How Does The Bible Define Uncleanness? What Does It Mean To Be Unclean?

What is the biblical definition of uncleanness? What does it mean to be unclean?

What is Uncleanness?

God gives us much to read about in what is called “uncleanness” such as in Ezekiel 24:13 that is was “On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied my fury upon you.” Lewdness is something or some act that is determined to be morally impure and completely unacceptable to God and typically refers to some sexual act or public indecency. It can be gross or wanton indecency in sexual relations and is sometimes used interchangeably with licentiousness or lasciviousness, which both relate to debauchery. When Israel acted in such a way He “dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them” (Ezk 39:24) and when God hides His face this means that the sins have separated them from Him (Isaiah 59:2). The Biblical definition is more important than a secular definition because God’s standard is higher than that of man and uncleanness is deemed to be something or someone that is not clean, foul, dirty, filthy or detestable before God. This can include adultery (in reality or in the heart) as well as “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Gal 5:19-21a) and which Paul wrote “I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:21b).

Spiritual Uncleanness

Thirteen times in the Gospel of Mark Jesus exorcises unclean spirits so an evil, demonic spirit and certainly Satan, is unclean. Leprosy is said to be a form of uncleanness in the Old Testament and in places in the New Testament because it was highly contagious. A person who had leprosy had to wear a plaque around their neck and if anyone approached, they had to shout “unclean, unclean” so others would have warning that someone with leprosy was approaching them. On one occasion Jesus was on the “way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:11-13). In that culture, no one was to ever touch a person with leprosy because then they would be considered unclean too. But what does Jesus do? “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.  Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan” (Luke 17:14-16). Jesus frequently healed lepers that He came into contact with. Their leprosy never stopped Him from coming to them.   Lepers were outcasts of society and had to be segregated and could never have any contact with their family or friends and since they could never find work, they had to depend upon begging for food to live. Leprosy is symbolic of sin. It separates us from God, we are deemed unclean and like real leprosy, it deadens the nerve endings just as sin sears the conscience (1 Tim 4:2).

Jesus Cleanses Us

Zechariah writes about the coming kingdom someday when Israel will be restored to a right relationship with God but something must happen first. It will be “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness” (Zech 13:1) and it will be “on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness” (Zech 13:2). The key point here is that God is the one Who cleanses us from our uncleanness. It says in 1^st John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” and unrighteousness is the same thing as uncleanness. This is only possible by Jesus’ sinless life and His death and resurrection. Paul writes in 2^nd Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” for it is written, thus “says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

Nothing Unclean Enters Heaven

The Book of Revelation says that in the New Jerusalem “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life”(Rev 21:27) which is why we must leave the sinful world as we’re told to “go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you” (2 Cor 6:17) and only then “will [God] be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:18). Inside of the New Jerusalem will dwell the saints of God but “Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Rev 22:15).

Conclusion

If you want to enter the kingdom of God you must repent and believe in Christ (Acts 4:12; 16:30-31) and “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead [then] you will be saved” because “with the mouth one confesses and is saved for the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame’” (Rom 10:9-11) because “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom 10:13). Jesus puts in plainly: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18) for “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book  Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.