<DIV><BR>Holiness and physical cleanliness are closely linked in the Bible. For example, Paul wrote: "Beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God's fear." (2 Corinthians 7:1) True Christians, therefore, should strive to keep their body, home, and surroundings clean and tidy, as much as circumstances permit. Even where water for washing or bathing is in short supply, Christians should try to do the best they can to keep clean and presentable.
<P>Physical cleanliness would also preclude the use of tobacco in any form, overindulgence in drinking alcohol, and any form of drug abuse, which befoul and damage the body. The shepherd described in The Song of Solomon appreciated the sweet fragrance of the Shulammite girl's clothing. (Song of Solomon 4:11) Caring for our personal hygiene is a loving thing to do, as we want to avoid inflicting unpleasant odors on those around us. Perfumes and colognes may be pleasant, but they are no substitute for regular bathing and clean clothes</P>
<P>Posh</P>
<P><BR><B><I>gcfl-discuss@gcfl.net</I></B> wrote:</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Heather color=#800080 size=2 PTSIZE="10">Good point, Q. And thanks. <BR>"The poor we will always have with us...Matt. 26:11. (Jesus said it - not me) <BR>Some people will never have what we call "church clothes." I don't care who comes to church, rich, poor or in between, I am glad for them to come. Alcoholics, bums and prostitutes have visited our services and we welcomed them with open arms and love. They did not smell good, look good and were not always dressed well but we loved them and welcomed them and it made a difference in their lives. One old guy was a regular...Old Ben...bless his heart. He was drunk, poor but he loved to come and we made sure he knew he was welcome - every time! (he died recently) So we cannot make clothes an issue - it is the heart that matters to God.
I look for God to change the hearts and mindsets of people...the word and the work of the Holy Spirit does that. Our job is to win souls to Christ and the change within will become evident on the outside. <BR><BR>God bless you abundantly today and always!<BR><BR>"Rev. Ev"</FONT> _______________________________________________<BR>GCFL-discuss mailing list<BR>GCFL-discuss@gcfl.net<BR>http://gcfl.net/mailman/listinfo/gcfl-discuss<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></FONT><p>
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