“They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.”
Psalms 106:39
Jesus said that it wasn’t what went into a man that defiled him, but what came out of that man. In other words, our actions are what define our sinful ways. We defile ourselves by what we do. We characterize what sort of person we are by what our actions reveal about us. By our actions, we reveal ourselves as prostitutes or as one of the faithful. Our actions are what matter. We may say that only God can judge the heart, and there is truth there. But out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks, or out of the overflow of our hearts come our actions.
We should always be able to tell a genuine Christian from a false one. The genuine Christian will exhibit actions in accordance with his beliefs. The illegitimate Christian may exhibit some right actions, but these are like false labor pains. They will soon reveal the true beliefs that lie just underneath the surface. A good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree can have one or two bad fruit on it. And a bad tree can have one or two good fruit on it. But the odd fruit are not what define the tree. The consistent fruit are what define the tree.
If you want to know what a man is made of, place that man in a stressful situation. The man’s true colors will soon be evident for all to see. Our actions reveal our heart for the world to see. If we are rightly related to God, our actions will not lead to defilement. But if hide ourselves behind a mask, our actions will defile us in the end, and they will reveal our prostitution to the world. We define ourselves by what we do.
* A disciple defines his faith by his actions
Application: What are your actions saying about you? Are you a prostitute or one of the faithful?