The Things That Defile

Background Scripture: Mark 7
Lesson Scripture: Mark 7:1-2, 14-23

Introduction

Jesus described someone who is truly blessed as pure in heart (Matt. 5:8). He assured us that the pure would understand, or see, Him and be as near his presence as is possible. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). As we encounter the inescapable trials of life, the longing for God and his purity will keep us seeking his assistance. When we deem nothing of our life to be of greater importance than our walk with Him, God honors our desires. This lesson will help to identify and root out those impurities that defile our hearts and compromise our relationship with God and our fellow man.

Key Verse

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer. 17:9).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

The Pharisees placed undue emphasis on the physical things that go into the body, not recognizing that it is actually what comes out of the heart, which is born of our will, that defiles a person.

Part of the Old Testament law is ceremonial. Each of these ceremonies had a lesson to teach the Jewish people. Over time, however, these rituals became an end in and of themselves, and they lost their meaning. The outcome of this was to create another law for every new situation until lawyers were then needed to keep track of them all.

In the background scripture, Jesus used examples of two traditions that were prevalent at the time. One of these was that of handwashing and ritual bathing. These washings differed according to the occasion and time of day. The emphasis was on when and how it was done and overrode the application of simple hygiene.

The other practice He referred to was that of honor being paid in gesture only to elders and parents. Lip service without action was considered sufficient. Jesus reproved the Pharisees for their double standards and showy prayers. It has been said that the real you is what you are when no one is looking.

The rule-keeping that was being observed and practiced when Jesus came on the scene was neither bearing fruit for God nor blessing his people. Jesus came not to condemn the law but to fulfill it and to restore the original meaning of the commands when performed from a pure heart. He brought the new and living way, showing us by word and example that serving God is a heart matter.

Practical Truths for Today

The seed of sin is deeply implanted in the heart of man. It cannot be removed until we are transformed by the coming of Jesus Christ. Throughout the ages, mankind has unsuccessfully tried to redeem the fallen nature and regain spirituality by humanistic effort or by observing a strict code of conduct. God has decreed that man’s efforts will never win the war of good over evil.

We are servants, of either God or Satan, and God has given us the ability to follow the bidding of either power. He has granted us the permission and authority to take in good or bad attitudes and to make choices of our own volition. God will never force us to accept his direction, and Satan cannot. The persuasion that was applied to Saul on the road to Damascus was a direct result of his sincerity and determination to follow God in righteousness and did not undermine his free will.

Given our proud and independent nature, we may think that we are able to live near the edge without being overtaken. When we do this, God’s strength is withdrawn. We may be able to stand for a time, but sooner or later, we will find we have drifted into a life we never planned. Lot yearned for the well-watered plains near Sodom, but it cost him his wife, his sons-in-law, and nearly his own life. “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” (Prov. 6:27).

Jesus said that we must be single-minded. “No man can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24). Trying to mix the world with Christianity leaves a believer in a very difficult spot. It could be compared to a soldier who is undecided about which side to fight for and finds himself attacked by both sides. The Holy Spirit will not dwell in a heart cluttered with the garbage of the world, and we must willfully guard against absorbing it into our hearts and lives.

Some of the most treacherous defilements to guard against are a related family of corruptions, which include being offended, critical, unforgiving, and feeling mistreated. Even various self-help programs recognize this and state that resentment is a number one enemy. Though these sins are easily justified by our reasoning, they turn our vision away from God, focusing rather on our negative circumstances. They remove God’s power to deal with many other sins and unrelated temptations.

Another insidious sin is materialism, the excessive value placed on the things of this world. We are admonished to “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15). Materialism displaces our eternal focus with short-term goals that do not satisfy the soul.

