"but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."
We know that it's not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what goes out, from the heart (cf. Mark 7:18-23). And what goes out may have all the appearances of purity and religiosity, but be as filthy as rags. What we consume with our eyes, with our ears, with our mouths, and with all other senses is penultimate, but the ultimate is what comes out, and if it's not from the heart, beating by the Spirit, then it's merely outward circumcision, receiving the shallow praise of men. The honor of God is what's at stake, but because I cannot see Him, because I cannot physically hear Him, and because I do not always sense His presence, I often default to the praise of men as a preferential and momentary substitution to the praise of God.
What will I do today in the secret of my heart, that no man may see, that honors Him and Him alone? Whatever it is will not put me in right stead with God (although it may put me in right and misdirected stead with man), but will certainly put right praise to God, as produced by the Spirit.
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