Ephesians 4:3-6; One baptism, part 7. Ceremonial vs. true cleansing.

Sunday May 23,2021

Eph 4:1-6

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Baptism (of the Spirit): immersion, identification, cleansing, purification, and an abiding position in Christ.

In the gospels, we find the leadership only concerned about ceremonial cleansing, which Jesus openly convicts them of. Ritual or ceremonial cleansing can only represent something real, but can never in and of themselves be real. All rituals and ceremonies represent something real.

According to Mar 7:4; Luk 11:38; Heb 9:10 baptizo appears to have been at the time the technical term for these ceremonial washings.

This really gets to the heart of the conflict in the world between those who claim purity, forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life by grace as a gift from God through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ and those who seek to merit God’s attention through work, effort, self-sacrifice, and ritual.

Jesus had already violated the Sabbath traditions of the religious leaders and it wasn’t too long before they became openly hostile to the Lord and His ministry and it wasn’t unusual for them to follow Him in the hope of catching Him in something to criticize, and in this case they accused the disciples of failing to practice the Jewish ceremonial washings.

Jesus had already made clear in His teaching that holiness was an inward matter and not only an outward act, which act could be performed by the hypocrite.

Mat 5:6-8

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Righteousness, mercy, and a pure heart are from within where rituals cannot go. Yet, at salvation a believer is completely changed, being made a brand new creature (2Co 5:17) composed of a divine nature (1Jo 3:9; 2Pe 1:4). And it is only the word of God that can pierce the division of soul and spirit and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb 4:12).

People who revere tradition over God’s word eventually lose the power of His word in their lives, no matter how devout they may appear.

Mar 7:14-23

And after He called the multitude to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside the man which going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. 16 ["If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."] 17 And when leaving the multitude, He had entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18 And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him; 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?"(Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

It is the sin that has to be cleansed. Eating certain foods has nothing to do with it.

The same theme is highlighted again when Jesus is invited to a Pharisee’s Sabbath dinner.

Luk 11:37-41

Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch [Greek: dine] with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. 38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed [baptizo] before the meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean [katharizo – purify] the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40 "You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? [subtly Jesus states that you are not your own] 41 "But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.

Cleansing (vs. 41) in this case is giving that which is within you as mercy (Greek: eleemonsune - alms or charity as expression of mercy or pity, which again is out of the heart).

Luk 11:42-46

"But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb [out of the spice cabinet], and yet disregard justice and the love of God [out of the heart]; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 43 "Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the front seats in the synagogues, and the respectful greetings in the market places. 44 "Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it." [you defile others and they are unaware, being fooled by you]

45 And one of the lawyers said to Him in reply, "Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too." 46 But He said, "Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

You would think that they would not invite Jesus to one of these Sabbath dinners again, but they do, and will plant a man in need of healing, trying to condemn Jesus for working on the Sabbath by healing.

A cleansed man has a heart of love, compassion, selflessness, humility, goodness, graciousness, self-control, wisdom, contentment. Jesus Christ alone can make a man this way.

Hence, when it is accomplished in a believer’s experience, he is actually greatly humbled by the gift from God rather than becoming prideful about it.