Read Matt 15:1–20
Mat 15:15-20 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” (16) And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? (17) Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? (18) But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. (19) For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (20) These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
Well it looks as if we need a heart transplant. The natural man, who is not born again, has an evil heart. It’s been like this since the beginning. Gen 8:21 …”I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth…” It is our hearts that defile us Jesus says. Every bad thing that we think and every bad thing that we say and every bad thing that we do proceeds from the heart. Now we’re not talking about our physical heart but the very center of our being.
But where can we get a new heart? Or at least how can it be cleansed? Paul in Romans 2:29 tells us we need to have our hearts circumcised. Well how is that going to happen? It is written, Heb 10:22 ..”hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” This is baptism. In baptism our hearts are cleansed and renewed. We are joined to Jesus Christ in baptism (Rom. 6:3ff) and to his heart.
With Christ’ heart we begin to have new thoughts, new affections, new desires, and new actions proceeding from a clean, circumcised, new heart. This heart now worships God in sincerity and truth. We will begin to seek to do the will of God from our hearts, not to be seen by others but out of love for God.
What is more, through baptism into Christ Rom 10:8-10 ..”’The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); (9) because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Our hearts and mouths are one. Want to know what is inside of person. Listen to what they say. If it is in line with God’s Word then God’s Word is there. If it twist and makes false God’s Word then you know their hearts are evil.
Lord Jesus Christ, sprinkled our hearts with your blood in baptism that they may we circumcised and that we may truly worship Father, Son and Holy Spirit in sincerity and truth. Amen.