Quest 37
Is there a place you do not want to go?
There is an island on a lake near Mexico City called “Island of the Dolls.” For 50 years Santana Barrera lived on that island. He started collecting dolls and hanging them from the trees – thousands of dolls in all sorts of disrepair that he found as he rummaged through trash. It’s pretty creepy. It is one place U do not want to go.
The Setting
In Mark 7, Jesus had a discussion with Jewish religious leaders, Pharisees, about what makes a person “unclean” spiritually. The Pharisees were critical of the way Jesus’ disciples ignored the hand washing ritual that devout Jews followed. There are three points I want us to focus on:
1. The is a place we don’t like to go.
It isn’t the things outside of us that cause us to be unclean (14-15): Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'"
We don’t like to face the evil that is inside of us. It’s a place we don’t like to go (20-23): He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"
After the flood, Noah offered sacrifices to God, and God made an interesting statement about us (Genesis 8:21): The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse theground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
This was said of King Rehoboam of Judah (2 Chronicles 12:14): He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD.
2. There is a position we have never left.
That position is being owned by God (Ezekiel 18:4a): For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son — both alike belong to me.
Every soul is held responsible (Ezekiel 18:4b): The soul who sins is the one who will die.
We reject God’s rule for self-rule (9): And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
God wants to work with you (Ezekiel 18:31-32): Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
3. There is a power we cannot do without.
Jesus said the Spirit flows through the Word (John 6:63): The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. The power of the Word of God is something we cannot do without.
There is no substitute for the Word of God (6-8): He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
The words of the Bible contain all the ideas in it. Don’t go beyond God’s Word (Proverbs 30:5-6): "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”
If this was said of the Law of Moses, how much more can it be said of the New Covenant in Christ (Deuteronomy 12:32)? See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.
Your mind can be powered by God (Romans 8:7-9): The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
The Bible is a book of facts, not opinions of theories. Do you sacrifice your opinions for the Word of God, or do you sacrifice the Word of God for your opinions?
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