Three Aspects Of The Heart (Part 1)

The Wickedness Of The Heart
Mark 7:20-24 NKJV
And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Mark makes it clear that the evil within the heart is what defiles a man. Evil or sin is manifested in all of the above examples, but of course it doesn’t stop there. Mark could have used other examples such as gossip or lying. Also, Mark seems to imply that all have equal value. This is true. In fact, in God’s eyes, sin is sin and all sin is abhorred by God. Last thing, we must keep in mind, as we’ll see in the scriptures that follow, evil that is acted upon or manifested is a choice. We choose to obey the flesh rather than overcome it in the spirit. We must make a conscious effort to triumph over the comfortable evil in our hearts and reach out for a higher plane of holiness. - JSS

Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?

Ezekiel 3:6-7 NKJV
Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.

Jeremiah 7:22-24 NIV
For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you. But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.