Purity of Heart: Overcoming Legalism and Tradition

 

Summary

In our exploration of Mark 7:9-23, we delve into the profound teachings of Jesus as He confronts the religious leaders of His time. The central theme revolves around the concept of legalism and the distortion of God's commandments through human traditions. Jesus challenges the Pharisees and scribes, highlighting their tendency to prioritize man-made traditions over divine commandments, particularly through the misuse of the principle of Corban. This principle, originally intended for dedicating resources to God, was manipulated to evade the responsibility of honoring one's parents, thus nullifying God's commandment.

Jesus emphasizes that true defilement does not come from external sources but from within, from the heart. He lists various sins that originate from the heart, such as evil thoughts, adulteries, and pride, underscoring the need for internal purity. This teaching challenges the superficial understanding of sin as merely external actions and calls for a deeper introspection of one's inner life.

The sermon also touches on the importance of hermeneutics, the science of biblical interpretation, to ensure that Scripture is not twisted to fit personal agendas. The analogy of faith, a key principle in Reformed theology, asserts that no part of Scripture should contradict another, as God's Word is consistent and coherent.

In essence, the message calls for a return to the purity of God's Word, free from the distortions of human tradition. It urges believers to focus on the heart's condition, recognizing that true righteousness comes from within and is nurtured by a continual relationship with Christ.

Key Takeaways:

- The Danger of Legalism: Legalism distorts the truth of God's Word by adding human traditions that bind where God has left freedom. It is crucial to recognize that our justification comes solely through faith in Christ's righteousness, not through our adherence to man-made rules. [05:16]

- The Misuse of Tradition: The principle of Corban was manipulated to evade the commandment to honor one's parents. This highlights the danger of allowing traditions to override God's clear commands, leading to a life that appears pious but is devoid of true obedience. [10:37]

- True Defilement Comes from Within: Jesus teaches that defilement is not about external actions but the condition of the heart. Sin originates from within, and it is the heart that must be cleansed and transformed by God's grace. [23:17]

- The Importance of Hermeneutics: Proper biblical interpretation is essential to avoid twisting Scripture to fit personal desires. The analogy of faith ensures that Scripture is consistent and coherent, reflecting the unified truth of God's Word. [14:43]

- The Lifelong Pursuit of Heart Cleansing: Conversion to Christ initiates the cleansing of the heart, but it is a lifelong journey. Regular communion with Christ strengthens and nurtures us, aiding in the continual purification of our hearts. [26:11]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:35] - Introduction to the Text
- [01:24] - Jesus' Teaching on Defilement
- [02:50] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
- [03:49] - Understanding Legalism
- [05:16] - Justification by Faith
- [06:05] - Loophole-ism Explained
- [07:30] - The Principle of Corban
- [09:05] - Tradition vs. Commandment
- [10:37] - Deferred Giving and Responsibility
- [13:10] - Jewish Care for Parents
- [13:58] - The Science of Hermeneutics
- [15:22] - Consistency in Scripture
- [16:56] - Jesus' Rejection of Tradition
- [19:59] - Authority of Scripture
- [21:41] - Jesus' Call to Listen
- [23:17] - The Heart's Defilement
- [24:49] - Catalog of Sins
- [26:11] - Lifelong Heart Cleansing

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Mark 7:9-23

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Observation Questions:

1. What specific tradition did Jesus criticize the Pharisees for using to avoid honoring their parents? [09:51]

2. According to Jesus, where does true defilement originate, and what are some examples He gives? [23:17]

3. How did the Pharisees' traditions make the Word of God of no effect, according to Jesus? [19:59]

4. What does Jesus say about the things that enter a person from the outside versus what comes from within? [22:34]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the misuse of the principle of Corban illustrate the danger of prioritizing human traditions over God's commandments? [10:37]

2. In what ways does Jesus' teaching on defilement challenge the Pharisees' understanding of purity and sin? [23:17]

3. How does the concept of hermeneutics, as discussed in the sermon, help prevent the distortion of Scripture? [14:43]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the lifelong process of heart cleansing and its importance in a believer's life? [26:11]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on any traditions or practices in your life that might be overshadowing the core teachings of Scripture. How can you realign them with God's Word? [19:59]

