“This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”
Mark 7:6
Look at these devastating words of Jesus. He is saying to the Pharisees, “That’s you! You do religious things, but your heart is far from me. Your life is about yourself and your money. You do not really care about people in desperate need, and you don’t really love God either.”
Religion cannot change your heart. But Jesus Christ can. You can ask Him to do this for you today. When Christ gives you a new heart, you will have the desire and the power to live a new life. But you will also find yourself in a new conflict. The seeds of many evils remain within you, so be ready for this fight.
If you are at peace with God, you will be fighting sin. If you are at peace with sin, then you are fighting God. The stuff hidden in your heart won’t go away when you become a Christian. You’ll be dealing with this stuff your whole life. But praise God, it’s not who you are! And it’s not what you will be.
Jesus Christ will change your heart, and He will cleanse your life. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). He will begin on the inside, renewing your thoughts, affections, and desires, and He will gradually and progressively wash you clean.
Jesus cleanses the hearts of His people. That can happen for you today. Measure your life by the right standard. Trace your sin to the right source. Put your trust in the right person.
Do you need this prayer? “God, change my heart. I’ve been fighting you for too long. Let your power work within me as I fight the evils I once called friends. Then, cleanse my life. Wash me by the blood of your son, Jesus Christ. Cleanse my mind, heart, imagination, memories, desires. Cleanse me until one day, with a pure heart, I will see you and rejoice in your presence forever.”
