Is Cleanliness Really Next To Godliness?

It certainly is, however it's not in the sense of "clean hands" (outward appearance) as the world thinks, but that of a clean heart.

The Pharisees were known to be very clean men outwardly, but the Bible says that inwardly they were "full of all uncleanliness". Matthew 23:25-27

In other words their evil deeds and thoughts of their hearts made them to be unclean, so it couldn't be possible that their outward cleanliness was next to godliness.

It's true that lot of people have lost their lives to the Coronavirus, but not every life lost of recent has been taken by the killer virus.

Some innocent lives have been heartlessly taken by some humans during this same period as well, for instance, Uwaila Vera Omozuwa who was raped and murdered by her fellow human beings.

So even if such heartless men wash their hands and body very well, after committing such an heinous act, and become outwardly as clean as the Pharisees, would their cleanliness be next to godliness?
 

I'm not oblivious of the fact that there's been so much apprehension in the land for the killer virus, because of the potency and speed at which it ravages human lives, however let's not be quick to forget that there's a worse death than that of our physical body, which is the death of our soul.

The Bible says, "what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul?" Matthew 16:26

So as much we fear the death of our physical body, and consequently do everything we possibly could to ensure our hands, body etc are clean, let be more afraid of the death of our soul and hence also do everything possible to keep our hearts clean. Matthew 10:28

That's the cleanliness that's truly next to godliness.

God bless Nigeria.





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