Exacting or Exhorting

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (Isaiah 58:3)

28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. (Matthew 18:28-35)

I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke. (Isaiah 47:6)

23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. (Exodus 2:23-24)

Bear in mind that this message is to those who forsake not the ordinance of their God. They are essentially good people as we would judge it. It seems that we need to forgive more and not require so much of others, it's hard to know what this means practically though. Should we ignore the failures of those who claim to represent God and remain under their influence. I doubt it. And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (Ezekiel 9:4) We need to mourn for the wicked in God's church; it seems this is a condition of receiving the seal of God. It's not that we need to separate from the midst of Jerusalem, but to come before God in sorrow over its evils not before men. However the Rechabites (Jeremiah 35) were commended for their conservative lifestyle and living outside the city; they escaped the fate of the other Jews for this reason. So it is not true that we all ought to live in the midst of wickedness; but we ought to sigh and cry for the wickedness of God's professed people.
But back to exacting labours. If we believe that soon Jesus will come and the elements shall melt with fervent heat (2 Pet 3:12) then it doesn't make sense for us to care a lot about getting the most out of those who serve us. It makes sense for us to want to give the most to those we serve. That doesn't sound so new. Well, it shouldn't be new, but it's not how we live. The public system of education trains us to get as much as we can for as little effort as possible. That sounds like a good idea doesn't it? It's not a good idea. We were made to give. God's economy is give and it shall be given unto you not take and take then give a bit when you have to. God's economy will tend to make us impoverished in this age but rich in the next, and rich in character today.
At this time in earth's history more than any other we need to be willing to follow Jesus' instructions in the Sermon on the Mount and deal generously with others to our own disadvantage; because that is what God is like.

Slavery

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (Isaiah 58:3)

Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. (Nehemiah 5:7)

He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. (Proverbs 28:8)

9 That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother. 10 Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go. 11 But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
12 Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 13 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying, 14 At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear. 15 And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name: 16 But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids. 17 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. (Jeremiah 34:9-17)

Is there a liberty that we ought to be proclaiming? Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Rom 8:21) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me (Jesus), because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)

We have a gospel to tell. A gospel that relates to every aspect of life and brings healing in every area of life. A gospel that when followed brings healing from physical sickness, and peace and harmony in social relations. A gospel that when followed brings freedom to slaves and all oppressed. A gospel that when followed causes the wealthy to give up their slaves and thus sacrifice earthly riches for heavenly riches. There are many who do not understand the full implications of this gospel but are trying to follow it sincerely. Do not condemn them; but speak the truth in love as it is in Jesus and pray that their lives might be powerfully transformed. It will happen, and the work will be done before we know it and Jesus is coming soon.

Miserable

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (Isaiah 58:3)

When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. (Psalm 69:10)

2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. (Daniel 10:2-3)

For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. (Jonah 3:6)

In the day that you fast you have a great time and go about your business. Compare that with I wept... with fasting... and I Daniel was mourning... and laid his robe from him... and sat in ashes. This makes it pretty clear what the problem was with their fasting at its root. They were doing the right thing but really it wasn't such a big deal to them. In the other cases of fasting here the suppliant was downright miserable. Generally speaking we should be joyful and positive, but there is a place for mourning. When there is something worth moaning about and the time and place are appropriate then moaning is the right thing to do. Paul writes If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. (1 Corinthians 15:19) But he writes that the hope of the resurrection changed that. I conclude that we should expect that at some times our joy in life will come only from the hope of the resurrection. Some people would call that negative, I call it the truth.
Do you want revival? Do you want reformation? Do you want the gospel to reach the world?
Agonising for these things in your heart will bring them closer. Outward fasting can help you to agonise, but in itself it is no replacement for actual agonising.

