Cleaning the House

By Martin Cheah

When my wife, Joo See, was still working, I used to vacuum and mop the house on a single day weekly.  As age caught up, I had to slow down and split the cleaning process into two sessions: vacuuming on Thursday and mopping on Friday.  Joo See thought the house was clean even though the cleaning was infrequent.

Recently, Joo See retired and now that she is home every day, she feels that the house isn’t clean enough and wants to increase the frequency of cleaning. To do so, we need a better tool. We decided to buy a cordless Dyson vacuum cleaner which lets us clean the entire house with greater convenience.

The Dyson vacuum comes with a laser light at its cleaning head.  With the naked eye, the floor seems very clean but once the laser light comes on, suddenly, the dust on the floor becomes evident.  Now I cannot overlook the dustiness around even if the floor looks clean. Thus, a new regime of house cleaning has been implemented.

The above can be a metaphor for sin. Even though we may appear sinless to others, we are all sinners in the eyes of God. That is what we call hypocrites. Some of us know it while others may think they have kept all the rules and are perfect before their maker.

 “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1: 5-7

When God’s light shine on you, will he find darkness? Did you know that you may have secret sins which no one (including yourself) knows about?

Having grudges against people, especially your own family in Christ? Nobody knows about it and sometimes you yourself hide it so deeply that you don’t realize you have it. God wants us to forgive everyone, even those who have hurt us badly.

Pride and Jealousy are also very hard to detect. We may seem like humble people, but we secretly hide great pride and when we are not recognized then it turns to jealousy against those who are held in higher esteem.

Fear and Worry are generally part of human nature and so most of us don’t regard it as secret sins but when we worry or fear then we are not trusting God and that gives the devil a foothold on us.

All of us fall into sin. Even the apostle Paul did what he didn’t want to do because of the sin at work in him. (Romans 7:15) Satan would have us think that there is no possibility that we can be forgiven, he will try to get us to feel unworthy of God’s forgiveness. When we sin, the Spirit will convict us of sin such that a godly sorrow will result. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10-11)

 “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me.” – Psalm 19:12-13

‘but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:7

Conclusion

“So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God.” – 1 Pet 2:1-3 (MSG)

Are we all for a new regime of house cleaning spiritually?  Then, let the light of God shine on you and the blood of Jesus cleanse you from all sin.