WHAT DEFILES US?

 

In our time, where pornography and violence are ever present in our media, Jesus is telling us that it is not this corruption around us which we see on a daily basis that causes us to sin, but rather our hearts that so easily succumb to the temptation to sin.  See Mark 7:15, "Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them."

 In other words, don't blame God or our individual circumstances, for which we also often blame God, for our sin and shameful behavior and the often terrible and painful consequences we suffer as the result of such behavior.  See James 1:13-15, " When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

What Jesus is telling us is that our only recourse for salvation is to throw ourselves into his everlasting arms and let him guide us minute-by-minute in our lives so that we can eventually present ourselves spotless before the Father.  See e.g., 2 Corinthians 3:18, "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit," Romans 8:29, "For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers," Romans 8:4,7, "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit," and Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."