Affliction, Atonement and Azazel

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (Isaiah 58:3)

29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. (Leviticus 16:29-31)

27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:27)

In Daniel 8:14 there is a record of prophetic time culminating in the cleansing (atonement) of the sanctuary, which is described here. As people living since that time the Day of Atonement (cleansing) is particularly relevant to us, and unsurprisingly that ritual is connected to Isaiah 58. This is the ritual of the Day of Atonement; where the High Priest would go into the inner sanctum of the temple for the only time that year and would enact a unique ritual. This ritual included casting lots over two sacrificial goats and driving one (misnamed "scapegoat") away to die in the wilderness instead of killing it on the spot. This happened after the sanctuary was ritually cleansed and the ritual corruption of sin was put on the goat that would be led into the wilderness. This is quite different from the other sacrifices which were killed to represent Jesus' death and their blood used to represent Jesus' blood which was spilled to save us from sin (the Christian Scriptures (NT) make it clear that it is Jesus' blood that saves).

The other goat did not have it's blood spilled, and so can't represent Jesus' sacrifice; the identity of this goat can be found in his original title: The Goat of Azazel. Azazel was the name attributed to the Devil who was thought to live in the wilderness. The scapegoat is actually the Goat of the Devil, and his part of the ritual shows that the Devil will be revealed as ultimately culpable for sin and be punished accordingly. God commanded his people to have a time of thorough repentance, abstaining from things like food and business and this was for their good. The Jews were fasting and afflicting their souls as commanded in Leviticus but according to Isaiah it was only superficial.

Modern spiritual Israel has been called to figuratively fast, afflict our souls and rest as if on Sabbath while our Great High Priest in heaven makes atonement for us (Hebrews 9:11 etc). The Jewish Day of Atonement was meant to point forward to this time at the end of Earth's history just like the Passover pointed to the cross. But what does this mean for us? Are we not allowed to work? Or eat? That doesn't make sense. There must be some significance to the Sabbath for this time, but from these texts I can't see much more than that. Fasting carries the idea of going without good things for a time. I think Christians in this day ought to be willing to go without many good things in order to show that we really believe this world is nearing its close.

Probably the easiest to understand for me at the moment is the reference to afflicting our souls. It means searching our hearts and by the power of the Holy Spirit being cleansed from sin. It means resolving that nothing will get between me and my Saviour. It means quitting anything that might be dragging you down spiritually, even if you are not sure. Oh there are some things in my life I am thinking of. It means running the race to win (1 Corinthians 9) and not letting anything become an excuse for holding on to sin. With man all this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:21)
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:19)

Reformed Requests

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (Isaiah 58:3)

And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: (Luke 15:29)

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. (Luke 18:9-12)

Why is it that we have prayer meetings and revival meetings and optional fasting and yet revival has not come? Revival and reformation. A great theme for a church to have at any time. People love revival, from what we have heard (because surely we've never experienced a real one) revivals are exiting and blissful. Revivals bring solutions to all our problems and more willing converts than we can deal with. That is what we have heard anyway.
What about reformation? I am glad not all church leaders have forgotten about reformation in the endless proclamation of revival. In my insignificant opinion, revival and reformation cannot exist in isolation from each other. What is reformation? Reform; turning from our wicked and lawless ways back to Jesus' way. It means tithing, soul-winning, health-reforming, dress-reforming, temperance, daily devotions, free-will offerings, congregations actually singing in church, an interest in doctrine-heavy sermons, expression of praise for God's providential working, diligence to forgive, refusal to become bitter, idle talk replaced with talk of Jesus and the glories of heaven, speculation replaced with study and peer pressure within the church replaced with unconditional love of the brethren. Reformation is what revival looks like. If you want revival, don't criticise the lady that wears skirts or the man that isn't interested in sport. If you want true revival, you will need to let God make you into a conservative. It's not that painful, really. I don't mean all conservatives are revived, the verses above show that the superficially reformed are not always sincerely revived. Don't try to be conservative for its own sake. Immerse yourself in the teachings of Jesus in his book (Bible) and become the person it tells you to. This might mean you get branded as "conservative" and you may even get some things wrong, but if you are not willing to take this risk and follow Jesus you will only hold revival back.
These passages of the Bible show us that when you pray, pray, pray and hear nothing, nothing, nothing there is a problem; not with God but probably with you. Are you asking selfishly, presumptuously or simply harbouring known sin? God - like the prodigal father - wants to give you all the good stuff; is it possible that like the older son you are just not asking for the good stuff?

