Death and Defilement

We know that physical death will come to all men until the return of the Lord but that is not the most important thing.  The important thing is what takes place after the physical death occurs that really counts.  Many people wonder what will happen after they die.  

I think everyone would love to go to heaven if they only knew what was waiting for them on the other side.  The sad thing is that many will never enjoy heaven because of unbelief.  People are being deceived every day, being taught that God doesn’t exist.  There are so many books, magazines, movies and T.V. programs pushing evolution, along with other resources that are used to brainwash and delude people’s minds in order to keep people deceived.  

When I go to garage sales, many times I look for Bibles and while I am looking through the books I see the books called the “Da Vinci Code” and “Harry Potter” as well as other books about cults and Satanism, which bothers me.  I don’t know if these are from Christian homes or not.  I wonder how many Christians have these books in their homes and have read them and are allowing their children to read them.  

There are many ways to be deceived today and I want to warn all believers to be careful what you put in your mind that may eventually get lodged in the heart and defile you.  Many times what goes into the mind ends up in the heart and influences your life, so like I said, be very careful.  

Jesus talked about this to the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 15:1-11, “Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ‘Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.’  And He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?  For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’  But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,’ he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:  This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.  But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’  After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, ‘Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”’

Then Jesus spoke about this same issue in 12-20, “Then the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?’  But He answered and said, ‘Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.  Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.  And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.’  Peter said to Him, ‘Explain the parable to us.’  Jesus said, ‘Are you still lacking in understanding also?  Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?  But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.  These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”’  Verses 18-20 were very important; it is what comes from the heart that defiles a person.

The Bible also says this in Matthew 12:34-35, “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.”

So be very careful so that you won’t be deceived and fall from grace by walking away in unbelief.  Always pray that the Lord will put a guard and shield on your heart and to keep you from being deceived.  Satan uses these kinds of deceptions to draw immature believers away from the truth as well as the non-believers.  Jesus said, “If you know the truth, the truth will set you free.”  Jesus is the truth and His purpose is to set the captive free and take them to heaven with Him.  This is something to think about and I hope you will.  God bless you and have a great day!!