Hello , Did ya brush your teeth this morning?
"Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God." 1 Corinthians 7:1, NLT.
Oh, hygiene is essential.
Young men and ladies want to look their best for an outing. So they do the things that make them look nice. A young lady doesn't want to notice the young man's odor. Young men usually like the ladies' smell-good stuff. Brushing the hair and teeth, taking showers, using deodorant, etc., is an everyday part of a clean, healthy life. Are you aware that spiritual hygiene is also essential? To be spiritually pure is having a good heart before the Lord. Therefore, good spiritual hygiene is imperative!
The Lord wants clean people.
James tells us, James 4:8, drawing near to the Lord must first be done by washing our hands and purifying the heart. One commentator stated washing our hands is symbolic of cleansing the heart and mind (by the way, there's no commandment to wash our hands for spiritual purposes). Purifying the heart means removing the bad from our hearts and minds and replacing them with spiritual thoughts. So you see, our decisions draw us closer to the Lord, for it is from the heart we decide how close we want to be to Jesus.
The how.
Since we have precious promises, we cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles the spirit. We work toward complete holiness because we have love and respect for the Lord. Therefore, we want to know how to cleanse ourselves. First, have a heart open to His word. Second, stop doing things that defile. And last, start a holy life, 1 Peter 1:16. We are to be holy because He is holy, and that means no sin. Read the word, stop sinning, start living the abundant, blessed life in Jesus. Check out Romans 12:2.
O Father, how great You are. You created the heavens, the water, the earth, and all its life. We owe our existence to You. There would be no thought of us unless You decided to create us. We praise You for salvation, Your word, and Your grace. Thank You Father for all of these and more. May we each day draw nearer to our blessed Lord. May our hearts and minds be cleansed of all unrighteousness. May we please You, Father, with our lives. In Yor Son's name, we pray. Amen!
This message is from Garland Van Dyke at Bible Points!Matthews St. church of ChristPO Box 1522, Bay City, TX 774141915 Matthews Street, Bay City, TX 77414(979) 318-2463Contact me at [email protected]www.matthewsstreetchurchofchrist.com facebook.com/matthewsstreetchurchofchristWant your own copy of our devotional in your inbox? biblepoints.org/bible-points(It's twice weekly and we don't bombard you with stuff!)
