Inner and Outer Cleansing

Inner and Outer Cleansing

“Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” Matt. 23:26.

The Pharisees placed great importance on having an outward appearance of righteousness, even though they were full of hypocrisy and unrighteousness on the inside. The Lord proclaimed a powerful “Woe!” over that kind of purity.

There are also people among us who have accepted that form of doctrine and have cleansed themselves outwardly, but whose hearts are far from being in a right relationship with God. What good does it do to remove feathers and broaches, to furnish your living room with hard benches and no cushions, or to eat at a table without a tablecloth if your heart is not right before the Lord? It is just the blind Pharisee that is at work again.

“But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.” Luke 11:41.

When the inside is pure, then the outside will also be pure, because to the pure, all things are pure; but for those who are impure or defiled, nothing is pure. Therefore, such impure people believe that their ability to judge according to outward appearances gives them the ability to know what is going on inside a person. But such ability brings more honor among the Pharisees than among the pure in heart.

There is a suitable and appropriate behavior that should characterize all those who profess to be God-fearing, but this appropriate behavior is of God and is not produced by outward pressure from people. It is a behavior that springs from within, according to the law of liberty.

“In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing . . . .” 1 Tim. 2:9.

If a woman takes heed to these guidelines for the Lord’s sake, in order to be an example and to adorn the doctrine of Christ, then she is on the right track. But if she takes heed to these things in order to be noticed in the church, or so that she can point the finger and speak evil of others who do things differently, then her display of modesty is worse than if she were openly vain.

“First cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.”