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“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” This verse underscores the importance of God’s Word in guiding us toward purity.” – Psalm 119:9. Ezekiel 36:25–27
In the TV series Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe apprentices himself to people who perform dangerous or disgusting jobs, ranging from rattlesnake catchers and zoo cleaners to road-kill collectors. Mike performs difficult, strange, disgusting, or messy occupational duties alongside the job’s current employees. When asked about the worst of the dirty jobs, Mike said one of them is a sewer inspector. “Aside from sloshing through a sea of human waste, the inspectors encounter, among other things, roaches the size of thumbs and rats the size of bread loaves. Mike said, “It’s hot, dirty, and too smelly to describe.” After that experience, cleaning your skin and mind takes a lot of work.
God views righteousness through the lens of His perfect, unwavering standards. Our righteousness is like the filthy rages that Mike sees in the sewers. Isaiah 64:5-8 says, “You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”
Our hearts need daily cleansing. We must ask God for forgiveness for the day’s mistakes, grumblings, and negative attitudes. Whether harboring bitterness toward a coworker who let us down, losing my temper with our children, or lashing out in response to a Facebook post, we frequently fail to live up to the standard of godliness we strive for as apprentices of Jesus.
Over and over, the Bible describes how to receive cleansing from God through the saving power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).
The purgative way is the first of three stages in the spiritual life, focusing on cleansing the soul from sin and its consequences. This stage involves practicing disciplines and the goal is to cultivate a love for God and a willingness to follow His will, with a focus on humility and dependence on God’s grace. As we move through this phase, we develop a disdain for things that go against God’s will. Regularly confessing sins and seeking forgiveness is a crucial part of this stage.
Purgation (cleansing) leads to a deeper connection with God. It’s about intentionally turning away from sin and developing a deeper love for God.
Discussion Questions:
- What does it mean to be cleansed in a spiritual sense?
- How does the concept of cleansing relate to the work of Jesus Christ?