Sacrifice

1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba. (Genesis 22:1-19)

No sacrifice you or I can make to have Jesus is greater than the sacrifice he made to have us. Goals, plans and reputation are not too precious. Jesus is lord of all and I give him my allegiance.

Murmuring

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (Isaiah 58:3)


Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? (Malachi 3:14)

11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. (Matthew 20:11-12)

I took a while to see the connection with the last passage. Here people who have genuinely served God and are rewarded are still disappointed that they are not given more than those who did not serve so much. How is this related to the point of this parable stated twice clearly in sandwich form before and after it is given?
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. (Matthew 20:16)
I'm not sure I fully understand it, but here's something: Those who laboured long did it knowing their reward would be full and eternal inheritance of Jesus' eternal universal kingdom. I'm not sure how you could get a better reward than that, but I can imagine their feelings. Those who are converted late and work (fervently no doubt but...) only for a short time receive exactly the same infinitely wonderful reward. Our normal reasoning would be that they should get less and not that the others should get more, but when they get the full inheritance it makes you feel the conscientious are getting short-changed somehow. That's how I usually feel anyway.
I feel many times and in many ways that I am the late worker, but sometimes I feel that I am the long worker. Is one group unsaved or in some way inferior to the other? That seems to be implied by the reason the parable is told. It seems to imply that the late worker is actually better, but that doesn't fit well with the kind of diligence widely promoted in the Bible.
Is thine eye evil, because I am good? (verse 15) I suppose the problem is their attitude towards the work, and this attitude seems enough to cost them dearly... few chosen. That's a bit scary.

When I think of my work for the Gospel I know I often feel it is a drag. I wish I could spend more time with people that are open to the Gospel and less time looking for new contacts. It seems tough, but I know it builds character and it works for finding people too. I should be so grateful that I can be paid to do it, and somewhere in my mind I am. But the feeling is never far away that I wish I could go back to manual work, where as I long as I do my job I don't need to be really nice, take initiative or get treated like a kind of person that I am not. In short I wish I didn't need to grow spiritually. Of course people can grow spiritually in any job, but God seems adamant that this one is for me. God really does know best and gives me the best; I know that from my own experience. Those doubting and murmuring thoughts that God assigned me the wrong job are Satanic and must be driven from my mind by prayer.

All these passages show me that I am not alone in feeling at times like God's plans are not for me. I think so often we substitute a show of good Christianity for actually doing what Christ says, which is just so much further from what we want. Satan has worked hard to cultivate in our minds a distaste for useful labour for the Kingdom of Heaven, but Jesus is powerful to change tastes and I throw myself down on his grace for the transformation that I need.

By the way, murmuring against God is a sin.

Pray and Obey

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (Isaiah 58:3)


9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. 10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. 11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. (Micah 3:9-11)

5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? 6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? 7 Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain? (Zechariah 7:5-7)


Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? (Malachi 3:14)

I have seen this Zechariah reference before and I think I have commented on it in this blog; but I may not remember rightly, and I will comment more anyway. These passages make me think of numerous prayer meetings with little prayer. They remind me of my own mixed history of prayer. Prayer really seems to work, I am shocked at answered prayers sometimes. Shocked that the weather has cleared when I needed it for mission work (just in the local community, not an exotic spot) after praying. Shocked that clashes in my schedule worked themselves out in answer to prayer. Shocked that very specific prayers have been answered at times, though often in such a way that I know God just wanted to show me his power but did not really plan to do some of those things. As a small child I prayed for the life of a tree, it was revived but continued to be sickly before I finally put it down. I prayed for a job and got one that day, I liked it, but it only lasted one day, I was simply never called back to work. It was the final nail in the coffin for my wish to have a "normal" job so I did not need to put all my eggs in the church basket. I never aspired to church work, and I still find some aspects of it painful. But God is training me and I know I am privileged to be paid to serve God. Am I like the bad priests mentioned above serving God for hire? Maybe, I hope not and I don't think so. Each one of us must earn money in our working hours, but what we do in our entire life determines if we are serving God or money. I seek to stand for truth and justice and also mercy in my workplace, which we should all do.