Revelation 12 depicts the church as a woman in the wilderness and pictures a great flood sent by the devil to carry her away. Could the immorality of today be a part of this great flood? The more we are exposed to the compromised moral standards of the present generation, the more hardened we become, and the less dangerous they seem. Immorality and sensuality appeal to the lustful heart, and only the light of God can prevail against it. If God’s ways are followed, many marriage relationship difficulties are resolved. Husbands and wives must keep their thoughts and considerations only to each other in love, and much defilement and heartache will be avoided. We must guard the sanctity of marriage carefully lest many become ensnared. Peter implores us, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul (1 Pet. 2:11).

Curiosity can lead to experimenting with many forms of evil, entrapping the unwary. A single experiment in the garden of Eden changed the entire course of history. It is much better to remain innocent. Many dear souls have walked far down the paths of financial, emotional, social, and spiritual ruin because of a small, initial choice. Satan whispers that a little will not matter, but we fail to recognize his trap. Once ensnared, pride, appetite, and indulgence stand in the way of repentance. Many people often will have to hit bottom before becoming willing to call on the mighty power of Jesus to deliver. By then, much damage has been done.

By thinking more of ourselves than we should, we can become a type of Goliath. It takes very little to injure or bring us down, but it causes a big commotion. If we let go of God’s hand and refuse help from each other, our independent nature swells. Pride defiled Satan, and he was driven from the realms of holiness, never to return. We must become like a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven.

An impurity that is often falsely masked as humility is that of inferiority. No child of God is truly inferior. We may have different abilities and roles in life, but as we fill our God-given place, we will be satisfied and fulfilled. Comparing ourselves with others brings envy and dissatisfaction and can be an act of rebellion against what God has provided us. The feeling of shame is similar. God brings feelings of guilt for doing wrong, but if we do not repent or if we cannot accept that we have been forgiven, Satan can paralyze us in the consuming prison of shame.

Jesus said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5). Failure to believe in his steadfast providence opens the door to feelings of despair and hopelessness. Once rooted, these emotions may require special help to be dispelled, but with the power of the Holy Spirit and support of others, it can be done. Believing in the overwhelming power of Jesus’s blood and that his love is unconditional is of utmost importance. We must choose to believe that He desires to lift us above the slime of self-deprecation. He is fully able to give us a joyful, fulfilled life, difficulties notwithstanding.

All of the above-mentioned pitfalls are part of the worldly, evil environment we live in. Jesus prayed that the Father would not take his children out of the world but that He would keep them from the evil (John 17:15). If we keep our distance from the things that will defile us, God’s grace will be sufficient. However, it will take a commitment and banding together if we expect to remain undefiled. “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). When we are unwillingly or unexpectedly exposed to evil, we can stay pure in spite of the temptation. As we search for a way out, asking the Lord to point the way and enduring for the cause of Christ, we will find the grace to withstand.

God desires to cleanse us to the very innermost—our seat of thought and affection. The subconscious influence of evil that bombards us must be subdued daily by conscious consideration of the truth revealed to us by the Holy Spirit and the Word. We must realize that we do not sufficiently understand the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom and how imperative it is to have the help of our fellowman to understand our own hearts. God wants a pure heart that is not motivated by peer pressure or a personal standard of righteousness but by a sincere desire for Him.

If we strive for God’s acceptance through perfection and good works, we will be disappointed and disillusioned. We may well conclude that his standards are unattainable. However, by looking to Jesus, seeking his help to face the battles and disappointments that afflict us here, and humbly bringing our failures to Him, we can live a free and happy life. We can be assured of a heavenly home in perfect purity beyond this present life of imperfections.

Illustration

A minister, now long gone from this life, once spoke about purity and left this example: “Take a glass full of cold, clear water. Let just one drop of cream drip into it and watch what happens. It will disperse, but the whole glass will be cloudy. That is like sin in our hearts.”

Questions

1. How can we be more proactive in identifying dangers to purity?
2. How can we help someone who has fallen prey to despair or feeling that they can never be good enough for God or the church?
3. How should youth respond when it seems that some are pushing back against the church?

Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).