Clean in Christ

In recent years, cleanliness has becomes very important. Maintaining our physical hygiene fores us to wash our bodies and brush our teeth regularly. In an increasingly socializing world, it is important to present ourselves as inoffensively as possible. But cleaning extends far beyond the realm of personal hygiene. the ideal of cleanliness dictates that we must wear clean clothes and live in clean houses. Further, developing clean energy and even performing business in an earth-friendly way is becoming increasing popular- and expected.

As obsessed as our culture is about being clean, so were the Israelites of Old Testament times. But the people of Israel were concerned about their cleanliness for a completely different reason. While people today are concerned about how they might be perceived by others,the Israelites were concerned with how they would be perceived by God.

Leviticus 14 helps paint a clear picture of how one is declared cleansed of a skin infection in the eyes of God. It is also describes God's desire for us to be declared clean. However, we no longer perform such rituals today. This is because, though cleansing is still vital to our salvation, we are now cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Horatius Bonar says, "As a believing man, I enter upon his fullness; I becomes partaker of his riches; and so identified with himself, that his cleanness is accounted my cleanness, his excellence my excellence, his perfection my perfection." Christ is good, and unlike the devil who comes only to steal , kill and destroy (John 10:10), our God comes to cleanse, heal, and give thriving life.

Living Life