As you read about what Jesus taught about the heart of man, keep in mind 1 Samuel 16:7 which reads,
"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
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"Again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, 'Listen to Me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.'
After He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples asked Him about this parable. 'Are you so dull?' He asked. 'Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.' (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods 'clean.')
He went on: 'What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’” Mark 7:14-23
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"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45
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“ 'You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.' " Matthew 5:43-48 (Also read Luke 6:27-36)
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In Matthew 22:36-38, He was asked, " ' Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ "
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"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command."*
"This is my command: Love each other." John 15:17
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“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me." Matthew 10:34-38
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About Marriage, Divorce, and,Adultery
Regarding Marriage, Jesus said,
"Haven’t you read,' He replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Matthew 19:3-6. Also read Mark 10:1-9.
"Haven’t you read,' He replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Matthew 19:3-6. Also read Mark 10:1-9.
Regarding Divorce, Jesus said,
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery." Matthew 5:31-32
Regarding Adultery Jesus said,
"You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. " Matthew 5:27-28
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About Sin
John 8:1-11:
John 8:1-11:
"But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn He appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around Him, and He sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus,
'Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?' They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing Him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, 'If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.' Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'
'No one, sir,' she said.
'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'
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Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found a paralyzed man lying on his mat near the pool called "Bethesda", and He healed him.People who saw the once invalid man walking and carrying his mat questioned him saying,
" 'It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.' (John 5:10)
But he replied, 'The Man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.' So they asked him, 'Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?' The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. (John 5:11-13)
Later, Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, 'See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.' The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well." John 5: 14-15)
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Read Matthew 18, the entire Chapter, about what Jesus said about the seriousness of sin and it's consequences, and the forgiving of sins.
About Judging Others
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye', when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Luke 6:41-42
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About Forgiveness
"If you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heaven Father will also forgive you; But, if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15
"If you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heaven Father will also forgive you; But, if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15
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Matthew 18:21-22:
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?'
Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.' "
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"When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in Heaven may forgive you your sins." Mark 11:25
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"Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but, anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Matthew 12: 32
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As Jesus hung from the cross, He looked down at the crowd and said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23: 34
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About Having Faith"I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the One I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."
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In John 6:29, they asked Jesus, " ' What must we do to do the works God requires?' Jesus answered, ' The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.' "
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"I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24
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He told His disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Mark 16:15-16
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About Prayer
In Matthew 6:5-13 Jesus said:"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But, when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then, your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, or your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
This, then is how you should pray:
'Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
And, lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' "
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"If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. " John 15:7
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"You may ask Me for anything in My Name and I will do it." John 14:14
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"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then, the Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name." John 15:16
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"I tell you the truth, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name." John 16:23
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"Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." Luke 18:1 (Read Luke 18:1-14 about what Jesus taught about the attitude one should have when praying.)
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About Self-Righteousness
"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.'” Luke 18:9-14
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About Worship and Praise
Jesus described two types of worship: Worship that is in vain, and worship that is in spirit and in truth.
In Matthew 15:8-9, He criticized the Pharisees and teachers of the Law for holding on to their traditions and made up rules. He quoted Isaiah 29:11-14 about them, saying:
"These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teaching are but rules taught by men."
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In John 4:23-24, Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well this:
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is a Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples!'
'I tell you,' He replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.' " Luke 19:37-40
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is a Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
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"When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!'
'Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest!'
'I tell you,' He replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.' " Luke 19:37-40
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About Eternal Life"I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24
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"I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death." John 8:51
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"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25
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About the Kingdom of Heaven
Please read Matthew, Chapter 13: 1-50 about the ways Jesus described the Kingdom of Heaven.
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