In today’s continuation of Marti’s thoughts on cleanliness she is referring to a story in Acts 10 where Peter, a Jew and leader of the early church of believer’s in Christ, is lead by the Lord to the house of a Roman soldier named Cornelius who was “devout and God-fearing… gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.” Gathered in his home is a small crowd of non-Jews who have come to hear Peter, who has had his own “aha” moment prior to this. “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him,” he starts out. “But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.” For the whole story, read the tenth chapter of Acts.

In Acts 10:34-35 Peter says, “I get it” or in his words, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him.”

I am getting it too. Maybe my problem is a bit bigger than something that might be solved with a bottle of bleach. Clorox is still good for removing the disgusting, smelly stains from baby clothes and the bacteria breeding genes of boys. Yet cleanliness has nothing to do with what we can do for each other or ourselves.  That is because we are equally sinful, and worthy of God’s wrath. We are equally lost. We are equally undeserving. The gospel is the good news that cleansing has come, through the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, to all who personally believe in His death, burial, and resurrection. And when we trust in Him, whether Jew or Gentile, we are equal for the cleansing with our worth based upon the work of Christ, not on our own good seal of housekeeping. When one’s righteousness is based upon God’s work, through Christ, there is no basis for self-righteousness, and thus no basis for superiority or pride.

Peter now claims to “get it,” this essential equality, which prohibits him from falsely judging and practicing separation by the avoidance of certain “unclean” things and by withholding the gospel from those Gentiles who would hear it and receive it.

Peter struggled through his cultural practice of holiness and separation and we are guilty of the same kind of legalism and externalism today.  Peter did not change overnight nor will our entrenched ideas and beliefs. Nevertheless, one thing is certain, God never meant for anyone to judge another. Therefore, by the power of the Holy Spirit, let’s stop the proliferation of our spoken and unspoken judgment.

Here are some concluding thoughts:
Let’s each step into the shoes of those we deem unclean and see what they see when looking at us.

This new insight will cause our knees to buckle toward the floor and our heads to bow in supplication.

Receive the cleansing power of Jesus Christ.

Let your heart rest.

Place one foot in front of the other and

Walk with liberty and authority of the Spirit,

Delivering the gospel of welcome – a promise of deliverance that will bring testimony to the Lord’s glory, causing those that have no hope to hear and run towards Him instead of away from Him and into the world unarmed.

This kind of cleanliness is indeed next to godliness because it is God working through us doing what we could never do for ourselves.