Spiritual Cleanliness

By Pastor Chad

Read: Matthew 21:12-17

I’m one of those people that likes a clean house, but hates cleaning. A well-organized and ordered living space helps me to relax and decompress, but I don’t want to be the one to organize and order it. Kind of selfish, I know. I enjoy the fruits of my wife’s labor. Yes, I do help clean the house (put your stones down), but I don’t usually like it. Some people find joy in cleaning. I don’t find joy in the act of cleaning, but I do find a lot of satisfaction when the job is done–whether it was done by me or someone else. 

I have a feeling I’m not alone in this position. Cleaning isn’t always fun, but it is a valuable means to an even more valuable end. This is a great analogy of the process and benefit of spiritual cleaning of our souls. For Christians, this act is part of the process of sanctification. Let’s just be honest: sanctification isn’t always easy. It isn’t easy to have those less than holy parts of me buffed and detailed. That means filth of my heart must be exposed–and acknowledged. 

Sanctification is an important part of our salvation. It is the purifying and purging of our lives now, so that we can better know God and commune with Him. Sanctification, however, isn’t done alone. This is a cleaning job we can’t do on our own. We need help. Thankfully, the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus continues to refine us just as it initially cleansed us.  

In Matthew 21:12-16, the gospel writer records Jesus’ first act after entering Jerusalem on Holy Week. Matthew writes, “Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.’” It is intriguing that Jesus’ first stop after entering Jerusalem was to condemn the crooked hucksters and traders at the temple. 

Perhaps you think: This temple cleansing seems contrary to the loving Savior I’ve experienced. But the point here isn’t that Jesus is unloving toward the sinner. The point is that he is violent toward the sin. That’s right: Jesus is gracious and glad to forgive the sinner, but he is adamantly and violently opposed to sin and unrighteousness. At the personal or individual level, salvation is Jesus driving the sin out of one’s life through the power of His redemptive work. His blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness in the eyes of God. And the continued cleansing that He does in our lives is the process of refining and molding us into the creation He originally intended. We may not always enjoy the process, but we find great satisfaction in the results. The good news is: God does the hard work and we get to benefit from the fruits of His labor. 

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Prayer: Lord Jesus, cleanse me of the unholiness that still occupies my mind and life. I know I am forgiven and will be with you forever in eternity, but refine my heart now so that I may live as you’ve created me to live. Purge me of the sin that so easily ensnares so that I may find find complete satisfaction in communing with you.