Lesson 9
God’s Servants Must Be Clean
Why must we be clean in every way? (1)
What does it mean to be spiritually clean? (2) morally clean? (3) mentally clean? (4) physically clean? (5)
What kinds of unclean speech should we avoid? (6)
1. Jehovah God is clean and holy. He expects his worshipers to remain clean—spiritually, morally, mentally, and physically. (1 Peter 1:16) It takes real effort to stay clean in God’s eyes. We live in an unclean world. We also have a struggle against our own tendencies to do wrong. But we must not give up.
2. Spiritual Cleanness: If we want to serve Jehovah, we cannot hold on to any of the teachings or customs of false religion. We must get out of false religion and not support it in any way. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Revelation 18:4) Once we have learned the truth about God, we must be careful not to be misled by people who teach falsehood.—2 John 10, 11.
3. Moral Cleanness: Jehovah wants his worshipers to behave as true Christians at all times. (1 Peter 2:12) He sees everything we do, even in secret. (Hebrews 4:13) We should avoid sexual immorality and other unclean practices of this world.—1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
4. Mental Cleanness: If we fill our minds with clean, pure thoughts, our conduct will also be clean. (Philippians 4:8) But if we dwell on unclean things, it will result in wicked deeds. (Matthew 15:18-20) We should avoid forms of entertainment that could soil our minds. We can fill our minds with clean thoughts by studying God’s Word.
5. Physical Cleanness: Because they represent God, Christians should keep their bodies and clothing clean. We should wash our hands after using the toilet, and we should wash them before eating meals or handling food. If you do not have a proper sewage disposal system, toilet wastes should be buried. (Deuteronomy 23:12, 13) Keeping physically clean contributes to good health. A Christian’s home should be neat and clean both inside and outside. It should stand out in the community as a good example.
6. Clean Speech: God’s servants must always speak the truth. Liars will not enter God’s Kingdom. (Ephesians 4:25; Revelation 21:8) Christians do not use bad language. They do not listen to or tell dirty jokes or unclean stories. Because of their clean speech, they stand out as different at work or at school and in the neighborhood.—Ephesians 4:29, 31; 5:3.
[Pictures on page 18, 19]
God’s servants must be clean in all respects