Have you ever let your dishes sit too long in the sink and later found a crusty mess that was almost impossible to remove? The consequences for those dishes is similar to what happens when believers refuse to deal with sin quickly. Instead of yielding to the cleansing of the Holy Spirit, our delayed responses allow time for the nasty residue of disobedience to stick to our lives with ferocity.

While purification of the heart is solely the work of God through faith in Christ, Paul reminds us that we have to cooperate with the process and choose actions that result in clean living. While we may not cling to the so-called “gross sins” such as adultery, murder, or malice, as we mature in faith, we must recognize the filthiness of the “socially acceptable” sins such as pride, anger, irreverence, envy, and greed (see Mark 7:22 NIV).

If we have areas in our lives that need scouring, it is time to roll up our sleeves and get busy. We must open the Word of God, yield to His Spirit, and invite Him to change our hearts as we change our behavior. In this way, we can be clean and fit, equipped to be used as vessels ready for service.