Dirty or Clean!

The world has a strange way of classifying each one of us. Sometimes the terms dirty and clean are used for this descriptive purpose. When someone declares another to be dirty they could be referring to many aspects of that person's life. Looking on the outside, they could determine that the person needs a bath because they are filthy physically. They could be speaking of one's language. Jesus said it is not what enters the mouth that defiles a man but the things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man (Mt. 15:17, 18). So one could be using offensive language that could be deemed dirty. God is very concerned about our outward appearance but not as much as He is concerned about our inward condition. We definitely need to be concerned about both ourselves, but without being judgmental of one another.

This brings us to a very pertinent question, “Are you dirty or are you clean when referring to your inward or spiritual side?” Why is it that so many people struggle with answering this question? Surely you know if what you are doing is pleasing or not pleasing to God.

Many folks today see themselves as being very clean in the eyes of God. Why do they feel this way? It could be due to the fact that they are comparing themselves with other human beings. If so, this makes it very easy for them to choose others who fall way short of the mark, in order to make themselves look much cleaner. Cleaner than others doesn't mean clean in the eyes of God.

God looks where? On the heart! We all fall very short when we start to compare ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is perfection! Jesus knew the heart of Judas when He made this statement, “You are not all clean” (John 13:11). When He declared that one of them would betray Him, they started examining themselves wondering which one of them it could be. Peter had to ask, “who is it?” Just because we look clean on the outside does not mean that we are clean on the inside. We can be so defiled on the inside that we can never gain a spiritual cleansing. Have you been spiritually cleansed by the blood of the Lamb?

In Christian love,