Salvation is Impossible

Mark 10:26, 27

And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."

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Here's an encouraging sermon application: It is impossible for man to be saved! Wow, what a downer. Could you try telling me something a little nicer about myself, like how smart and clever and lovable I am? No? Oh fooey!

No, I'm afraid that any honest reading of this chapter should bring us to our knees. In Mark 10 we see several more examples of the disciples missing the point and revealing how clueless they still are:

- they don't quite get the teaching on divorce (v 10)
- they rebuke the kids who want to meet Jesus (v 13)
- they are openly afraid, apparently of the persecution they expect to face in Jerusalem (v 32)
- they make another attempt at nepotism by asking for a spiritual favor (v 37)
- they apparently join in rebuking a blind man who is openly declaring Jesus as king (v 48)

But right in the center of this chapter is where we see the disciples described as "exceedingly astonished." I honestly sympathize with the Rich Young Man who thought he was obeying God but couldn't find his heart devoted enough to sell all he had at the command of this miracle working teacher. I move from sympathy to pity when I realize that he was clinging to his self-righteous vision of the world, which could not conceive of an incarnate God who was worthy of direct obedience and honor. But I haven't always noticed that the disciples were equally stuck in a mentality that assumed salvation could be earned or obtained by human effort.

This is yet another illustration of how restricted pietism can masquerade in religious clothing but fundamentally reflect a worldview that is completely opposed to the heartbeat of God. We crave a short list of attainable goals that leaves room for our own boasting and pride; we cringe and may even walk away from a call to give up our lives and reputations for something bigger than ourselves: the kingdom of our Savior and his mission in the world.

Lord, help me to be more astonished at my self-righteousness than at the wise words of my Savior, who is graciously telling me that I can never save myself, no matter how hard I try. And let me be grateful that the bad news of my inability before God is closely followed by the good news of Christ's finished work of salvation offered and credited to my account through faith alone. All glory to Him alone. Amen.

Worse than Diarrhea

Mark 7:18-22

"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."

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Apparently, the only appropriate way to rebuke religious hypocrisy is to resort to potty language.  At least, this is the case in Mark 7 as Jesus responds to the Pharisees' insistence upon ceremonial hand washings.  When confronted with strict rules for external rituals, Jesus counters with his own well-aimed rebuke: You Pharisees bend and break the commandments of God for the sake of your man-made traditions.  Don't you know that what comes out of your sinful heart and mind is far worse than mere food which is eaten and expelled?

Much could be said about how religious people today are continuing this Pharasaic legacy of restricted pietism (making a short list of extrabiblical rules that will supposedly gain the special favor of God).  There are preachers and congregations who rail against cultural trends and lifestyles, and yet conveniently overlook their own gluttony, laziness, or private marital problems.  There are average folks who thumb their noses at certain classes of people, or discount certain forms of art because of its rating or reputation.  And there are even non-religious pietists as well, who rail against what they see as religious "bigotry" or traditional definitions of family and society.

So, how do we know if our convictions are more like the Pharisees or like Jesus himself?  The answer from the immediate context is that we should hold tightly to the clear commands of Scripture and be willing to quickly let go of our extrabiblical religious habits when they contradict with Scripture (9:9-13).  This is especially the case when our extra rituals are culturally irrelevant or even detrimental to ourselves and others (cf. Romans 14 & 1 Cor. 9).  Another answer from the broader context of the Gospels is to first point the finger at yourself, long before you consider pointing out someone else's weakness or sin (Matt. 7:1-5; note: this passage is often misused to argue that ALL judging is forbidden by God, when in reality it merely forbids "judgmentalism" as an attitude of thoughtless self-righteousness).

An example in my own life may prove to be an appropriate conclusion.

One night, many months ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with my mother-in-law and share this very passage (Mark 7) with her, in an attempt to explain some of my beliefs.  I have witnessed in her life the paralyzing effects of restricted pietism. Her disciplined habits of prayer, Bible-reading, and healthy diet are truly remarkable, but in and of themselves, they are hollow forms which provide little substance (see Col. 2:16ff). As I sat with her for over two hours, while Donna and Gracie slept, I sought desperately to show her, as humbly as I possibly could, that her ascetic lifestyle was in fact enslaving her and emaciating her - a result that runs completely counter to the glory and goodness of God, in whose image every person has been created.  However, she looked directly at verses like Mark 7:19 (thus he declared all foods clean) and quite simply refused to accept it.  She said, No.

I pray that someday she sees how trivial and petty her vision of God appears to be.  The One who paints the sunsets each day and formed every human heart to beat and to long for meaning, it is He who created her to be free from the bonds of pietism which keep her depending upon rituals rather than a dynamic relationship with the Living God.  Lord, have mercy on each of us as we continue to fight this fight for freedom, through the One who covers us completely in His righteousness.  Amen.

The Short List

Matthew 15:3

He answered them, "And why do you break the commandments of God for the sake of your tradition?"

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This passage describes a form of hypocrisy that is still rampant in the religious world today: restricted pietism. In Matthew 15:1-9, we get a definition of restricted pietism that is pretty basic: disobedience and hypocrisy. By making a short list of what is required to be truly acceptable to God, the Pharisees were actually disobeying God's clear commands in Scripture. The motive behind this short list was driven by self-worship and self-rule ("their heart is far from me"). This is a clear example of hypocrisy -- having a pretense of holiness, but with alterior motives.

Restricted...

"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat" (15:2). Here, we see the aspect of restriction in the piety of the Pharisees. They had added to God's commands a practice that may have been wise and good, but not a basic criteria that one must meet to be accepted by God. In fact, by focusing on points of man-made tradition, rather than the clear commands of Scripture, the Pharisees were really attempting to make God's law more feasible, more practical, and essentially less impossible to fulfill. Sounds like a good idea, right? Wrong! The law of God, among other purposes, was meant to be the highest standard imaginable. It is the pathway of complete holiness and righteousness. Later, the apostle Paul will reveal further that the Law was meant to convict us of sin, expose our inability before God, and drive us to Him as our only Hope and Savior. To water down the Law by replacing it with man-made rules is also to water down our desperate need for a Savior.

...Pietism

"But you say, 'If anyone tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, he need not honor his father.' So for the sake of your tradition you have made the word of God void. You hypocrites!" (15:5-7). What makes this watering down of the law even more heinous is that the Pharisees claim they are being even more pious by doing so. When we claim that we are more pious than God, we are total fools! God commanded all of his people to honor their fathers and mothers, which implies a level of care and respect that would include financial assistance when necessary. The Pharisees found a way to be even more pious than that -- to give to God what they were supposed to give to their families. Today, Christian ministers face the same situation, in which their families are sacrificed "for the good of the ministry." We live in a Christian sub-culture that has exalted highly-visible, program-based, event-driven ministry, to the detriment of those core relationships that make up our families and the next generation of God's kingdom. I don't condemn programs or sacrifice. But, I do condemn any pious activity that begins to encroach upon the basic expectations of a child of God.

Family. Church. Society. These are the spheres in which every one of us plays an active role. Let's not get them confused and pretend that we are more pious because of it.