So much rambling, I need to go soon and I have barely touched on the verses. Obey God and pray; don't attempt one without the other. That's the message of today. If God calls you to be a church worker like us Jonahs then pray and obey. If God calls you to give more than a tithe of your money to him (in the person of an individual or organisation he is convicting you about now) then pray and obey. If God calls you to change your lifestyle to be consistent with his word then pray and obey.
You need Jesus, ask and you will receive.

Prophet and Profit

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (Isaiah 58:3)

And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. (Numbers 23:4)

What an interesting reference to the new verse of Isaiah 58, (courtesy of Treasury of Scripture Knowledge) it reinforces the point quite well.
Balaam was a true prophet, but tried to use his gift for evil gain. Was it wrong for Nathan to be essentially employed by King David? Hardly, earning money from God's gifts is not wrong in itself, but making money by exploitation using God's gifts is.
Balaam agreed to try to curse God's people for money. God met with him as related in this verse and Balaam offered sacrifices to God evidently in the hope of manipulating him into agreeing to curse his people for Balaam's profit. But we find that God simply put words of blessing into his prophet's mouth, showing that when a true prophet prophesies, he or she cannot speak or write any false words. After he prophesied, Balaam gave clever and wicked advice to bring a curse on God's people. This shows that when they are not prophesying, prophets can be wrong.
But back to the general point of Isaiah 58:3...
I'm sure I have had the experience of praying and even fasting for something and God doesn't seem to hear. Is it possible that when we pray and fast - be it for revival, conversions or answered prayers - it is not effective because we are lacking something. It is very interesting how there is a contrast drawn here where people are fasting and praying but still carefully transacting business and enjoying leisure. I have certainly been guilty of this second part. I used to refrain from working on Sunday on principle and often fasted too, but I spent the whole time playing computer games (war games). In my defence, I did not try to pretend to anyone that I was doing it out of devotion to God. I was doing it openly out of devotion to computer games. As I gradually began to worship God as my god, he brought people into my life to show me what the Sabbath really is and who helped me to see godliness for what it really is. When I fast now I know that it must be a lot more than just not eating if I want to draw nearer to God.

Hypocrites

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. (Isaiah 58:2)

14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. 15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. (Titus 1:14-16)

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

There were a lot of commandments given by the Jewish Rabbis that were additional and often contradictory to the commandments of God in the Bible. Jesus straightened this out in his ministry, but the church needed constant reminding that Jewish laws not found in the Bible were just traditions and were not binding on Christians. Paul is hardly saying that for good people filthy things become pure and for evil people good things like the Bible become filthy.
The pure see the world through God's eyes of love; they avoid (and when appropriate oppose) the filthy, but their thoughts dwell on the pure and the world is a beautiful place. I aspire to this, may I attain it by the power of Jesus in my life.
The defiled fill their minds with evil and often regard pure things as evil. At least in the case of the people Paul is talking about here, they are similar to those in Isaiah 58; they are professed followers of God. They love to talk about the truth and holy living but their character is still defiled as shown by their actions. They speak words of great faith and devotion to God but their behaviour, perhaps including the way they speak shows selfishness and pride.
The last passage included here was referenced in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge but I don't really see that it is relevant at all. It is a somewhat perplexing verse for myself and many others I think. Those who believe we cannot lose our salvation are perplexed by the reference to losing it. Those who believe  we can lose it are perplexed by the stated impossibility of regaining salvation, which would seemingly condemn us all. All I can say to those two is that it must be referring to the blaspheming away the Holy Spirit which would be surely necessary to do in order to leave the early church with all its amazing miracles and first hand knowledge of Jesus. In our day the church has fallen really quite far and as far as most people know it all we have is a book which is only as powerful as the faith people have in it. Perhaps Paul was speaking more to his own time that all times, but I do not profess to have an answer, only to believe that the Bible is inspired and I will obey everything in it that I am able to understand without ignoring some parts of Scripture to do so.