2. Jesus emphasizes that defilement comes from within. What steps can you take to examine and purify your heart regularly? [23:17]

3. Consider a time when you might have used a "loophole" to avoid a responsibility. How can you address this behavior and seek to honor God's commands more fully? [06:05]

4. How can you apply the principles of proper biblical interpretation (hermeneutics) in your personal study of Scripture to ensure you are not twisting its meaning? [14:43]

5. Identify an area in your life where you might be relying on your own righteousness rather than Christ's. How can you shift your focus to trust in His righteousness alone? [05:16]

6. Jesus calls for a deeper introspection of one's inner life. What practical steps can you take this week to cultivate a heart that is more aligned with Christ's teachings? [23:17]

7. How can you engage in regular communion with Christ to aid in the continual purification of your heart? What specific practices can you incorporate into your daily routine? [26:11]

Devotional

Day 1: The Perils of Legalism
Legalism is a spiritual trap that distorts the truth of God's Word by adding human traditions that bind where God has left freedom. It is a mindset that prioritizes man-made rules over the grace and freedom found in Christ. Legalism can lead to a false sense of righteousness, where individuals believe they are justified by their adherence to these rules rather than by faith in Christ's righteousness. This distortion can cause believers to focus on external behaviors rather than the internal transformation that comes from a relationship with Jesus. It is crucial to recognize that our justification comes solely through faith in Christ, and not through our own efforts or adherence to human traditions. [05:16]

Galatians 5:1-2 (ESV): "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find yourself adhering to man-made rules rather than embracing the freedom found in Christ? How can you shift your focus from external behaviors to internal transformation today?


Day 2: The Misuse of Tradition
The principle of Corban was manipulated by the Pharisees to evade the commandment to honor one's parents, highlighting the danger of allowing traditions to override God's clear commands. This misuse of tradition can lead to a life that appears pious but is devoid of true obedience to God. When human traditions take precedence over God's Word, they can create loopholes that allow individuals to sidestep genuine responsibilities and commitments. It is essential to discern between traditions that honor God and those that distort His commandments, ensuring that our lives reflect true obedience and love for Him. [10:37]

Colossians 2:8 (ESV): "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

Reflection: Are there traditions or practices in your life that have taken precedence over God's clear commands? How can you realign your priorities to ensure that your obedience to God is genuine and not just a facade?


Day 3: True Defilement Comes from Within
Jesus teaches that defilement is not about external actions but the condition of the heart. Sin originates from within, and it is the heart that must be cleansed and transformed by God's grace. This teaching challenges the superficial understanding of sin as merely external actions and calls for a deeper introspection of one's inner life. It is a reminder that true righteousness is not about outward appearances but about the purity of the heart. As believers, we are called to examine our hearts and allow God's grace to transform us from the inside out, leading to a life that reflects His holiness and love. [23:17]

Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV): "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 'I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.'"

Reflection: What thoughts or attitudes in your heart need to be surrendered to God for cleansing and transformation? How can you invite God's grace to work in your heart today?


Day 4: The Importance of Hermeneutics
Proper biblical interpretation is essential to avoid twisting Scripture to fit personal desires. The analogy of faith ensures that Scripture is consistent and coherent, reflecting the unified truth of God's Word. Hermeneutics, the science of biblical interpretation, helps believers understand the context and meaning of Scripture, preventing the distortion of God's message. By studying the Bible with a commitment to its truth and coherence, believers can grow in their understanding of God's will and apply it faithfully in their lives. This disciplined approach to Scripture guards against the temptation to manipulate God's Word for personal agendas. [14:43]

2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV): "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

Reflection: How can you improve your approach to studying the Bible to ensure you are rightly handling the word of truth? What steps can you take to deepen your understanding of Scripture's context and meaning?


