Topical Bible: Defilement of Sin

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Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of defilement through sin is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, illustrating the spiritual and moral corruption that sin brings into the life of an individual and the community. In biblical terms, to be defiled is to be made unclean or impure, often in a way that separates one from the holiness of God.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the defilement of sin is closely associated with the laws of purity and impurity, particularly in the books of Leviticus and Numbers. These laws were given to the Israelites to maintain holiness and to distinguish them from other nations. Leviticus 11:44-45 states, "For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any creature that moves along the ground. For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy."

The defilement of sin is not limited to physical impurity but extends to moral and spiritual corruption. For instance, idolatry, sexual immorality, and injustice are seen as defiling acts that pollute the land and the people. In Ezekiel 36:17 , God speaks to the prophet, saying, "Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds. Their conduct was like the uncleanness of a woman’s impurity in My sight."

New Testament Understanding

In the New Testament, the focus shifts from ceremonial laws to the internal condition of the heart. Jesus emphasizes that defilement comes not from external sources but from within a person. In Mark 7:20-23 , Jesus teaches, "What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him. For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man."

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on the defilement of sin in his letters, urging believers to live lives of purity and holiness. In 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 , Paul writes, "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body."

Spiritual Implications

The defilement of sin has profound spiritual implications, as it separates individuals from God and hinders their relationship with Him. Sin creates a barrier that can only be removed through repentance and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:14 speaks of the cleansing power of Christ's sacrifice: "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!"

Believers are called to live in a state of continual cleansing and sanctification, relying on the Holy Spirit to transform their hearts and minds. 1 John 1:9 assures, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Practical Application

Understanding the defilement of sin encourages believers to pursue holiness and to be vigilant against the corrupting influences of the world. It calls for a life of obedience, humility, and dependence on God's grace. The call to holiness is not merely about avoiding sin but about actively seeking to reflect the character of Christ in every aspect of life.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 15:11,18
Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jude 1:8
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek

53. hagnos -- free from ceremonial defilement, holy, sacred
... Word Origin from the same as hagios Definition free from ceremonial defilement,
holy, sacred NASB Word Usage chaste (1), free from sin (1), innocent (1), pure ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/53.htm - 7k

Library

St. Ambrose Points Out that we must Consider the Divine Presence ...
... doubt. Afterwards, however, when they believed that it ought to be obeyed,
they were washed from every defilement of sin. And he ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter iii st ambrose points.htm

In Christ and in Ephesus
... We can not get away from the mud and defilement of sin in this world. Sin will ever
be all about us. Its stench will be in our nostrils from day to day. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk thirty-four in christ and.htm

Repentance
... Then we shall know that our own righteousness is indeed as filthy rags, and that
the blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of sin, and renew ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 3 repentance.htm

Guiltless and Without Sin.
... like all other men, Christ was conceived and born in sin by virtue of this original
guilt. Where imputed original guilt is, there must be sinful defilement. ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xviii guiltless and without sin.htm

Whether Christ was Born Without his Mother Suffering?
... Supposititious]), from this sentence we must exclude the Virgin-Mother of God; who,
"because she conceived Christ without the defilement of sin, and without ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christ was born without.htm

Third Day. Holiness and Creation.
... very good. And yet they were not holy. The six days' work had nought of
defilement or sin, and yet it was not holy. The seventh ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/third day holiness and creation.htm

Separation to God.
... that while the need of forgiveness and cleansing is never to be lost sight of, it
is not intended that a sense of the presence and defilement of sin should be ...
/.../taylor/separation and service/part i separation to god.htm

The Open Fountain
... was he who came not with water only, but by water and by blood, a Savior who takes
away the offense of sin as touching God, and the defilement of sin in human ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the open fountain.htm

But Let us See Further what the Things are which He Proposes to ...
... 4786] He says also that we look upon nothing that is pure, although our endeavour
is to keep even our thoughts free from all defilement of sin, and although in ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen against celsus/chapter xlv but let us.htm

John Chapter xvii. 14-19.
... but in the likeness of sinful flesh; [1737] and His Son sent those who, born themselves
in sinful flesh, were sanctified by Him from the defilement of sin. ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate cviii john chapter xvii.htm