But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:-9 ESV
The word cleanse is used twice and each time it speaks to a very specific need of the human soul… to be forgiven and to be found right in the eyes of God.
cleanse - to purify; to make clean; to remove filth or foul matter of any kind
In the original Greek the word for cleanse places emphasis on “making or purging” – illustrating that man can’t cleanse himself, he must be “made clean”! Only in this can ones conscience be free from the guilt of sin.
Sin is simply the act of “missing the mark”. Sin is an archery term and an archer who can not hit the bulls-eye will adjust and re-adjust until he hits his target – the “bulls-eye”. The bulls-eye that man is to hit is Christ. We are to aim for Him (seeking to be Christ-like in our characters) and each time we miss that mark we are to adjust and try again. Now, sin manifests in many different ways; just as each archer will miss the bulls-eye in varying degrees (high, low, left, right, somewhere on the target to completely off the board), humans will miss the target in varying degrees (sex, greed, lies, drugs, thievery, rage etc.) and we all need the same thing… forgiveness smothered with grace. Jesus’ blood provides for this.
Unrighteousness is the condition we are found in if we don’t adjust our aim and shoot right. To be righteous is to be “in” right standing with God. It’s not perfection, for only Christ is perfect, but it is being “in” Christ and then benefiting (through union with Him) from His rightness with His Father, God.
Consider again, the lyrics of one of the most famous songs in Christendom:
What Can Wash Away My Sin
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
For my cleansing this I see
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
For my pardon this my plea
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Nothing can my sin erase
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Naught of works, ‘tis all of grace
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
This is all my hope and peace
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
This is all my righteousness
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
I hope you are getting the point of this post – God absolutely, positively, without question is madly in love with YOU! If you want peace of mind, freedom from feeling guilty - then I beg you… Let Go And Let God! I know that is an over used sentiment but in this case it is valid. God is longing to cleanse you from your sin and your unrighteousness.
Here is another song that has been gaining in popularity because speaks to the simple truth, He loves us – period!
He Loves Us
John Mark McMillan
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves
Cause He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves
Wag
No comments:
Post a Comment