Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness

This is all about cleanliness

1. God expects it From His Chosen People vs 14

Murphy’s Law for Preachers:

Law # 1: If the weather is extremely bad, church attendance will be down.

Law #2: If the weather is extremely good church attendance will be down.

Law #3: If the bulletin covers are in short supply, church attendance will

exceed all expectations.

Gen 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD

appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty

God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will

make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply

thee exceedingly.

Deut 7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the

LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto

himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth.

2. God deserves it From His Chosen People vs 14

In the comic strip, Dennis the Menace, Dennis and his little friend,

Joey, are leaving Mrs. Wilson’s house with their hands full of cookies.

As you may remember, Dennis is not always very considerate toward

the Wilsons who are his next-door neighbors (especially Mr. Wilson).

But Joey says, "I wonder what we did to deserve this?"

Dennis answered, "Look, Joey, Mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not

because we’re nice, but because she is"

Thing about all that God had done for the Hebrews

Acts 13:17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and

exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of

Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. 18 And

about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the

wilderness. 19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in

the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot

3. God commands it From His Chosen People 14 be holy:

Lev 20: 7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I [am]

the LORD your God. 8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do

them: I [am] the LORD which sanctify you.

1Pet 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all

manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy;

for I am holy.

1 Cor 3: 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the

Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple

of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy,

which [temple] ye are.

1 Cor 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy

Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not

your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify

God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

1Pet 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with

corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain

conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers; 19

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without

blemish and without spot:

Matt 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one,

and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise

the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Josh 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you

this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers

served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the

Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house,

we will serve the LORD.

CADILLAC THROUGH AND THROUGH

It is kind of like a brand new Cadillac. Inside, it has all the latest features installed. As it rolls off the assembly line at GM it has everything you would expect in a Caddy: Top of the line electronics, voice activated GPS navigation system, great surround sound system, heated and cooled all leather seats, push button start, everything.

But they do not let that Cadillac out of the factory with primer grey paint, knock-off tires and plain-Jane stock wheels, plastic bolt-on mirrors and bargain-bin wipers and headlights. No, to be a Cadillac it must be a Cadillac inside and out. You wouldn’t want to drive a car that was a Cadillac on the inside, and a Gremlin or a Pacer on the outside. It must be a Cadillac through and through.

God expects us to be a Christian through and through, not just on the inside, but on the outside as well.