CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS

 ANCHOR OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE for FRIDAY, 9TH  DECEMBER, 2022.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

Topic: CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS?  

MEMORIZE: "Every bed where on she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation" (Leviticus 15:26).

SCRIPTURE READING: Leviticus 15:19-33 NKJV.

"19 'If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. 20 'Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean. 21 'Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 22 'And whoever touches anything that she sat on shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 23 'If anything is on her bed or on anything on which she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. 24 'And if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. 25 'If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. 26 'Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. 27 'Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 28 'But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29 'And on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 30 'Then the priest shall offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her before the LORD for the discharge of her uncleanness. 31 'Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them. 32 'This is the law for one who has a discharge, and for him who emits semen and is unclean thereby, 33 'and for her who is indisposed because of her customary impurity, and for one who has a discharge, either man or woman, and for him who lies with her who is unclean.'"

EXPOSITION:

1. The ceremonial laws of "touch not", "eat not" were for the Jews, and Christians are no more bound by them – Colossians 2:20-22.

2. However, there are clear lessons and applications.

a. God detests all forms of physical filthiness and uncleanness. You will not see a trace in heaven. "Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven. "Have you ever heard or read of angels appearing to people in a dirty toilet?

b. Moral uncleanness is also hated by God – 2 Corinthians 6:17.

c. All unrighteousness are classified as uncleanness – 2 Corinthians 6:14,17.

d. Separation from all uncleanness is a condition for sonship – 2 Corinthians 6:17,18.

e. There are uncleanness of the flesh (carnal, observable sins usually manifesting through parts of human body), and uncleanness of the spirit (generally only known to the person and visible to God only - e.g. lust in the heart, good action but evil intention, love of praise of men more than God) 2 Corinthians 7:1.

f. Exposure to uncleanness and undue closeness to an unclean person can make someone unclean too – vv 20, 21. So there must be care even when trying to help – Jude 21-23.

g. No uncleanness can be ignored. All attracts capital punishment - v31.

h. To be totally free and remain free, there is the human part of separation from appearances of sin that are not sin in themselves - vv21, 27, I Thessalonians 5:22, 2 Corinthians 6:17.

h. All uncleanness can only be purged by the blood of Jesus – vv 29, 30, Hebrews 9:22.

Self examination: Are you free from all the filthiness of the flesh and the spirit?

PRAYER POINTS:

i. Holy Spirit, convict me of any hidden filthiness afresh.

ii. Ask the blood of Jesus to cleanse you totally as you promise to separate from all sources of uncleanness.

iii. Ask the blood of Jesus to purge our youth sin the Church and give them power to always say NO.

iv. LORD, let your fire purge the church of every form of uncleanness.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  1 Timothy 1-3.