Haggai 2:12-14 (ESV)

[12] ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” [13] Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” [14] Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the LORD, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean.

The verses above have often been quoted to explain why believers should not hang out with unbelievers, why Christians should not have non-Christian friends, or why any kind of service toward others should only be done with other Christians of like mind. Unbelievers are considered dangerous or unclean. Association with them will make us unclean. But that is hardly God’s point to his people in this passage. To understand it in that manner is to rip it from it’s context and bring an application to the text that God never intended. If that was its meaning, then Jesus would have been unclean, for he was a friend of sinners?

This passage is saying something far more significant. That is, as long as the people are unclean, every aspect of their lives will be adversely affected. In the same way that an unclean thing makes a clean thing unclean, so the disobedience of God’s people causes their work, their crops, and their incomes to be affected. This is in line with God’s covenant with his people. They had agreed to do all that he said, and he agreed to bless them. They are not doing what he has said by failing to build the temple, therefore he is withholding his blessing.

As New Testament believers we are not under that same covenant, but there is an underlying principle that remains. That is, all of our “service” to God is pointless if we are not right with him in our hearts. All our good deeds, all our worship, all our churchy activities are meaningless without hearts first right with God. How often have we walked into church with frustration or even anger in our hearts and pasted on a smile for the world to see? Do we really thing that somehow pleases God? How often have we mouthed the words of the Sunday morning songs without meaning them? Do we really call that worship? How often have we been shouting angrily at the kids only to answer the phone with a sweet voice and talk about Jesus? Do we really thing this is how the life of Christ is to be lived? Service is no service until our hearts are right with God.

Perhaps we need to start our day, our acts of service, and our worship with an honest prayer of, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Ps 139:23-24). The truth is, he has already searched us and knows what is there (See Ps 139:1). The problem is, we somehow think we can hide it and go on serving. But, can anything unclean person produce clean worship or service to God? Thank God for his grace.