises up and tries to open the door every time the devil knocks from without.” We can have clean lives only when we get at the troublemaker and through divine grace get rid of the traitorous doorkeeper.

When we sense how prone we are even at our best to fall short of holy living, should it not make us hunger for all the resources that God can give us?

Prayer For Today

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me (Psalms 51:10).