“UNCLEANNESS” (GAL. 5:19)

INTRODUCTION:

1. Most of us have had at least a few infections. Inside some of our infections was pus.

2. Pus is that yellowish-white liquid which is produced by certain infections.

3. In some cases this liquid oozes from a wound.

4. It is not pleasant to see or discuss.

5. This unpleasant liquid does have some relevancy to the Bible.

I. THE WORD TRANSLATED “UNCLEANNESS” IN GALATIANS 5 WAS USED BY ALL

KINDS OF PEOPLE. IT WAS A COMMON WORD. IN NON-BIBLICAL WRITINGS, THE WORD TRANSLATED “UNCLEANNESS” DESCRIBED PUS THAT CAME FROM AN UNCLEAN WOUND.

A. If this is how the word was used outside the NT, we should expect to find that in the NT this word

also has a negative meaning.

B. It does. This is why it is listed as a work of the flesh.

C. Before looking at this word in detail, I need to say this:

(1) In our vocabulary there is the word “ward”.

(2) If we put an “a” in front of ward, we have a different word – award.

(3) The meanings of award and ward are very different.

(4) The only thing that makes these two words different is the addition of an “a”. D. In the NT there are some words which add an “a” to the beginning. When this happens, the word

changes.

E. There is not only a new word, there is a different definition.

F. When an “a” was added to Greek words, the meaning became negative.

G. Some words in the NT describe things which are beautiful; lovely; pure; right.

H. If these words have an “a” put in front of them …

I. the beautiful becomes ugly;

J. the lovely becomes repulsive;

K. the pure becomes impure;

L. the right becomes wrong.

M. To make sure that what I am saying is clear, I will use this example.

N. A “theist” is someone who believes in God.

O. What happens when we add an “a” to the beginning of theist?

(l) We have a new word – atheist.

(2) Our new word has a new definition.

P. An “a” at the start of this word makes a negative word.

Q. What was once positive is now negative.

R. A believer is now an unbeliever.

S. The word translated “uncleanness” in Gal. 5 has an “a” in front.

T. Before we deal with this word, I want to strip away the “a”.

U. Let’s look at this word without the “a” and see what it means.

V. NT writers used the word but they did not always have an “a”.

W. If we understand what this word means without the “a”; we can reverse this

information and understand the meaning with the addition of an “a”.

X. Where do we find this word when it does not have the “a”?

Y. One place where a form of this word is found is 1 Jn. 1:7.

Z. The blood of Jesus “cleanses” us from all sin.

(1) Have we ever asked ourselves what this “cleansing” means?

(2) I have washed my hands at times but my hands would not come clean.

(3) A substance was on them that could not be removed.

(4) In spite of the efforts, even paint thinner would not remove some.

(5) Though we may at times experience incomplete cleansing; partial cleansing

is not the idea in 1 Jn. 1:7.

(6) Christians are clean. We are spot free. The removal of sin is 100%.

(7) There is no hint of sin or moral defilement when Christ’s blood cleanses us.

(8) For this reason we can have fellowship with God.

(9) When the “a” is removed from the word translated “uncleanness” we have a

purity which is so magnificent that we can have fellowship with and be

friends with God.

(10) If this is the meaning of the word without the “a”, what do you think the

addition of an “a” does?

(11) We’ll save the answer for later.

A. Where else do we find the word we are discussing without the “a”?

B. It is also located in Mk. 1:40.

C. There was a man who was a leper.

D. This man came to Jesus and said, “You can make me clean.”

(1) At the end of this sentence is the key word.

(2) You can make me “clean” – word found in Gal. 5 but with no “a”.

E. This man was unclean - he was impure; defiled; he had a dreaded and deadly disease.

F. Mk. 1:42 says this leper was “cleansed”.

G. Purity, cleansing, eviction of moral/physical problems are all found in the word clean.

(1) This is what we find when the “a” is removed from “unclean”.

(2) These things are all very positive.

H. Another place where this word is used without “a” is Lk. 11:39.

I. Here Jesus spoke about the Pharisees.

(1) There is a sense in which Jesus paid the Pharisees a compliment.

(2) It is certainly true that the Lord rebuked these men.

(3) What these men were doing was wrong.

(4) However, there was one thing that they did very well.

