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February 2, 2025 |
| The Cleansing of the Spirit | ||
In previous lessons we've established that part of the work of the spirit is to clean us, physically. Therefore all the Old Testament laws about keeping clean do not apply to Christians.
Prophecy speaks about a big change that was coming and which we know as Christianity.
Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:25-26; Isaiah 1:16; Malachi 3:3; Zechariah 13:1; Jeremiah 33:8)
It says this change will have parts, an ongoing washing and a new heart/spirit.
Old Testament people already knew about the need to be clean, and they already knew about stony hearts. In that covenant, those were things that they were responsible for doing. The prophecy is saying a time will come when God does these things.
The Bible doesn't say very much about this cleansing. In this lesson we'll look at what it does say.
The modern church understands that it no longer needs to eat clean foods and follow the Old Testament laws about staying clean, but it doesn't understand why. They know they need an answer when someone asks why Christians don't follow those laws. Not understanding the correct answer, they've twisted scripture to give themselves an answer.
And after He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. 16 [And if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."]
17 And when He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples were asking Him about the parable. 18 And He said to them, "Are you lacking understanding in this way as well? Do you not perceive 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 goes to the sewer?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) (Mark 7:14-19 LSB)
Half of the translations on BibleHub.com have that parenthetical statement or a similar one. LSB uses italics to note the places where they have added words to make the verse clearer. In this case, though, the entire parenthetical should be in italics because none of it is in any Greek or Aramaic manuscript.
This statement is an invention that fills the need. "Can't you see that the Bible says Jesus declared all foods clean?"
There is a problem though. There were lots of other causes of uncleanness. For example, everyone is born with an uncleanness that could only be removed by a process that required a priest at the temple.
Under Old Testament law, God's people were not to associate with Gentiles. That changes in the New Covenant.
Do not be associates with those who are unbelievers; for what partnership has righteousness with evil, or what intimacy has light with darkness? 15 What harmony has the Messiah with Satan? What lot has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does the Temple of God have with demons? But you are the Temple of the living God, just as it is said, "I shall dwell in them and I shall walk in them, and I shall be their God, and they shall be a people to me. 17 Because of this, come out from among them and be separated from them, says the lord Yahweh, and you shall not touch the impure thing, and I shall receive you" (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)
Though the physical meaning of unclean people is gone, the spiritual meaning persists and with that the warning, do not touch. Gone are the rules about touching Gentiles and entering the houses of Gentiles; remaining is the need to keep spiritually separate from Gentiles (unbelievers). The physical aspect of the law is no longer needed because the Holy Spirit can purify us.
Most people aren't even aware that there was a 2nd date for Passover. It was a month later than the 1st Passover. The purpose behind it was to provide an opportunity to celebrate the Passover to people who had been ceremonially impure at the time of the 1st Passover.
2nd Passover isn't a separate feast. It doesn't appear in Leviticus 23. No other feast day has a second opportunity like this.
This was the Lord's reply to Moses. 10 "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people now or in future generations are ceremonially unclean at Passover time because of touching a dead body, or if they are on a journey and cannot be present at the ceremony, they may still celebrate the Lord's Passover. 11 They must offer the Passover sacrifice one month later (Numbers 9:9-11)
However, there is absolutely no mention of 2nd Passover in the New Testament. The natural interpretation would be that this shows there is no need for it. Spirit-filled Christians cannot become ceremonially impure.
So far we have seen examples of the Holy Spirit cleaning us. Now we see an example where the Holy Spirit cleans others through us. This is a super power, if you think of it correctly. You can even choose when to use it. This power works in the area of forgiveness.
And this is the confidence which we have toward him: everything that we ask him according to his will, he hears for us. 15 And if we are convinced that he hears us concerning whatever we ask from him, we trust that even now we receive the things that we desire which we ask from him. 16 If a man sees his brother who sins a sin that is not worthy of death, let him ask, and Life will be given to him for those who are not sinning unto death; for there is mortal sin; I do not say that a man should pray for this. 17 For every evil is sin, and there is sin that is not mortal. (1 John 5:14-17)
This is an authority that does not appear in the Old Testament - the ability to pray for the forgiveness of another person and to expect that he will be forgiven.
This authority is certainly the meaning of the following words Jesus spoke that have confused many.
And truly I say to you, everything whatsoever you will bind in the earth will have been bound in Heaven, and anything that you will release in the earth will have been released in Heaven. (Matthew 18:18)
We even see the Apostle Paul applying this teaching by leaving someone bound in sin.
Alexandros the Blacksmith showed me great evil. May Our Lord pay him according to his works. (2 Timothy 4:14)
Paul's words sound like a curse, but they are theologically perfect. All of us are rewarded according to our works. Though Paul would pray that the blacksmith would repent and turn to God for forgiveness, Paul is saying, if that does not happen, he wants this evil left on the blacksmith's record.
There is another power to affect others. This one is automatic, but it works only within your immediate family.
In the following quote, Paul is talking about the situation where one of the people, in a marriage of unbelievers, becomes a believer. He instructs the believer to stay in the relationship and provides a couple of reasons.
That man who is an unbeliever is sanctified by the wife who believes, and that woman who is not a believer is sanctified by the husband who believes, otherwise their children are defiled, but now they are pure. (1 Corinthians 7:14)
Because one spouse is a believer: