3 Things That Defile A Person Of God (Part 1)

Matthew 15:16-20 " So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

Can you think of anyone who defiled their walk with God because of anything on that list? I’m sure you can. In fact, I know far more stories of failure rooted in these issues than those resulting from a lack of competence or skill.

The simple truth is that those who fail to monitor their hearts jeopardize their walk with Christ. If we neglect the arduous work of monitoring what’s going on inside of us, our relationship with God will suffer.

Look at Jesus’ words again. It's not what we eat that necessary defile us. The body through its natural process eliminates those things. It's not even eating with unwashed hands that causes us contamination. But it is what comes from inside our heart that causes the defilement.

Everything we say and do springs from our hearts. The implications of this verse are huge for those who serve God and want to influence people. What’s in your heart eventually affects your ability to minister effectively. Consequently, learning to guard your heart is critical to your success as a believer.

There are three things in particular that if ignored have the potential to create chaos in the heart of a Christian and, consequently, in his or her sphere of spiritual influence.

(1) The first is guilt.
Ezekiel 18:24 " But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die."

People that carry unresolved guilt are forced to hide a part of themselves from those closest to them.

-They have secret sins that they want no one to know about.

-They expend time and energy ensuring that no one finds out their secret sins because they know they are not completely trustworthy.

-Because they themselves are suspect, they begin to suspect others. Their inability to trust others makes it almost impossible for them to build cohesive relationships that can help them in this journey through life.

James 2:10 "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all."

What does guilt do?

-It stifles the energy of the Holy Spirit in your heart.

-It brings a dark cloud of doubt that seems to follow you constantly.

-It provokes an uneasy mindset of constantly worrying about what will happen if you get caught.

-It stimulates an atmosphere of frustration because it seems it can never be defeated or detached from your life.