October 25, 2026
“How in the world are you?” That is the question the late Dr. Robert Cook used to ask as he opened his daily radio program. I think of that question often and wonder how the world sees me. But more importantly, how does God see me? Am I clean, or am I tainted by sin?
Jesus once had a conversation with the Pharisees concerning cleanliness. Let’s listen in.
Mark 7:1-8 1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.)
5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 You leave the commandment of God
and hold to the tradition of men.”
Mark 7:14-15 14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
Mark 7:17-23
17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
The Pharisees were complaining because Jesus’ disciples were eating without observing the traditional ceremonial washing of hands. They prided themselves on being clean on the outside. Jesus then explained that the real problem wasn’t what went into a person but what came out of the heart.
The Pharisees were concerned with outward religious appearances. They carefully observed their traditions, believing that doing so demonstrated their righteousness. But Jesus exposed the problem. They were so concerned with outward cleanliness that they neglected the condition of their hearts.
So, I ask, “How clean are you?”
How concerned are we about what other people think of us? Do we try to do good simply to make a good impression? Do we act holy so that others will say we are good people? Often, that’s how we look at others. We hear someone say, “He’s really a good guy,” or “He always does the right thing.” Yet that is not the standard by which God judges the heart.
Jesus tells us that outward appearances do not determine whether a person is clean or unclean before God. What we see on the outside doesn’t necessarily reveal what is taking place on the inside. So, what does God look at?
Jesus tells us that what comes out of a person is what defiles him. The Bible reminds us that our hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). What comes out of us reveals what is in our hearts. Man may not always see those sins, but the Lord does. Look at Psalm 90:8:
“You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.”
I’m sure we all know men and women who appeared to live good, respectable lives, only to have something suddenly exposed that revealed a very different picture. They were caught in a sin that had been hidden away in a closet, so to speak. It was there all along, but we just didn’t see it. Their hearts were not right before God, and the sin remained hidden until it was finally exposed.
But lest we judge another, remember that our hearts are no better. We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. We don’t always know what we are capable of. Some of us may hide our sin very well for a while, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The evil within our hearts can eventually reveal itself through our actions. What comes out of us exposes what has been hidden within.
The Pharisees were trying to become clean from the outside in. Jesus makes us clean from the inside out.
How, then, is it possible to live lives that glorify the living God? There must be a change of heart. It begins with the very power of God Himself. The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts and brings new life. That’s what we call being born again. The Spirit of God brings a transformation to our hearts and, subsequently, to our lives.
Don’t ever be fooled, though. Even after we are born again, we still struggle with our sinful nature. The flesh continues to battle against the Spirit, seeking to draw us back into sin. That is why we must continually depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit rather than our own strength.
When sin is exposed, don’t cover it up. Confess it, repent of it, and seek to live a life worthy of your calling in Christ. Don’t rely on your own strength to live a holy life by simply trying to keep the outside clean. Rely on the power of Jesus Christ to cleanse and transform you from within.
How clean can I be? On my own, I can never make myself clean enough to stand before a holy God. But through faith in Jesus Christ, His perfect righteousness has been credited to me. In God’s sight, I stand clean, not because of anything I have done, but because of what Christ has done for me. Now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, He continues the work of transforming my heart and my life.
Understand the mercy and grace of God, and with that in mind, present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. We are reminded not to conform any longer to the patterns of this world but rather to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1–2).
Immerse yourself in the Word of God and allow it to fill your heart. Allow the thoughts of God to drive out the deceitfulness of the heart and replace it with the goodness of God Himself. As we yield to the Holy Spirit and allow God’s Word to transform us, the change taking place on the inside will begin to show on the outside as well.
So, how in the world am I? I can answer with confidence:
“Through Jesus Christ, I am clean by the mercy and grace of God.”
