Mark
7:14-15 “[Jesus] called the
people to Him again and said to them, ‘Hear me, all of you, and understand.
There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but
the things that come out of a person are what defile him.’”
I
once heard a story, based upon this passage, of an American College Professor
who was found at a late night campus party using recreational drugs with some
students to get an intoxicatingly “high”, who once caught in the act quoted
this (above) Bible passage as a declaration of approval for his sinful
behavior, even though it is expressly forbidden in Scripture (i.e. “Pharmacia”
in Galatians
5:19-21) and clearly states that those who practice such a lifestyle
shall not inherit the kingdom of Heaven. Is it not uncommon for sinful mankind
to distort and take the Word of God out of context in order to do whatever we
want, whenever we want. The Israelite Pharisees and scribes did other extreme
by adding to the Mosaic commandments with an extra system of regulations
developed by their desire to not break God’s law. In both cases, they are a
zeal with true knowledge or obedience, and end up ignoring the Lord’s design
for true moral purity. No matter how we twist or piggy-back Holy Scripture, the
question is; “What is the original intent?”
The
Lord Jesus taught that true cleanness pertains not to outer matters – what we
put into our bodies – but to what comes from within. What goes on outwardly to take
things into the body or mind is a reflection of the person’s heart towards both
God and self. An article that I read explains that Christ instructed His
disciples (including us today) that externals could not make one truly clean or
unclean. All these identified unclean and sinful things and practices in Holy
Scripture of the Word of God were never meant to be seen as things that could
render one permanently and irrevocably unclean before God. So, what is the point?
I think that there are a few. (1) There is a God and He’s not me or you. God
defines Sin – want is “Right” in the eyes of the Lord and what is Sinful - “Wrong”
in the eyes of the Lord. God is on the throne of Heaven, reigning and ruling
the cosmos and our life. Sin is sin and wrong is wrong. (2) You can’t beat a
dead horse. The wages of Sin is death
(Romans
6:23), we are dead in our
trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), and we are already condemned, defiled, and spiritually dead by our sin (John
3:18). Physically or spiritually, dead is dead and sin is the source of
defilement.
(3)
We cannot save ourselves by works or earn our way to heaven. Dead people can do
nothing. A pastor friend of mine once said that if you put a suit on a pig,
then you have a pig in a suit that still wants, in its heart, to get back in
the pigsty, meaning that if you clean up the outward appearance without a “born
again”, transformation inwardly, then you’ve really gone nowhere. (4) Our dead
and helpless state in sin is meant to drive us to the foot of the cross for redemption,
regeneration and salvation. God’s law, though perfect, was given to teach sinners
an important lesson – God’s demands for purity extend to all of life and are so
exacting that we cannot make ourselves clean. We are not perfect or able, but
God is. Only God can make us clean, and that requires a radical
transformational change – even a new heart. We need the gift of God as the
source of reconciliation and restoration. Repent and seek God’s transformed
power and work in your heart through saving faith in Jesus Christ, then instead
of saying: “I will not lie, cheat, steal, fornicate, kill, lust, hate, get
“high” on recreational drugs, etc.” because it is wrong, from the heart we will
say: “Why would I lie, cheat, steal, fornicate, kill, lust, hate, get “high” on
recreational drugs, etc.? It’s no longer my nature with my new heart from God and
a regenerated spirit led by and walking with the Holy Spirit.”
God
is not primarily concerned about external matters; He is most concerned about
our hearts. External actions often manifest inner realities, but it is also
true that we can act in a way that does not match the true thoughts of our
hearts. As followers of Christ, we are to be concerned that we not only do the
right things in the eyes of the Lord, but that we do them for the right reason
– for the glory of God. Good and godly things will naturally follow.
In
Christ, Brian
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