Clean
(S) Scripture
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."
John 13:6-10 (NIV)
(O) Observation
As Jesus is washing the disciples' feet, Peter begins to protest. If anyone should be washing feet it should be Peter not Jesus, the Son of God. Peter says, "No way," to Jesus but Jesus explains that he must do it because if not them Peter has not part with Him. Peter says "Don't stop with my feet wash me all over." Jesus then gives us a great teaching about confession and being clean. "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.
(A) Application
What a great picture of confession and walking with Jesus every day. When I became a Christian, I was washed clean, the guilt of my sin was taken away and I received forgiveness. As I live my life in this fallen world I sin. Just like the disciples who walked the dusty roads with Jesus needed their feet washed I need to be cleansed of the dust of sin on my feet from walking in this world. What a great picture of confession. 1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NASB77) When we confess what we know He cleanses us from all our sin. I am sure that if God revealed to me my utter sinfulness at one time it would crush me and so He asks me to confess what He brings to my mind and then He cleanses me from all. I am then able to trust Him with more and more of my life and so I confess more and more and am constantly cleansed. This is how I can walk clean before God. He cleanses me. I cannot do it myself. I cannot make myself presentable to God by He washes me and then cleanses me when I confess. Now that is clean!!! That is how I want to live. Today I again commit myself to walking by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. I do that by "Spiritual Breathing," exhaling by confession and inhaling by giving the Holy Spirit, Who lives within me, control of my life.
(P) Prayer
Father, thank You for giving me a way to walk clean before You. Remind me to take a spiritual breath when I need to and not to wait until the end of the day. As I walk with You today use me in the lives of others. Amen
1 comment:
This is a great lesson "giving grace" and "receiving grace." So, here's my question: Why are we in the church so much better at giving grace than receiving it? We don't mind "doing the washing" but we're not comfortable "being washed." Pride? