Sunday, September 11, 2011

Above all else, God knows our hearts

 
 
I was going to write the Bible verses dealing with love today but after reading many other blogs from people of various religious backgrounds, I feel compelled to write the following.

 1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’;[a] and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’[b] 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’[c] Thus you have made the commandment[d] of God of no effect by your tradition.  

7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 ‘ These people draw near to Me with their mouth,      And[e]honor Me with their lips,
      But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’


10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly   

Father has not planted will be uprooted. 
14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
16 So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not difile a man.”
21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
23 But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.


Luke 16:15
 
And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

James Version (KJV)

Romans 14

 1Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
 2For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
 3Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
 4Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
 5One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
 6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
 7For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
 8For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
 9For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
 10But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
 11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
 12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
 13Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
 14I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
 15But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
 16Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
 17For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
 18For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
 19Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
 20For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
 21It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
 22Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
 23And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.



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