The Bible Column - The Deceitful Heart of Mankind

“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile the man.” Matthew 15:19-20a
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders,…” Mark 7:21
The recent shootings in Texas and Ohio have reignited the divided debate in our nation, as to the extent of the devastation, sadness, heartache and human suffering involved! Also, the question of why this is happening in our land and what we can do about it, is raised! Theories from all sides are set forth as to the cause and effect of this sad and evil situation. The unified cry of “how did we get here in our land”, and “what is the civil and sane remedy for this mounting issue,” is argued! Many true and correct statements are made along with false formulas. Guns are set at the forefront of the disputation.
In these regards, the root answer, known by Almighty God and set forth in the Bible for each one of us to read and know, is found in the verses above. There, the Creator of us all explains that these sad happenings and events come from the heart of the individual. The word heart here, speaks of the thoughts or feelings of a person. These thoughts and feelings are within or inside a person. These thoughts and feelings then, whatever they are, proceed or depart from the man, and are spread abroad where ever the man decides to go! Matthew 12:34 explains that “…out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.” Clearly, in the Bible writ, the words “the man”, tell of all of mankind, of all ages, and of both genders.
In Jeremiah 17:9 we also read, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it.” The word deceitful means a swelling up, as in fraudulent or crooked or polluted. This pollution is stated as being above all things, so that “who” or by implication no one, can know the extent of this heart pollution. This deceitfulness of the heart of each one of us is the most insidious thing on earth! Only the Lord can create in us a clean heart, made after the Lord. Psalms 51:10
According to God’s word, these truths must be at the root of any sought remedy for the ills and woes of our world, to include this current and ongoing matter!