What Defiles a Person?

Mark 7:14-23
And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

"What comes out of a person is what defiles him." Jesus' words tend to ring in my head. This passage boldly explains the state of man's heart, and, let me tell ya', it's no good news (that comes later). But, Jesus tells us that the heart is wicked and causes impurity in a person. From the heart, stems all kinds of evil. But if we are saved, that shouldn't be a problem...right? This reminds me of another passage:

Romans 3:10-12
None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands;no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;no one does good, not even one.

Okay, so that makes sense. No person is righteous because of their impure heart. From the heart comes all kinds of evil and sinful thing. With a heart like that, it's impossible to be righteous on our own account. It is impossible to seek for God or do good. The Romans passage even says that man has become "worthless." Ouch, that one hurt. So, how do we gain righteousness? How do we gain worth?

Romans 3:21-24
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Jesus took away our wickedness and replaced it with His righteousness. He died so that through repentance and faith, we would gain His righteousness. Every sinful thing that we ever did died on the cross when Jesus died and when we die, God will not see our sinful life, but the blameless and perfect life of the One who died for us.

Conformed to Christ

Romans 8:29
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Galatians 5:1
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

Every Christian should strive to be conformed to Christ. We are called to be like Jesus. When someone is saved, the Holy Spirit works in a Christian and they are drastically changed. They go from glorifying themselves to glorifying the One who made them. They are set free from the bondage of sin and they grow to be conformed to Christ.
Do not be fooled by those who claim the faith and after time there is no change. These people need to take a serious look at their salvation. If Jesus was Lord over their life, there would be growth, there would be conformation to Himself. Jesus can calm storms, raise the dead, move mountains, and heal the sick. You bet He can change a sinful heart. God is all-powerful and he changes those who are His own.