What does the Bible Say about Being Clean (2024) 🙏🧼

What Does the Bible Say about Being Clean – The concept of cleanliness in the Bible often extends beyond physical purity to encompass spiritual, moral, and ritual cleanliness. Here’s a snippet that delves into this with three main points:

What Does the Bible Say about Being Clean

1. Physical Cleanliness as a Symbol of Spiritual Purity
   • Verses like 2 Corinthians 7:1 (“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”) advocate for physical cleanliness as an outward symbol of inward spiritual purity. While it does emphasize bodily hygiene, the deeper message is about purifying one’s heart and soul.
2. Ritual Cleanliness in Religious Observances
   • In the Old Testament, particularly in books like Leviticus, there are numerous laws concerning ritual cleanliness. These rules were not just about hygiene but also served as symbolic acts to approach God in a respectful and sanctified manner. Ritual baths and animal sacrifices were commonly used for this purpose.
3. Moral Cleanliness as a Virtue
   • Moral cleanliness is often highlighted in verses like Psalm 24:3-4 (“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…”). The focus here is on ethical living and integrity as a form of cleanliness that pleases God.

While cleanliness in a physical sense is considered a good practice, the Bible often uses it metaphorically to encourage spiritual and moral cleanliness, urging believers to live a life that is pure in the eyes of God.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness Bible Verse KJV

The phrase “cleanliness is next to godliness” is often thought to be a Bible verse, but it actually does not appear in the Bible, including the King James Version (KJV). Here’s a table explaining its origin and common misconceptions:

In summary, “cleanliness is next to godliness” aligns with biblical themes but is not a verbatim Bible verse from the KJV or any other translation. It serves as a secular saying that echoes spiritual truths found in various biblical texts.

25 Bible Verses About Being Clean

List of 25 Bible Verses that Reference Bible Verses (Quote Verse) about Being Clean, verse, and description

1. Leviticus 11:44 – “For I am the Lord your God, Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” This verse speaks to the need to be clean and holy in order to be accepted by God.
2. Proverbs 21:8 – “The way of the guilty is devious, But the conduct of the pure is upright.” This verse speaks to the importance of remaining pure and having an upright character.
3. Psalm 51:7 – “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” This verse speaks to the purity of being cleansed by God.
4. Psalm 24:4 – “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.” This verse speaks to the importance of avoiding idolatry and living a life of purity.
5. 1 Corinthians 6:11 – “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” This verse speaks to the power of God to cleanse us and make us holy.
6. 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This verse speaks to the power of confession and the forgiveness of our sins by God.
7. Isaiah 1:16 – “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil.” This verse speaks to the need to put away evil and to cleanse ourselves before God.
8. Romans 6:19 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” This verse speaks to the need to offer our bodies to God as a living sacrifice and to remain holy.
9. James 4:8 – “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” This verse speaks to the need to draw near to God and to cleanse ourselves of our sinful ways.
10. 2 Corinthians 7:1 – “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” This verse speaks to the need to cleanse ourselves from all impurity and to live in holiness.
11. Hebrews 10:22 – “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” This verse speaks to the need to draw near to God with a pure heart and to be cleansed by His Word.
12. 1 Peter 1:22 – “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” This verse speaks to the need to purify our souls by obeying the truth and to love one another with a pure heart.
13. Psalm 119:9 – “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” This verse speaks to the need to take heed to God’s word in order to stay clean.
14. Isaiah 52:11 – “Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the Lord.” This verse speaks to the need to avoid unclean things and to be clean in order to serve God.
15. Matthew 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” This verse speaks to the blessedness of having a pure heart and being able to see God.
16. Proverbs 20:9 – “Who can say, ‘I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin’?” This verse speaks to the impossibility of being clean and pure in our own strength.
17. 1 Timothy 5:22 – “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.” This verse speaks to the need to avoid being involved in other people’s sins and to keep ourselves pure.
18. Revelation 22:14 – “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” This verse speaks to the blessedness of obeying God’s commandments and having access to the tree of life.
19. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now 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.” This verse speaks to the need to be sanctified by God and to keep ourselves blameless in His sight.
20. Proverbs 30:12 – “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet is not washed from their filthiness.” This verse speaks to the danger of being proud and thinking one’s self to be clean when one is actually still unclean.
21. Titus 2:14 – “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” This verse speaks to the power of Jesus to redeem us from our sins and to make us His people who are zealous for good works.
22. Isaiah 4:4 – “When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.” This verse speaks to the power of God to cleanse us of our sins and purify us.
23. Matthew 23:25 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.” This verse speaks to the danger of being clean on the outside but unclean on the inside.
24. 1 John 3:3 – “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” This verse speaks to the power of hope in Jesus to purify us and make us like Him.
25. Ezekiel 36:25 – “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.” This verse speaks to the power of God to cleanse us from our sins and idols.

Best Bible Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Below is a table featuring some highly regarded Bible Encyclopedias and Dictionaries along with their publishers and websites where they can be found or purchased.

You can generally find these resources on the publishers’ websites, as well as other online book retailers such as Amazon or Christianbook. It’s always good practice to confirm availability and review additional details on the specific websites or other reliable online bookstores.