Jesus Also Wants Us To Be Clean

Not a ton to update you all on. We are still quarantined because of the whole caronavirus thing, and Aubrey and I are getting used to it. We're doing well; maybe a little stir crazy, but we haven't gotten full on cabin fever . . . yet.

To be honest, we are just glad to be forced to cook all our meals and eat what we have before grocery shopping, so we are saving a ton of money! Which is great, especially given the uncertainty of what's going to happen.

There have been rumors that the whole city is going to be put on lock-down - as in the equivalent of a Level 3 snow emergency. No one will be allowed to be outside their homes unless absolutely necessary. I feel a mix of terror, intrigue, and excitement to see what happens next. It really is unlike anything before.

That said, COVID-19 still dominates the mental real estate of our world right now. Hand washing is happening more than ever and hand sanitizer is worth its weight in gold. It seems like being "clean" is a higher priority now more than it ever has been. We are all terrified of the consequence of not staying clean.

This brings me to my quiet time today. I read today in Leviticus 15 and 16 (yes. . . I actually did ready Leviticus). What's amazing about this passage is that it deals with two types of being clean. Being physically clean, and then being spiritually clean.

A man who has invested a lot into my life - Dave Perry - would always repeat the phrase "What's physical is also spiritual." God does this to us a lot - takes a physical concept we understand, and then uses it to explain a heavenly concept we may not. It wouldn't surprise me if our physical world was created by God with this purpose in mind.

I won't quote you both chapters, but God spoke to me through the general message of the passage as opposed to one or two specific verses.  

The main concept of chapter 15 is that whenever someone may come into a situation that they are considered unclean physically, there's was a very specific set of instructions to make that person considered "clean."

It's pretty obvious that God took cleanliness seriously; but I do not believe the main reason for this is because he wanted to keep diseases at bay, but rather because he wanted people to take holiness super seriously. People need to be not only physically clean, but spiritually clean as well. 

This is what chapter 16 discusses. It lays out the day of atonement in order to  "being clean before the LORD from all your sins" (16:30). God puts a huge emphasis on cleansing from our sins. 

** Theological side note: Jesus' death was not only a promise that our sins have been washed away, but a symbol of what sin does. The cross doesn't make abstinence from sin irrelevant, but rather demonstrates just how disgusting it truly is. When we refuse to abstain from our sins, we say we truly don't care about what Jesus suffered. Let that sink in. **

I had to ask myself the question - am I ask focused on my spiritual cleanliness as I am my physical cleanliness? Because The former is significantly more important than the latter (Matthew 23:26)

Before I was married - like most single guys - cleanliness wasn't always something I thought about. Whether it was laundry or vacuuming the carpet, or mopping the bathroom floor; it just wasn't something I would recognize until it was really bad. Why? Because I was used to it. It was normal. If I was super immature, I would even say "It's just who I am" to justify it.

When I got married - boy did I realize just how dirty of a human being I was. My wife has completely transformed the way I see what it means to be clean, and I am cleaner than ever before. Not only because she recognizes it and nags reminds me, but because I'm just not as used to it anymore.

I think sin is exactly the same way. We often get super used to sin. Some of us are are used to gossiping about people; used to lying; used to bitterness; used to a covetous attitude; used to watching porn. We are used to being dirty - and sometimes we even justify our sins by saying "that's just who I am." And when we do, we are in dangerous, dangerous water. 

That's why recognizing we are unclean is so crucial. So how do you do that? By seeing ourselves next to someone else that is clean. Sometimes it begins with someone older in the faith than us, but ultimately, it should always be Jesus by spending time with Him in the Word of God. The more we see Jesus, the brighter he shines, and the more sin in our lives is exposed. And 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

So when you think of being clean to stay physically healthy, ask yourself what you're doing to make yourself spiritually clean and spiritually healthy. Because a sinful life is much more toxic than COVID-19.