“‘Do you still lack understanding?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander. These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.’” (vv. 15-20)

Here is the key to religion under Christ:

It’s less performance, more purity.

There will always be religious practices in the church. Any time a people covenant together as a body, under Christ, that body will determine some boundaries. There are some things we will do, because we believe. And there are some things we won’t do, for the same reason.

The religious church will always have some traditions, practices, and boundaries.

The key for the Christian, though, is that those practices aren’t the point. They aren’t the thing we do that pleases God and satisfies the Scriptures. Religious performance isn’t our yardstick.

Purity is.

Jesus is much more concerned with your repentance than your rule-keeping. Matters of the heart are what matters most in the saved life. You can be perfectly churchy…yet miss purity.

Are you keeping the rules of confession and repentance? Are you chasing holiness? Do your heart and your thoughts and your words reflect a Jesus-rooted religion?

Don’t fall into the performance trap. Repent, and aim for purity instead.

— Tyler