Out of the Heart

The Pharisees and some of the scribes were criticizing Jesus’ disciples for eating with unwashed hands, for the Pharisees and all the Jews, in keeping with the tradition of the elders, did not eat unless they washed their hands properly, in a ceremonial manner, I believe. So Jesus said to them,

“Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,

    but their heart is far from me;

in vain do they worship me,

    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7:6-8 ESV

And so it is with much of what is called “church” today. They have largely replaced the teachings and the commandments of Christ, under the New Covenant, with the teachings of humans and with movies and videos and books written my mere mortals not under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And so they are following after a diluted and altered gospel message of human origin in place of the gospel message that Jesus and his NT apostles taught. And they are being directed by marketing books and business planning seminars which are largely replacing the truth of God’s word.

Now this is largely the situation here in America. I can’t speak for what is going on in other nations. And this is not speaking of everyone who professes faith in Christ, nor is it speaking of every congregation of believers in Christ. But this does appear to be reflective of the situation at large here in what is called “the church” in America. For many people are being taught that giving lip service to the Lord is enough to secure them heaven when they die but regardless of how they live, and that is a lie. And many congregations are buying into turning their gatherings into businesses.

Mark 7:14-23 ESV

“And he 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.’ And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, ‘Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?’ (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 

“And he said, ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’”

The situation Jesus was dealing with would be called “legalism” today. It has to do with stressing the importance of externals and forms of religious practice which are to be adhered to even above or in place of obeying the Lord and his commands under the New Covenant. But this is not confined to just legalism. For the foundation of this has to do with following the teachings of humans in place of or above the teachings of Christ and his word, his gospel. And this is massive today! For so many are teaching a man-made gospel in place of the gospel that Jesus Christ taught.

The situation Jesus was dealing with had to do with eating with unwashed hands and the teaching that it defiled a person, but that was a tradition of the elders, and not the commandment of God, evidently. And they were making that more important than obeying the commandments and living godly and holy lives and forsaking their sins. Today it is largely the opposite of that, teaching that nothing is required of you who believe in Jesus – no repentance, no obedience, and no works, even if they are the works God prepared in advance that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).

So, if we remove this from the subject of unwashed hands and of food, then we must realize that there are things from outside which can defile us humans, for it is what we take into our ears and eyes and minds and hearts which then gets adopted within our hearts and in our way of thinking, and in our attitudes. And that comes out in evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, deceit, sensuality, slander, foolishness, and pride, etc. And pride is a huge factor in why so many people remain in bondage to sin and why so many are altering the gospel to make it more acceptable to man.

And that is the large factor, I believe, in why so many gatherings of what is called “church” have gone the way of the world and are following the teachings of humans over and above the teachings of the Scriptures. And this is because they still want to maintain control over their own lives, and they still want to hold on to their sin, and/or they want to build their earthly kingdoms and they know if they tell people the truth that they will lose many people and they will not attract the world to their gatherings, which is what the majority of them appear to be aiming for.

So, whether legalism or libertinism, either one is of the flesh of man and not of God. Both are man-made religion. One adds on to the gospel what God does not require while the other removes from the gospel what God does require. And both lead people to be man-followers instead of God-followers, and to obey or follow humans over God. So many professing Christians today are following social media memes and short videos and pep talks and songs and whatever is quick and easy and sounds good and feels good in place of the Scriptures taught in their context. And many are believing lies.

So, the encouragement here is to be students of the Scriptures who study them in their context. And then look at other Scriptures which teach on the same subjects, for the Scriptures should agree with each other. For our Lord is not going to tell us we have to obey his commands and then turn around and tell us we don’t have to obey his commands. And he isn’t going to say that, as his workmanship, we are created in Christ Jesus for good works which God planned in advance that we should walk in them, and then turn around and tell us that no works are required.

So, study the Scriptures in their context, know the truth, the whole truth, believe the truth, and then obey the truth and walk in that truth. For Jesus said if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of sin, we will lose them. But if we die to sin and live to God, then we have eternal life with God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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