Day 5: The Lifelong Pursuit of Heart Cleansing
Conversion to Christ initiates the cleansing of the heart, but it is a lifelong journey. Regular communion with Christ strengthens and nurtures us, aiding in the continual purification of our hearts. This process requires ongoing surrender and openness to God's transformative work in our lives. As we walk with Christ, we are called to continually examine our hearts, allowing His grace to cleanse and renew us. This lifelong pursuit of heart cleansing is essential for spiritual growth and maturity, leading to a life that increasingly reflects the character of Christ. [26:11]

Philippians 1:6 (ESV): "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Reflection: What areas of your heart need ongoing cleansing and transformation? How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with Christ to support this lifelong journey of heart purification?

Quotes

He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”’—(that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” [00:35:51]

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” [00:84:16]

The first is perhaps the most devastating. That is that legalism by which we believe that we can be justified in the presence of God by doing the works of the law. That’s called legalism because it undermines the way of salvation that God declares so plainly in Scripture, that we are justified by faith and by faith alone, and that the only righteousness that can possibly avail for us is an alien righteousness, not our own. It is the righteousness of Jesus. And if you are trusting in any other righteousness than the righteousness of Jesus, then you have been caught in the snare of that type of legalism. [00:87:92]

The second type of legalism is the one we addressed the last time in this chapter where the traditions of men bind God’s people where God has left them free. It is adding to the law of God things that God does not command or forbid. And we’ve already, as I said, examined that. The third most frequent form of legalism that we encounter is the one that is in view in the text that I just read before you. It’s what I call loophole-ism. [00:337:76]

The legalist is the Philadelphia lawyer, who looks at the law of God and tries to discern a way to get around it. He’ll try somehow to adhere to the letter of the law but trample underfoot the whole point and spirit of the law. We remember, for example, the prohibitions in Israel about limiting one’s travel on the Sabbath to what was called a Sabbath Day journey, which was a very short distance. [00:378:72]

Corban had to do with the giving of gifts or the setting aside of private property or one’s personal wealth to the devotion to God, which was a good principle. But it was so twisted and distorted by the rabbis that they used the principle of Corban as a loophole to get around one of the most important laws of God, that commandment that required people to honor their father and their mother. [00:472:48]

Jesus says to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.” Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “The problem with you is that you keep the law and the tradition.” Rather He said, “You get around the law and reject the law of God, and replace the law of God with your tradition. And in fact, what you’re doing is using your tradition as an excuse to keep from obeying the law of God.” [00:524:00]

There is a science in theology and in biblical studies that we call the science of hermeneutics. You’ve heard of hermeneutics. Herman Eutics is a plumber in Apopka. No, hermeneutics is the science of biblical interpretation. It teaches objective principles and rules that govern our treatment of the text, lest we turn the Bible into a wax nose, shaped and formed for our own desires, which is what the Pharisees did. [00:845:84]

At the heart of the biblical or the theological principle of hermeneutics in Reformed theology is the law that is called the “analogia fidei” or the law of faith, which says this quite simply: that no portion of Scripture must ever be set against another portion of Scripture. What’s the assumption here? The assumption is that all of the Scripture is the Word of God. The second assumption is that God does not speak with a forked tongue, that what God reveals in His truth is always coherent. [00:887:28]

Jesus, as it were, is now giving an oracle from God, and listen to what He says. “There’s nothing that enters a man from outside that can defile him, but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” “Listen,” He says. It’s not what you eat, it’s not what you drink, it’s nothing from the outside that goes into you that defiles you or contaminates you. [00:1336:64]

We need to understand this because we all admit that we are sinners. Oh, to sin is human, to err is human, to forgive is divine. Nobody’s perfect. We say that, but we still have this idea that sin is something on the edge, tangential, peripheral to our existence. Jesus says, “No, the defilement comes from the very core of your being. Sin arises not from the stomach. It doesn’t come from your hands. It comes from your heart, from the very center of your being. [00:1405:76]

The cleansing of the heart is a lifelong pursuit, and that’s one of the reasons we come to the Table, to be strengthened, to be nurtured by our Redeemer, that our hearts may be made clean. [00:1576:00]

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Transcript
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