Mark 7:20-22: "And He (Jesus) said, 'What comes out of a man, defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications (illicit sexual behavior), murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness (unrestrained shamless behavior) , an evil eye (being greedy or stingy), blasphemy, pride, foolishness." The Apostle Paul has a similar list in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11. He tells the Corinthians that they used to do such things, but now they had been washed and sanctified. The point is that true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ don't do the things they used to do. That does not mean they are perfect, only the penalty and power of sin has been broken in the life of the believer. The Christian will occasionally sin, but that sin is not willful, habitual or continuous. People ask me, "Do you believe in once saved always saved." My answer is, "No, absolutely not!" That doctrine states people can live in willful and continuous sin and still go to heaven. I believe when a person is genuinely converted and they receive a new nature, that new nature will see them through as they walk in obedience. The sins Jesus referenced in today's verse should never be attributed to one of His disciples. If they are, you need to stand in front of a mirror and ask yourself, "Am I saved?"
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