Spiritual Cleanliness Vs. Physical Cleanliness
Cleanliness on the Inside
Physical cleanliness puts an emphasis on the outside, how we look, how we smell, whom we are going to impress, what others think about us. It's not important. It's about being a people pleaser.
Spiritual cleanliness is about who we are on the inside. It's about what is in our hearts. Serving God. When we place the emphasis on the spiritual that is what shines through to people around us, when we place the emphasis on the physical that is what people around us see. Physical cleanliness is about pleasing people. Spiritual Cleanliness is about pleasing God.
The washing of hands much as we do today is what was the Pharisees insisted that Jesus do in Mark 7:5. Unlike the common interpretation I do think that what we call sanitation is indeed what was being referred to in this passage of Mark 7:1-15
Jesus stated in vs. 15 that the only thing that makes one unclean (defiled) comes from your heart. You are not unclean if you do not wash your physical hands.
According to Science Daily a study by Dr. Guy Delespesse indicates that traditional hygiene limits our exposure to beneficial organisms. In other words when it comes to physical cleanliness it is possible to be too clean.
According to an article by Christopher Wanjek at Live Science.com using anti-bacterial soaps is a waste of money and it's hopeless to remove all bacteria from our bodies. The last sentence in his article states "Apparently we tolerate feces in our food supply yet reach for an antibacterial wipe to clean some jelly off the counter. It's enough to make you sick."
God created good bacteria, and really only a few are bad. It is my understanding that anti-bacterial soaps can render traditional soap and water ineffective.
What makes us truly clean is not whether or not we've taken a physical bath for the last month (though I would not recommend that) it is what is in our hearts.
It is things like evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, false witnesses, thefts, fornications and blasphemies that make us unclean (Matt: 15:19). Going without a bath or without washing our hands for a while does not make us clean.
When we demonstrate our faith through our works as we are told to do in James chapter 2 that is how we show we our clean spiritually.
Published by Butch West
I am just an ordinary human being that some would say has had it rougher in life than others. I see a lot of things as an opportunity, including my writing on Associated Content, Bukisa, Blogger and other s... View profile
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- When we demonstrate our faith through our works as we are told to do in James chapter 2 that is how
- It is things like evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, false witnesses, thefts, fornications and blas
- What makes us truly clean is not whether or not we've taken a physical bath for the last month
2 Comments
Post a CommentYou need to clean inside and outside Dude
Amen Butch. This was such a pleasure to read my friend. And what a powerful message there is in this. Yes, works outside can show what is in the inside. I am so very glad you've joined us here at AC Butch. There are a lot of fine Christian writers here & I really, really look forward to reading more of your works in the future. For now, please allow me to extend a warm welcome to you to AC. I can not wait to read more later from you. This is well done, and again I say, WELCOME to AC Butch. Its awesome having another godly Christian writer here at AC. :-)