It is so easy to admire and imitate those who talk big about Jesus and don't live out their profession, I've been guilty of it and just realised recently. It's easy for big talkers to obey the superficial things, often but not always traditions; like manner of eating and dressing. These can be good themselves and show consecration, but the greater matters which show a selfless character must be the overbearing current of the words and actions or the big talker is a hypocrite.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (Matthew 23:23)
Being conservative in your lifestyle is a good thing, and I believe all consecrated people will move towards being more conservative in their lifestyle. But godly lifestyle without godly character is hypocrisy, Jesus needs to change you from the inside and that will mean big heart-wrenching changes, no matter how good or conservative other people think you are.
So should we ignore conservatives when they are hypocrites or simply not very nice? Not all all, as Jesus taught:
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. (Matthew 23:2-3)
If the Christians were to obey the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees because of their authority, how much more should we obey the authority of God's inspired law when we are rebuked by a modern hypocrite?

I Hear and Obey

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. (Isaiah 58:2)

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. (Mark 4:16-17)

For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20)

He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. (John 5:35)

It is remarkable really how people can like hearing the truth but still refuse to practice it themselves. There were many in the past like this, and there are many today. The latest manifestation of this is to listen to many rousing sermons at revival meetings and on the internet but not actually make the effort to be transformed. If you hear a message that convicts you then you ought to do something about it afterwards. Hearing is the essential first step, but action must follow.
Many people refuse to hear the truth, they will be condemned for their willing ignorance, but of the few who gladly listen many fail to act on what they hear and for this they will be condemned. Herod and his subjects liked listening to John the Baptist's "challenging" sermons but never "responded to the appeal" and reformed. How many of the professed faithful are like that today? Herod killed John because of peer pressure, and are these professed Christians safe from the same kind of weakness? There may well come a time when many who loved to hear the truth from God's faithful ministers will be the ones who betray them to the enemy.
To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts... (Psalm 95:7-8 quoted in Hebrews 3:7-8)
You know some truth, act on it in faith now or the little that you know will be taken from you (Luke 8:18).

Lip Service

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. (Isaiah 58:2)

30 Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. 31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them. (Ezekiel 33:30-33)

7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:7-9)

"It's not about ticking boxes, it's about a relationship." How often is this true statement used as a cover for the iniquity described above? It is true that our obedience should come from a relationship with Jesus, and not as a formula to obtain favour from God or man. But usually the people I hear using such words defy biblical principles and justify themselves or each other by using this statement.
Most churches you find will be full of people drawing near to Jesus with their lips, especially expressing sublime devotion in the songs they sing. But when you get to know the people, a disconnect will be apparent between their words and actions. This seems to me to be especially characteristic of Contemporary Christian Music which tends to focus more on the devotion and love of the worshipper than the worshipped. I read a proverb once that reminded me of the song leaders of this genre:
Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. (Proverbs 26:23)
Not to say that many of them aren't converted Christians, but according to some who have been part of that scene; many of these talented young people are open infidels when they are not on the stage. This culture is well and truly taking over the church perhaps because speaking words of passionate love for Jesus while openly spitting in his face through disobedience to his commandments is becoming normal. The church is full of Judases.
But we should take heart in the fact that God has not made it our responsibility to force others to be sincere. Jesus will thresh out his wheat and separate the sheep from the goats. Each one of us ought to carefully obey Jesus and plead with the Father to transform us into his character by the Holy Spirit as we read his word. Then we can be saved as a brand plucked from a blazing world and who knows but we may save others with us.