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."
A person's actions and choices, not what they eat, is what defiles them. This is a warning against sin, and a deeper understanding of the heart and mind of God. God is more interested in the heart than what we eat, more interested in why we eat than how we eat it. This includes how we dress, act, movies we watch, and how we treat others. God would rather us dress modest and simply so as to keep others from judgement and temptation than for us to dress flashy and in gold bringing honor to ourselves. But, if their heart is pure seeking only to honor God, then a man could wear the finest clothes in the land and still honor God in his dress. The heart is the most important part, and should not be used as an excuse to dress immodestly or to act immorally. Because, if your heart is truly right, then you have no need to justify your actions, and your actions will not be immoral. Your actions will be confirmed in your spirit, and in Scripture, and there will be no difference between them. If you need to explain to someone younger in faith or a non-believer, it should be Scripture-based and not violent, you should be compassionate and understanding of someone's ignorance. It all comes back to where your heart is, and we should all seek to have a heart after Christ.
This is what I strive for though I struggle every day.
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