Notes of Faith July 8, 2025
Morning Notes delayed due to travel. Please read them anyway…
From the Inside Out
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
We often hear of institutions that need to be reformed “from the inside out.” The same is sometimes true of the human body when an external problem is corrected by a change in diet. What is visible on the outside is often a reflection of what’s happening on the inside.
The psalmist connected our words and our heart. But Jesus refined the connection by saying that “from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders” (Mark 7:21). That’s why the writer of Psalm 119 said that in order not to sin externally, he hid God’s Word in his heart (Psalm 119:11). It’s also why the apostle Paul said the key to living the will of God is renewing the mind (Romans 12:2). The more we fill our mind and heart with God’s truth, the less room there will be for the ways of this world to ultimately manifest themselves in our external life.
Are you filling your heart and mind with God’s Word on a daily basis? It is the only way your life can be transformed.
Philosophy and religion may reform, but only the Bible can transform.
Brian H. Edwards
Mark 7:20-23
And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."
It is sin that wells up from within creating evil thoughts that leads to actions of fornication, theft, murder, and all other acts of sin. Oh that we might be rid of sin. Praise God that He has forgiven us, redeemed us, and promised that one day we will escape even the presence of sin. What a Lord and Savior we have! One who makes us like Himself, (without the ability to sin). He continues to give us blessing upon blessing as we seek Him and His will for us.
Pastor Dale