Why Your Body, Soul, and Spirit Need Regular Spiritual Cleansing

Have you ever worked all day cleaning? Once everything is immaculate, you sigh with contentment and sit down to momentarily rest your eyes, only to open them to a shock of horror? In the flash of an eye, order has turned into disorder!

My experience is when you clean all day, minutes later, an invisible whirlwind will blow through, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. I am told this has to do with entropy, a law of our Universe. Order, consistently, and without effort, falls into disorder. Hence, chaos and messes abound. This principle has followed me through life!

Today, You are the Temple

Tuesday was Shemini Atzeret, the 8th day of Sukkot. According to history, prayers were offered for God to bless them with rain for their harvest. Some studies indicate it became a time devoted to cleansing the altar at the Temple. The Temple no longer stands, yet the need for cleansing remains.

But God in His mercy has a better plan. If you know Jesus as your Saviour, then you have become the temple of God. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” ( 1 Cor 3:16).

You are Body, Soul, and Spirit

The Temple had 3 courts. The outer court, the inner court, and holy of holies or innermost court. There was a need for cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem. As a human temple, you and I are a tripartite being – with a body, soul, and spirit. We daily cleanse the physical but often neglect our soul and spirit.

Christian’s Don’t Need Cleansing, Right? 

Are you thinking, “Ah, but I know Jesus as my Saviour; that means I am clean.”?

But does one cleansing suffice for all time? Or because we are living within time, where entropy occurs, isn’t it true that disorder occurs even within our soul and spirit?

Let’s get some brief definitions.

• Your body houses you. It includes your brain, organs, flesh, bones, and blood and is how you communicate with and experience the world.
• Your soul is your self-consciousness; your mind, will, emotions and passions; the seat of your personality.
• Your spirit is the God-conscious part of you and includes your conscience, intuition, identity and giftings, creativity, worship, and communication.

We Need Daily Cleansing

I used to think when I got saved, everything would fall into place, and I would always do the right thing. But to my dismay, I didn’t. I was God’s temple, but I needed cleansing. It took time to learn I needed daily cleansing; that cleansing is a process, a part of being sanctified – set apart for the Lord. Cleansing involves separation from the profane so He can fill me with Himself.

The Blood Cleanses Us From All Sin

I learned temple life brings responsibilities, which aren’t easy or natural. My soul and my spirit daily need to come into godly order.

Paul, the Apostle, encourages us to walk in purity, for once you become the temple of God – you are no longer your own, for you have been bought with a price. (1 Cor 6:19)

God called you and me to come into the light where our sins are exposed so we may be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. As we surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit, He enables us to walk in the light. It is the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin and enables us to walk in fellowship with each other. (1 Jn 1:6-7)

Don’t Hide, Come Into the Light

It is exciting, for you and I don’t need to stuff bad feelings or hide our negativity. Instead, “If we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Dear Heart, “may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thes 5:23)