“When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it roams through waterless spaces looking for rest but doesn’t find any. Then it says, “I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ And returning it finds the house vacant, swept and put in order. Then off it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result the man’s condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will be with this evil generation.”   Matthew 12:43-45 HCSB

Many years ago, my brother-in-law was filling in for our pastor and did a sermon about sayings people claim are in the Bible, but that really are not. My mother used to always say, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” When my brother in law said this phrase was not actually in the Bible, my mother actually argued with him mid-sermon.

My mother has always liked things neat and orderly and uncluttered. In the last few years, I have found myself overwhelmed by moving two additional households into mine. I have inherited her desire to keep things clean and uncluttered, but sometimes feel as though I am spinning my wheels.

I can recall going into offender’s homes when I worked probation and parole and finding their homes to be in total disarray. They were often filthy leaving me wanting to immediately go home and shower. Their lives were out of control and it was evident by the way they kept their surroundings.

Our scripture passage today is just one of many that speaks of an unclean spirit. There are numerous passages referring to unclean spirits. Ritual washing was extremely important in the Old Testament. There are many times that Jesus removed unclean spirits from people in the New Testament. We know that foot washing was extremely important. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples at the Lord’s Supper.

There is no scripture in the Bible that says that cleanliness is next to godliness, but there are many scriptures about being clean. James 1:22 says to rid ourselves of all moral filth and evil and humbly receive the implanted word which is able to save us. In Psalm 51:10, after his sin with Bathsheba, David prayed, “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7 says that God has not called us to impurity but to sanctification.

Cleanliness is next to godliness is not in the Bible, but there are many passages that refer to demonic spirits as being unclean.

When my home is clean it’s like my sanctuary where I can rest. But, when it’s not clean, I can’t be comfortable there. I can’t rest, I have to make it clean and put it in order.  Likewise, as Christians, we should not accept uncleanliness in our lives. We should put our lives in order. We should trust in God and allow Him to clean us from within. Our scripture passage today is speaking of someone who tries to clean up their lives themselves with self-righteousness and religious activity. When we do this, we only make our situation worse. 1 John 1:9 tells us if we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we do it this way, we are able to resist the devil and his unclean spirits.

Now, I know that there are some reading this that may be physically unable to clean and keep things in order. But, for those of us who can, we are without excuse. If you have something worth having, it comes from God. James 1:17 tells us that all good things come from God. Just as we don’t want to spend a lot of money buying an expensive gift for our child only to have them smash it on the floor, God doesn’t want to give us good things to see us neglect them. If we are capable of taking care of what we have, then to not do so is laziness right?

The Bible says a lot about laziness, but I will use Proverbs 13:4 which says the soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. So, I ask you today is your soul clean? Are you taking good care of the things with which God has so richly blessed you?

If we don’t take care of what we have been given, we need not expect to receive more. Confess your sin to God and ask Him to help you get your soul and your surroundings clean. Ask Him to remove any unclean spirits from you. He will be glad to do so. And when He helps you do it, you know it’s done right.

Have a great day!