Listen to these words of Jesus from Mark 7:20-23:
“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
“But it’s not that big of a deal because it’s not real” … says the husband who is hiding an ongoing Snapchat conversation with another woman from his wife … says the wife who is withholding a hidden email account for an emotional affair from her husband.
“But it’s not that big of a deal because no one is getting hurt” … says the father who is indulging in pornography … says the mother who is a passionate fan of literary and cinematic erotica.
“But it’s not that big of a deal because I’m in complete control and can quit anytime I want” … says the man at the strip club … says the woman at the night club.
“It’s not real.” “No one is getting hurt.” “I’m in control.” These are the fallacies behind the fantasies.
- A husband can’t hide inappropriate dialogue with another woman from his wife and his heart not be impacted
- A wife can’t maintain a hidden email account for an emotional affair and her heart not be impacted
- A father can’t open the gate of his mind to pornography and his heart not be impacted
- A mother can’t read erotic novels or watch the movie adaptations and her heart not be impacted
- A man can’t watch what is happening in a strip club and his heart not be impacted
- A woman can’t compromise her virtue in a night club and her heart not be impacted
Hearts impacted–that’s exactly what Jesus was warning us about:
“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
When I allow someone or something to pollute the wellspring of my heart, it’s more “real” than I can possibly imagine. Someone is most definitely getting hurt and self-control is being forfeited as I embrace the lies of unholiness. Whether it’s pixels, print, or live in the flesh, the cost remains the same: garbage in, garbage out; unholiness in, unholiness out; defilement in, defilement out.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt 5:8)
Nothing this sin-sick world has to offer is worth forfeiting that blessing. Therefore,
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life. (Prov 4:23)