The Outward Appearance

I've been thinking about what it means to be made clean on the inside. I ask my Bible a lot of questions and sometimes the answers are clear, sometimes they are obscured.

All of us put on a front to a certain extent. There is the outward personality and the inward (true) personality. It is so easy to create an image of ourselves that's way cooler and project that to other people while hiding the true thoughts and imaginings of our hearts.

YHVH said to Samuel: "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the YHVH looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

There are so many who look beautiful outwardly. They are wealthy and successful. They seem to have a perfect life. But what is inside of them? Are they clean on the inside? Do they have a pure heart? What do they look like on the inside?

God Knows My Heart

Everyone judges their own heart as pure. If a God-Fearing Christian speaks about the judgment to come, the usual response is "God knows my heart". The logic goes something like this: "Every bad thing I have done has been justified by such-and-such (in our own minds), and is not REALLY bad in this instance. God knows my heart was in the right place, He will understand. A good God would not punish me for sin, given this situation."

Good Intentions

Everyone has good intentions in their heart, but there is another saying "The Road to Hell is paved with good intentions." Another famous saying "I'm just a soul whose intentions are good." Courtesy of The Animals.

The Superabundance of the Heart

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart is bringing forth that which is good, and the wicked man out of the wicked treasure of his heart is bringing forth that which is wicked, for out of the superabundance of the heart his mouth is speaking. Luke 6:45

I imagine this like a box overflowing with it's contents. The good treasure is selflessness within - like gold or silver or precious stones. The wicked treasure is selfishness within - like hay, stubble, garbage.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 1 Corinthians 3:12-13

So a day is coming when our hearts are tested by fire and what is hidden in our hearts will be shouted from the rooftops.

Tested By Fire

Fire sounds something like the wrath of God. But Christians have been saved from the wrath of God, right? As it is written in the Book of Acts:

But is it possible for those who BELIEVE in Yeshua, to still have a wicked heart? Are they storing up wrath for themselves?

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:8-9

So how are Christians saved from the wrath of God? Justified by the blood of Yeshua! But there is something else Paul says here that is very telling.

We... WERE... sinners

Justified by His Blood

So what is it about His blood? Does His blood justify a wicked heart that continues to sin because it is full of wicked treasure? Or does His blood purify our wicked hearts, that it may bear the fruit of righteousness?

And if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Yeshua the Messiah, [God's] Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

If we are cleansed from all sin, our hearts are purified on the inside! That means, no matter how we look on the outside, the inside has been made clean.

Cleanse first that which is inside the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Matthew 23:26

Now THIS is good news! Our hearts being cleansed from sin, we don't need to put up a righteous front! No matter how filthy we look on the outside, our inside has been purified. Our hearts have been made clean and given maturity our outside will become clean also. Again, I cannot imagine any better news than THAT!

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:20-21

So that leaves only one question...

What is sin?

Thank you for reading. I've followed up this post with another:
Why God Gives Us Hearts Of Flesh