Is Cleanliness Next to Godliness? What the Bible Says

 “Since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Hebrews 10:21-22

Dear Friends

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Cleanliness is next to godliness,” a phrase often attributed to John Wesley, an 18th century English theologian. While the Old Testament did include ceremonial cleansing practices, Scripture focuses primarily on internal holiness. Today, our culture has taken the meaning of clean to the extreme by manufacturing countless appliances to help us. But unlike unreliable machines, God offers a spiritual cleansing that never fails—and it lasts for eternity.

Internal Holiness vs. External Cleanliness

This truth hit home for me this week. Friday I decided to do a load of laundry, only to be horrified a half hour later when I discovered smoke coming out of the machine. After fifteen years of service, this important appliance quit on me! On Saturday, Dad and I visited Big Sandy in Miamisburg, where we purchased a new matching set. But until the new appliances are delivered next Friday, there will be no more clean clothes in the Sheridan household.

While our laundry may be piling up, we don’t have to worry about the state of our souls. This is because we don’t rely on a temporary machine or our own shaky will power to cleanse us from sin. In fact, there is nothing anyone can ever do on their own to be pure enough to enter God’s presence because we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

How to Become Righteous

God knows even our best efforts are like “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). So He made a covenant with His people to provide the answer. He pledged to write His laws on our hearts and to remember our sins and lawless deeds no more.

Through faith in Jesus, we are cleansed from sin and allowed to confidently draw near to God’s throne. Because He is faithful, we need never worry about being unfit for His presence. He dresses us in a perfect robe of righteousness that lasts forever. And when we stumble, we can turn to Him, assured that if we confess our sins, “He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

You might wonder how someone with sinful thoughts and actions could ever be called “clean.” The answer lies in who defines righteousness. As theologian Wayne Grudem puts it, righteousness means “God always acts in accordance with what is right, and He Himself is the final standard of what is right.” If God declares us righteous or clean because of Jesus’ sacrifice, then we are—by His authority, not ours. There is no stain so deep that God can’t remove it.

Is Cleanliness Next to Godliness?

So, is cleanliness next to godliness? It depends on how you define it. Whether your washing machine is broken or your clothes are stained with life’s messes, your heart and conscience can be made clean forever. Through Jesus we can be washed—pure, accepted, and eternally welcomed into God’s presence. That doesn’t come from the washing machine! All it takes is faith and asking.

Has there been a time when God reminded you that His grace is greater than your mess? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.

Love,

Mama

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