May 24, 2025
From the Gospel of Mark, chapter 7, we have the story about the Jewish religious leaders complaining about the disciples of Jesus eating without first performing the prescribed ceremonial washing of their hands. The Jewish religious elite complained to Jesus that His disciples were rejecting the traditions of the elders. Jesus rebuked them for neglecting God’s commandment in favor of their traditions. The tradition of the elders taught that men could dishonor their father and mother (breaking a commandment of God) by failing to help their parents when they were in need. Instead of helping their parents, they gave them a gift, following the traditions of the elders. Shame on them.
“There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.” Mark 7:15, emphasis added.
The Jewish religious leaders believed that not washing your hands before you eat defiled a person and made them unclean, unholy (and incompatible with holiness), and offensive to God. Jesus went on to explain that it is not that which comes into a person (what they eat) that defiles them, but what comes out of the heart of the person that defiles them before God. Out of the heart of a person comes adultery, fornication, deceit, covetousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness, and other such wickedness. These things come from within a person’s heart and defile them, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person. How could these Jewish religious leaders be so blind? Is it possible that Christian leaders today might also be blind to spiritual truth? Will you consider that possibility?
There is an important principle here that is often overlooked, and it should supersede the traditions and beliefs of our religious elders and institutions today. But it doesn’t, in many cases. If that which goes into a person (via the mouth) can’t defile them, can what enters into them (via the mouth) make them holy and pleasing to God? If what we eat with unwashed hands can’t make us unholy, then eating with washed hands certainly can’t make us holy, can it? To believe so is a blatant contradiction, is it not? It is, but that doesn’t stop Christian denominations from embracing the contradiction and celebrating it.
We have various Christian denominations that actually believe that what goes into a person (via the mouth) can indeed make them holy and more pleasing to God. Either they do not understand what Jesus was teaching, or they refuse to accept it. The Roman Catholic Church believes in the doctrine of transubstantiation. That means that the bread and wine in the celebration of the Mass actually do become the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ. It is a “real” change, even though the bread and wine do not actually change at all. It is a mystery, so they claim. The Roman Catholic Church does, in fact, believe that eating the Eucharist gives grace and helps make Catholics holy and more sanctified. As just pointed out, Jesus did not teach this, but actually taught the opposite idea.
The denominations which follow also believe, to varying degrees, that the taking of the Eucharist (eating and drinking it) imparts grace and holiness to the recipient. Are we really to believe that Jesus did not know what He was talking about?
Not only the Roman Catholic Church but also the Eastern Orthodox Church believes something similar to the Catholic Church. They believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, much like the Catholic Church. The real presence is not the literal presence, just in case you are confused. You might ask, what is the difference between the literal and real presence? Well, you need an advanced degree in theology to understand the difference fully, or you need the religious elite to tell you what it means. The real presence implies that His body is substantially present in the Eucharist, but not entirely and not literally present. It is a mystical, non-visible presence versus a literal, visible one, except for the fact that the elements of bread and wine remain unchanged. Say what? But you must believe the bread and wine have now become the literal body and blood of Jesus, even though the bread and wine remain bread and wine. Does that clear it up for you? Various denominations offer these and similar language gymnastics (empty but deceptive rhetoric).
And what do we do with the statement by Jesus that when two or more are gathered together in His name, He is there? There is nothing in this verse about taking communion. Is His presence somehow different when two or more of us gather for prayer or Bible study than it is when we take communion? If so, how? Add to that the fact that believers are the temple of the Holy Ghost. How does it get more real or literal than that? The Holy Spirit indwells Saints of God, and it can’t get more literal; the presence can’t be any more real, can it? Could you please explain again how taking communion is different and more significant?
The Oriental Orthodox Churches (e.g., Coptic, Armenian, Syriac) also believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Lutheran Churches also believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, but not through the doctrine of transubstantiation. They call it the “sacramental union”. The body and blood are truly present “in, with, and under” the bread and wine.
Anglican/Episcopal Churches also believe some of the same things. High Church/Anglo Catholics often believe in the real presence. The low church (Evangelical Anglicans) views it more symbolically.
The Methodist Churches affirm the real presence of Christ, but not in a physical or substantial sense. Christ is spiritually present in a powerful way through the Holy Spirit. The Eucharist is a means of grace, but not a literal change in substance.
Reformed/Calvinist and Presbyterian Churches reject transubstantiation but believe Christ is spiritually present in the sacrament, but not physically present.
Baptists and many other evangelical churches do not believe in the real presence in any substantial or mystical sense. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic and memorial of Christ’s death.
Summary
What do you think this line of thinking leads to? If sin is transmitted by physical means, then holiness must also be transmitted by physical means. And that is what some of these Christian denominations actually believe! Crazy stuff believed by many.
Is sin a physical substance? Do we eat sin? Do we eat holiness? Where did this idea come from? In the 5th Century, Augustine’s false dogma of Original Sin became part of Christian theology and doctrine. He actually believed that all humanity sinned in Adam, and then this sinful nature was passed on to all of us through natural generation. We are all born sinners. In his theology, which most Western Christians adopt, sin is a substance. But is sin really a substance? Is it a liquid, a gas, or a solid substance? The Bible gives us a clear definition of sin, which is: sin is lawlessness. Sin is a moral wrong, and the physics of it are the effects of the cause. Why is this not obvious to everyone?
The opposite of this sinful nature falsehood is that we become holy through physical (not moral) means, such as performing good works, receiving communion, confessing our sins, reading the Bible, attending Bible study classes, praying, and attending church, rather than relying solely on repentance from sin and faithful obedience thereafter. Most Christians appear to believe that God desires sacrifices and offerings more than obedience. But the word of God says just the opposite. The Bible teaches us that it is better to obey than to sacrifice.
