Wholly Committed

Mark 7:6-9 He answered and 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. 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men–the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” 9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

Jesus was calling out the Pharisees again; knowing the questioning hearts, knowing the truth in their hearts, knowing the hypocrisy that lie in their hearts, by quoting the prophet Isaiah in this passage. They had come to him charging his disciples with breaking religious traditions, ceremonial traditions, ones that believed the body was corrupted by eating with unclean hands, and unclean food. Jesus addressed this directly in Mark seven, possibly with a smile, paraphrasing as he said, “whatever you eat is pooped out.” Jesus addressed them directly how they had changed the commandments of God given to Moses, into what suited them (vs. 10-13). They would be profiting financially in how they had twisted God’s Word so that money could be given to the church, instead of supporting elderly parents. How many churches and pastors are watering down the Gospel today, preaching only of prosperity and love, and not suffering and Hell? They will answer to Him on Judgement Day, held to a higher standard than the hearer.

One of my study Bible’s commentary on the quoted passage from Isaiah 29:13 says, “Outwardly proper worship offends God if it is a way of evading him at a deeper level.” We must evaluated ourselves on this question. Are we going through the motions to feel good about ourselves; are we doing it to impress others; are we feeling we are earning our salvation by following any religion practices? Big questions, with eternal implications, that will all be revealed. The scariest verse in the Bible is addressed by Jesus to “Christians.” Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Are you going through the motions but know in your heart something is not right? Do you know God wants a deeper relationship with you, but the world and all the lusts of it have you turning your back on God? These words of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and the prophet of God Isaiah, should be a warning to you. We do not know when He will return, but my prayer is that it is not too late to repent, believe, and live your life fully for him.

Can you imagine the difference in worship if everyone fully committed to living as his disciples? Can you imagine the power of God with a church of hearts given to him and worshipping him for the grace and mercy of the week? What may be holding you back, either in church, or even not attending, is a matter of your own hard heart. The first step is to humble yourself before the Lord in prayer, asking him to soften your heart, and reveal truth to you. This step could be the beginning of eternal paradise; the security of knowing your are headed to heaven to be with Jesus, living your life here with a glimpse of God’s sovereignty, and giving your life wholly to Him spreading the Good News, sharing your testimony, and seeing his kingdom grow.