2 passages

 These 2 passages seemed to go together this morning...

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Jesus had been talking about what defiles us. 

The Jews had all kinds of beliefs about how different foods defile us. 

Jesus pointed out that food does defile us. & then He said this...

Mark 7

20 And then (Jesus) added, 

“It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 

21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, 

sexual immorality, 

theft, 

murder, 

22 adultery, 

greed, 

wickedness, 

deceit, 

lustful desires, 

envy, 

slander, 

pride, 

and foolishness. 

23 All these vile things come from within; 

they are what defile you.”

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And these verses 1 John seemed to answer back to those of Jesus...

1 John 1

5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: 

God is light, 

and there is no darkness in him at all. 

6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God 

but go on living in spiritual darkness; 

we are not practicing the truth. 

7 But if we are living in the light, 

as God is in the light, 

then we have fellowship with each other, 

and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we claim we have no sin, 

we are only fooling ourselves 

and not living in the truth. 

9 But if we confess our sins to him, 

he is faithful 

and just 

to forgive us our sins 

and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 

10 If we claim we have not sinned, 

we are calling God a liar 

and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.