Jesus said that where your treasure is, your heart will be there. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. Matthew 6:21, KJV. And it is out of the heart that holy and unholy things proceed. Your heart is what you value the most. If you value God the most, sacred things will proceed. You will repent of all sin. Your focus (time, energy, devotion, faith/obedience, and resources) will be on knowing, serving, and loving God. If you value your self-gratification the most, unholy and sinful things will proceed out of your heart. We partake of the grace and holiness of God by our humble, truthful, obedient, faithful, and fruitful living, all of which comes from our repentant hearts. Paul and the other apostles taught us what it takes to inherit the Kingdom of God, which is to repent of our sins and live a righteous life for God, through His grace and truth (see 1 Corinthians 6, Galatians 5, Ephesians 5, and 1 John). None of them suggested that we can get into heaven by eating communion, going to church, making offerings, and pretending to be something we are not.
What we eat enters us and is then eliminated. It doesn’t make us holy or unholy. You and I can’t “eat and drink Jesus” and become a holy person. We can’t become holy or unholy by what goes into our stomach. Why is that so hard to understand? Why is it that religious people are so gullible? Eating and drinking the elements of communion do not and can’t make us holy or unholy. Not even if it is the transubstantiated elements of the Roman Catholic Church Eucharist.
All this makes me think about my proclivity toward taking a pill to make me healthy or to cure my diseases and sicknesses. Most of us want to take a pill to lose weight, grow hair, get healthy, get bigger muscles, live longer, and so on. We often gravitate towards quick fixes to avoid real solutions. If we really want to lose weight, we know the answer is to eat right, eat less, and exercise. It is not magic. But a pill is so much easier and quicker!
The bigger danger in all this theological nonsense is that it makes the religion of Christianity a religion of mysticism, superstition, and magic. Pretend that the consecrated bread and wine are now the literal body and blood of Jesus, or even the real presence, and you will eat it and get grace or favor from God. And if you don’t believe this, you are a heretic and an enemy of the gospel. Is that really true? Not on your life.
The Bible is filled with miracles. When Jesus healed people, they did not pretend to believe what was obviously not true. Jesus actually healed the lame, the blind, the leper, the deaf, and raised the dead. He did not tell them to believe they were healed and go their way. If Christians are taught to believe what their eyes and minds tell them is not true, they are set up to believe anything, no matter how foolish and no matter how dangerous. They will even think that a person gets grace and holiness by eating something, even if they refuse to repent of their sins. They will believe that it is what goes into a man defiles him or makes him holy, in direct contradiction to the words of Jesus Christ.
Below is a short list of things that Christians are taught to believe that make no sense whatsoever, but they eagerly accept these ideas, not realizing their deception.
- The Bible is clear. Every person dies for their sins and not the sins of others. The son will not die for the sins of the father, and the father will not die for the sins of the son. That soul that sins will die. Yet most evangelical Christians are taught to believe that we all die for the sin of Adam in direct contradiction to this truth.
- The Bible is clear. Sin is the voluntary transgression of the law. Yet most evangelical Christians are told that our sin comes from a sin nature they involuntarily inherit from Adam that forces and causes them to sin involuntarily. Moreover, our sins come by the decrees of God, which are the ultimate source of everything that comes to pass.
- The Bible is clear. We can obey the laws of God, but don’t because we are unwilling to obey God and trust Him. Yet most evangelical Christians believe we are unable to obey the laws of God and that God is just in sending us to hell for not obeying His laws, which are impossible for us to follow. Unbelievable.
- The Bible is clear. The one who sins is not born of God but is born of the devil. Yet most evangelical Christians today are told that their sin never stops in this life, in direct contradiction to the truth.
- The Bible is clear. Humans are guilty of premeditated sin against God and man. Jesus was sinless, and He suffered and died for us. Yet many evangelical Christians are taught to believe that Jesus became sin and a curse from God for us. Innocent and sinless Jesus became guilty and sinful before the Father, who poured out His wrath on His innocent Son. Moreover, Christians are taught the magic of imputation. Jesus becomes guilty, and we become innocent and not guilty, which is false to the core.
- The Bible is clear. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, Romans 6:23. Yet many evangelical Christians believe that they are already forgiven of their future sins and the wages of sin, for them, is not death but eternal life.
- The Bible is clear. Jesus came to save all sinners. He came to save, not to destroy humanity. Yet many evangelical Christians believe that Jesus came to save only an elect few and not all of humanity. Christians are told that God wills the damnation of those whom God does not elect and that this brings glory to God. Utter nonsense.
- The Bible is clear. God is holy and righteous. He never tempts anyone to sin because He hates sin. God demands that all of us also be righteous. Yet most evangelical Christians are told that God is the source and cause of all that is both good and evil in this world. The will of God is being reflected in His decrees. God decrees everything that comes to pass, both in the moral and physical universe. This makes God the author of sin and evil, and it also makes Him worse than the devil. What blasphemy.
- The Bible is clear. You can’t become sinful or holy by what you eat and drink. Yet most Christians do in fact believe that eating the body and drinking the blood of Jesus Christ will make them holy and give them the grace of God.
In conclusion
Christians believe all these falsehoods and rarely blink an eye over any of them. Given that truth, it is easier to understand how Christians readily believe in Christianized superstition, mysticism, and magic. You tell me, am I out of my mind, or does this make sense? Am I speaking lies, or might it be the truth of God?
It is not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of a man that defiles him. “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.” Mark 7:15 emphasis added. What we value the most determines the quality of all that we do. What we value the most determines whether our motives and actions are sinful or holy. Or maybe I am just a lunatic and a raving fool.
