Nothing Outside A Person Can Defile Him" - says Jesus

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"Beware of false prophets ..." -- Jesus

The words of Jesus are unmistakable and striking. The audacity of false teachers is stunning. How do they get away with it for decades, even centuries?

·      How is it that Mormon leaders prohibit coffee and tea?

·      On what basis to Seventh-day Adventists prohibit the eating of pork and other foods?

·      By what authority do Jehovah's Witnesses prohibit blood transfusions?

Jesus' words in Mark 7 could not be more clear: “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him"

Jesus elaborates on this further to his disciples in private who were likely shocked by this sweeping statement. "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?”

And, as if this were not enough, we have the Gospel writer Mark's inspired commentary (which Mark likely got from Peter) that immediately follows it -- "Thus he declared all foods clean" (Mark 7:19).

Trumping Jesus?

Is there any person who has the authority to trump the clear teaching of Jesus?  Prohibitions on externals that are tied to what makes us acceptable to God should be recognized as man-made additions that arrogantly set aside the ultimate authority of Jesus. They are best rejected, as should be the person who teaches them. This is further reinforced by other New Testament teaching like Peter's vision of the sheet with "unclean" animals in it (Acts 10:15), and Paul's teaching that 'food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do" (1 Cor. 8:8).

In addition, Paul's teaching in Colossians 2:16-18, 23, is especially applicable to the movements founded by Joseph Smith and Ellen White which claim a visionary basis for the external restrictions and commandments they impose on their followers:

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind „, these indeed have an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism

Pride if you succeed -- false guilt if you fail

The saddest part is perhaps the damage done to those who attempt to follow such false teachers. If they succeed to some degree in holding to these externals, they are proud of their accomplishments and often look in disdain or contempt on those who cannot or will not comply. If they fail to completely adhere, or simply give up after trying for so long, they then are made to feel guilty, defiled and unworthy of God's love and acceptance.

Meanwhile, Jesus stands with arms open wide saying "I've already earned perfection for you, come take it from me. Trade your true moral guilt, the stuff that comes out of you - your pride, envy, hate, coveting, lying, murder and adultery - trade your sin for my righteousness, for only my perfection taken as a gift in faith, will make you acceptable before God the Father." (See Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:13-14; Titus 13-7; I Peter 2:24).

Any movement, religion, teacher, or self-claimed apostle or prophet that ties our acceptance before God to external prohibitions related to food, drink, religious observance or medical practices has, either in ignorance or intentionally, set aside the clear teaching of Jesus and his apostles. In doing so, they show themselves to be a spiritual charlatan that will cheat us out of authentic, intimate relationship with the God who created us to enjoy Him both now and forever.

Loyalty to Jesus?

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A man stopped by our office, curious about our religious research on different new American religious groups like Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. Within minutes he identified himself as a Jehovah's Witness and wanted to know what I thought about them. I replied that most Witnesses I knew were sincere, dedicated people, but I was concerned for them spiritually. When he asked why, I explained it was because they had been brought to a point where they were more loyal to the religious organization than they were to Jesus Christ.

He protested immediately and vehemently that this was not the case, that Witnesses were loyal to Jesus and Jehovah God, not to an earthly organization. I explained that I was familiar with JWs and had even attended their District Convention in my state a couple of weeks ago. He was surprised, and perhaps even a bit impressed, and as we talked I asked permission to ask a rather personal question. He graciously agreed.

"Suppose you in the course of studying your Bible," I began, "were to realize that the WT Society teaching on say, holidays like Christmas and Easter was in error. You realized that their reasoning on the subject was inconsistent and their interpretation of Scripture was incorrect. Because of this, you became convinced that celebrating holidays should be a matter of individual conscience and you now felt free to begin to celebrate Christmas or Easter with your family. None of your other doctrinal beliefs have changed, nor has your commitment to Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. You still accept the Bible as the authoritative word of God for your life. However, when the elders at the kingdom hall discover your change in belief on this matter, they disfellowship you from the organization. You are no longer in good standing with the Watchtower Society. Will this place you in spiritual danger for when Armageddon comes? Are you now at risk of being rejected by Jehovah God, simply because the WT Society has decided they should disfellowship you?"

His countenance grew serious and troubled and he asked, "You mean I would no longer be in good standing with Jehovah's organization?"

"Yes," I replied. Your relationship with God and Jesus and your loyalty to them hasn't changed, only the acceptance of the WT Society."

He declared immediately, "Then yes, if I was no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses I would not have Jehovah God's approval. This would seriously affect my spiritual standing with Jehovah."

"So then," I said quietly, "your allegiance is primarily to the WT Society as an organization."

This led our dialogue into the realm of bad associations, and how important it was to have no association with anything worldly or pagan or evil, and so the WT Society as Jehovah's organization was the only place with which to associate for they were the only organization to keep themselves from such evil assocations. I asked him if he was aware that for many years the WT Society had been associated with the United Nations as an NGO (non-governmental organization) and had used that official relationship to help them with relations with other foreign governments. He was not aware. In fact he was disbelievingly not aware. I offered to get him a packet on this subject, and asked for his name and address so I could send it to him, but he refused to give it to me, saying he needed to be going, his wife was waiting outside for him (and indeed she had stuck her head in the door minutes before asking if he was almost done).

He did say I had piqued his curiousity on this subject, which he found very hard to believe, so he would do some research and would come back again to get more information on this.

I hope he does. I hope he pursues truth. I hope he is troubled enough by his loyalty to an organization that one day his loyalty will be first and foremost to Jesus Christ. I hope, because until that happens, he will continue to be the puppet shadow of a mannish, manipulative religious org. He will be unable to enter the sphere of reality where Jesus is his only Way, his only Truth, his only Life. But, once the strings to the org are cut, allegiance to Jesus will free him to life, love and relationships that are lived from the deep center of spiritual freedom and divine intimacy that he was created to know and share. That we all were created to know and share.