Soap can remove oil and dirt from our hands because of its suspension properties.
Yes, suspension properties. Soap lifts the oil and dirt away from the water (and our hands), allowing it to be easily removed.
This has to do with hydrocarbon chains, polar molecules, and ion-dipole interactions. Throw in a little hydrogen bonding…but that’s too scientific for most of us. What matters is that we use soap, and things come clean.
Sometimes we need spiritual soap for those things that become spiritually dirty.
Ephesians 4:29 tells us:
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
In that verse, we have our goal. We need to give our mouths a bath. We need to get ourselves cleaned up, so that those who listen to us find themselves lifted up in Christ.
Colossians 3:8 cautions us:
“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”
This is the list of dirt that lines our tongues, the roofs of our mouths, and our inner cheeks. It must be rinsed away.
James 5:12 and Exodus 20:7 are the soap separating our skin from the residue that so easily stains us:
“But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.”
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”
2 Timothy 2:16 tells us to scrub harder:
“But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.”
James 1:26 sums up how the world views the religious zealot who refuses to soap up his or her mouth:
“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.”
Soap. It’s nothing more than hydrocarbon chains, polar molecules, and ion-dipole interactions. Yet, it makes all the difference between being worthless and maintaining the magnificence of Christ.
Let’s clean up for him!
We represent Christ, and we must let our examples be pure before the world.
Copyright © 2015 MyChurchNotes.net
Code: FGO.L.13.14.vp