Our society is very conscious of the rules of sanitation. We understand the concept of germs and diseases. Just look inside the average medicine cabinet and you’ll find them to contain products such as rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to sanitize our wounds. We excel in our sanitation systems in both our cities and rural areas. Long gone are the days of just throwing our trash out the window to the streets below.

We are a society that demands our food to be USDA approved and certified. We demand our food-handlers to wash their hands and separate the raw meats from the vegetables. We do and demand these things for the protection of our and our families’ bodies. We know what makes our bodies ill!

What about the mind and spirit of man? Do we know and understand what it is to keep them clean and ‘disease’ free? Do we even spend time or effort to protect them?

David asks the question, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?” He goes and answers his question by saying, “By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” (Ps 119:9) This question is particularly speaking to the young, but it applies to all mankind. Godliness and purity is not an accident. It takes effort. We must take heed to what is written in God’s word!

John tells us, “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” (1 John 2:14 ) Here we see that the young men were able to overcome the wicked one. Why? They overcame because they were strong and the word of God dwelled in them. They knew the word and it cleansed their soul and kept their soul blemish free.

Is the word of God really that powerful? Can it keep ones soul blemish free? Paul says about the word of God, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Rom 1:16-17 ) Paul emphatically proclaims that the gospel of Christ is the power of God towards salvation. Why? Paul gives us the reason. He says that it is in the gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed. The righteousness of God is not speaking of God’s attribute. We would know without the gospel that God is righteous. This is speaking of God’s plan for us to become righteous. The Gospel has the power to save because it contains God’s plan of salvation for us.

Peter agrees with Paul when he says, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit… …Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1:22-23 ) Peter tells us that we purify, or clean, our souls by obeying the truth. We know that truth, which is to be obeyed, is God’s word, because Jesus tells us this in John 17:17 . He then proclaims that we are born again by the word of God.

James tells us, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21 ) This is how that we can clean our souls. James warns us to lay aside all evil practices and receive the implanted word. This word has the ability to save your soul!

Yes, the word of God is that powerful. It can cleanse your mind and soul and make you acceptable in God’s sight. Therefore, with that in mind, how much more should we pick up our Bibles and study them day by day, and find what God wants from us? Paul tells the young preacher, Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” I suggest that we do the same thing!