Cleansing Our Soul
We can do a lot, but we cannot cleanse our own souls.
That is why Christ is so important to us.
Introduction
There are many passages in the Bible which speak of a cleansing.
In fact the word is found 32 times in the Bible.
Sometimes this is referring to things like washing dishes, clothes, the altar,
and other things.
Sometimes it means to just take a bath to wash the dirt off the outside.
But mostly, in the Bible, it has reference to cleaning the inside.
What needs to be cleansed?
Our filthiness, our dirty little secrets, our potty mouth, and just about everything
that defiles the person.
Sin, is what we are talking about.
Sin is so disgusting to God that He will not fellowship anyone who has sin in
their life (Isaiah 59:2).
It does not matter how dirty our life has been, with the help of Jesus, we can
be cleansed, and God will fellowship us when we are clean.
1 John 1:7 reads: "but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us
from all sin".
But God will not fellowship anyone who has not been cleansed.
In 1 John 1:9, it reads: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
God is willing to forgive if we are willing to confess.
David prayed to God in Psalm 51:2 "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin".
This is something God does.
Nobody can was away their own sins.
In Acts 22:16, Ananias told Paul to not delay any longer but to arise, be baptized,
and wash away your sin...”
While many might object to the idea that one can wash away their sin, we have
to realize that God only goes so far in this process.
It is actually God’s willingness to forgive but based upon our faith and
obedience that He will cleanse us from our sins.
God made it possible through His Son that people could have their sins forgiven,
remitted, or cleansed.
In the end, we have to make the choice ourselves if we are going to be cleansed.
In various translations; the word “cleanse” is used and sometimes
the term “wash” is used.
The New Testament speaks of being washed in water, the regeneration of washing,
appealing to God from a good conscience through baptism, being cleansed from past
sins, etc.
In Titus 3:5 we read: "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have
done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration
and renewing by the Holy Spirit",
And yes, this is a reference to Baptism and its importance in the salvation we
seek to have.
It would do us all good to look up these words and see how the Bible offers them
to us.
After all, God speaks to us through His word, and His word offers the words of
eternal life.
It is in our best interest that we learn from the Bible.
As we study these words, we learn that this is the work that God gives us to do.
It is a good work, and really not anything we do on our own.
We just do what God tells us to do, and we can be saved by our obedience to God's
grace.
We know that we cannot have fellowship with God if we have sins.
Our sins separate us from God (Isaiah 59:2).
But if we can be cleansed from our sins, we can have a relationship with God.
After listing several sins and bad behaviors,
in 1 Corinthians 6:11 we read: "And such were some of you; but you were washed,
but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and in the Spirit of our God".
The Bible tells us that baptism is how our sins are washed away (Acts 22:16).
Now baptism alone does not save, but baptism working through faith is just one
step in the salvation process.
Baptism working through faith is but one of the most important things we can do
for our own salvation.
Conclusion
We learn that if we have the stain of sin upon us, we cannot be in fellowship
with God.
God knew this, and that is why He made provision for our salvation.
Through His sin, we have the redemption from our sins.
When we couple our faith with obedience and continue until the end, God has a
place prepared for His righteous ones.
Will you be one of them?
By Carey Scott
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