How does understanding Haggai 2:13 influence our approach to personal holiness? Haggai 2:13—The Lord’s Question and the Priests’ Answer “Then Haggai asked, ‘If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, do they become defiled?’ ‘Yes,’ the priests answered, ‘they become defiled.’” (Haggai 2:13) Key Principle: Defilement Spreads, Holiness Does Not • Under the Law, uncleanness was contagious; holiness wasn’t (Leviticus 22:4-6). • Israel’s polluted hearts tainted their sacrifices (Haggai 2:14). • External acts can’t override inward impurity. What This Reveals About Sin • Sin is invasive—like a corpse’s touch, it corrupts whatever it contacts (Romans 5:12). • Good deeds never transmit holiness (Isaiah 64:6). • Sacred spaces or rituals cannot disinfect a defiled heart. Implications for Personal Holiness • Guard the heart first (Proverbs 4:23). • Private compromise infects public worship (James 1:14-15). • Seek cleansing, not cover-up—confess and repent (1 John 1:9; Psalm 51:2). • Practice separation from corrupting influences (2 Corinthians 6:17). • Pursue positive righteousness (2 Timothy 2:22). How This Shapes Daily Choices • Filter media, friendships, and environments—moral contagion is real. • Examine motives before serving (Psalm 139:23-24). • Lead families in purity; unaddressed sin spreads generationally (Exodus 20:5-6). The New Covenant Advantage • Jesus reverses the flow—His touch cleanses lepers (Mark 1:41-42). • Yet He still commands, “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). • Abiding in Him supplies both cleansing and power (John 15:3-4). Summary Haggai 2:13 teaches that sin contaminates faster than holiness spreads. Therefore, pursue continual cleansing in Christ, guard your heart, and live a separated, active holiness that honors the Lord in every sphere of life. |
    |