4-26-98..... Spring Cleaning..... II Chron. 29

by Ronald E. George Jr.

Did you know -- In 1842 the first bathtub was denounced as a "luxurious and democratic vanity". Boston made it unlawful to bathe, except on doctor's prescription. In 1843 Philadelphia made bathing illegal between November 1 and March 15.

How tragic most Christians have adopted a similar schedule of spiritual cleansing. We would rather put up with the stench of our unconfessed sins than come clean before God!

Scripture Text: 2Chr 29:3-12

2Chr 29:1 (KJS) Hezekiah began to reign [when he was] five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. 4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, 5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy [place]. 6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done [that which was] evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned [their] backs. {turned their...: Heb. given the neck} 7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy [place] unto the God of Israel. 8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes. {trouble: Heb. commotion} 9 For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives [are] in captivity for this. 10 Now [it is] in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11 My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense. {be not...: or, be not now deceived} {burn...: or, offer sacrifice}

12 Then the Levites arose…

Key Verse: 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD…

Spring is the Time to Clean house... but does it really need it?

1Joh 1:6 (KJS) If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Reasons for the Cleaning:

Negligence: things continually deteriorate. Spiritual dust bunnies accumulate when we neglect the things of God. We neglect his worship, our prayer life, Bible study, our giving to God’s Work in the Church, and our work in the Lord’s Calling in our lives.

We haven’t done what was right in the sight of the Lord.

Nature: It is the nature of things to get dirty in this world. How many things do we accumulate in our spiritual lives? Living in the world is spiritually draining. The things of this world are at war with God.

Nasties: Spiritual nasties that constantly drain the life out of people who want to clean up with the Lord. The Devil, the world system, and our sinful nature are constantly at war within us and around us the spiritually cause us to fall.

1. Who says?

The King says: Hezekiah says.

5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy [place].

And Jesus…

Matt 23:25 (KJS) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 [Thou] blind Pharisee cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

We say it should be done! And so we do the dirty work of cleaning and we teach our children and all those who follow and watch us what is to be done.

Do you say that we need to clean up? We can come to church and still need to wash ourselves. Look first in the mirror of the heart, which is the Word of God as revealed by the Holy Spirit.

2. Why should we? Results of uncleanness.

Dirt and sin will kill you a little at a time. A little dirt won’t kill you but one little virus can. Or will it eventually lead to your death? A little bit of dirt that is allowed to remain will eat at you and your spiritual life. It begins with your Joy in the presence of God.

Quench the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you to become who God wants you to be.

Prevents you from coming together with God. Sin separates you from God.

Rom. 6:23 (KJS) For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

3. What should we do?

Where to start cleaning? Clean up the heart/Life

Psal 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Clean up God's house

Clean up the home/work Place where we live from day to day. Dirt rubs off…

Get up and go to cleaning. Take out the trash. Wash with soap. Straighten up the mess in our house. But I didn’t do it so it must be someone else’s mess. I am not responsible. So I am not cleaning. Jesus cleaned up our mess. He paid the cleaning bill Heb. 9:22.. We must clean up the inside and the out side. But the inside should come first. Don’t just mow in the front and clean off what everyone else sees, because the spiritual life inspector is coming by to inspect your life.

5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy [place].

Clean up ourselves, clean up the house and clean up the place where God lives…in our hearts… Getting back together with the Lord. Sin separates us from God.

How can we do it?

We must decide it is needed.

We must decide it is wanted.

We must decide that we want to be clean!

With the super duper cleansing agent, called the blood of the Lamb.

Isai 1:18 (KJS) Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Have you washed?