(5) READ Lk. 11:39.

(6) Jesus said that the Pharisees “cleansed” the outside of cups – word

without the “a”.

(7) The washings for this were thorough and careful.

(8) When the Pharisees did dishes, they were clean.

(9) All of the ceremonial washings were done.

(10) No stone was left unturned when it came to containers.

(11) The word that we are looking at, when it does not have an “a”

indicates that something is pure; clean; good.

J. Another place where this word without “a” is found is Mt. 27:59.

K. The body of the Lord was wrapped in a linen cloth.

L. I have offered to give blankets to people at X as many of you have.

M. If we drag a blanket out of our car trunk, it has some dust on it.

N. Maybe it was used three weeks on the ground and we didn’t wash it.

O. The cloth used on the Lord’s body was “clean”.

P. It was not dirty; it was not musty; it was not a smelly blanket.

Q. Matthew uses a form of the word found in Gal. 5, but there is no “a”.

II. WE HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS WORD IS

USED WHEN THERE IS NO “A” IN FRONT OF IT. WHAT DOES THIS WORD MEAN WHEN AN “A” IS PUT IN FRONT OF IT LIKE PAUL DID IN GAL. 5:19?

A. The addition of an “a” negates the meaning of the word.

B. By “negates” I mean it is like “theist” becoming “atheist”.

C. Without the letter “a”, what did we learn about our word?

(1) It describes Christians who are pure because of Christ’s blood.

(2) It described a leper being cleansed of his disease.

(3) It described a cup which was thoroughly cleansed.

(4) It also described the cloth that was used to cover the Lord’s body.

D. All of these things are pure, beautiful and lovely.

E. With the addition of the “a” in Gal. 5, the purity is gone.

F. The word “uncleanness” is moral impurity.

G. After a lot of searching, reading and examining most sources at my disposal,

“uncleanness” is “whatever is the opposite of purity”.

H. This would be true for both one’s actions and thoughts.

I. A well-known man in the denominational world (Donald Guthrie) said:

“A pure person is not so much a person who has achieved sinless perfection as

one whose thoughts and desires are dominated by purity rather than defilement.”

(Theology, p. 902)

J. Though this man is not a member of the church, he hit the nail on the head.

K. When we see the word “uncleanness” in the text, we should connect it to what is

said in verse 21B of Gal. 5: “Those who practice these things will not inherit the

kingdom of God.”

L. Some enjoy lives that have very little purity.

(1) Purity of speech is unimportant.

(2) Purity of one’s actions is of little consequence.

(3) Purity of mind is laughed at.

(4) Purity is exchanged for pleasure.

(5) Uncleanness has also been defined as “lustful pleasure”.

(6) If people are willing to do away with purity, then nearly any lustful

pleasure becomes acceptable.

M. Guthrie wrote that purity is not sinless perfection. He was right.

N. When Paul spoke of uncleanness, he also spoke of people who “practice”.

O. God’s people still sin. There are going to be times when we are not pure.

P. Impure thoughts go through the mind. Perhaps these thoughts make it out of our

mouths.

Q. Our actions can be impure.

R. At some point every accountable person is guilty of impurity.

S. Becoming a Christian will and must lessen these times.

T. But Christians will still slip.

I use the word “slip” because there is a difference between “slipping” and

“practicing”.

U. Paul says to the Christian, “Walk by the Spirit.”

V. One of the things this involves is looking around and asking, “What is impure?”

“What will make me unclean?” “What is like a dirty, nasty blanket in a car trunk?”

W. If we needed a blanket and we could choose our covering, would we take one that

was dirty, moldy, and full of holes?

X. In a similar way we make choices in life:

We control our thoughts.

We choose the places we go.

We select the activities we will participate in.

Y. God says that His people are to leave impure things alone.

(1) I do not have a list of impure thoughts and places.

(2) God has not given a specific list of pure and impure things.

(3) We can look at places and activities and ask, “Is this pure or is it impure? Is this

clean or is it unclean?”

CONCLUSION:

1. When we find a matter is not pure, Gal. 5 says leave it alone.

2. It is one more thing to distract us from walking hand in hand with God.

3. A holy God cannot tolerate impurity.

4. If we want to be with God, purity must be sought.

5. When we fail, it is time to repent and return to God.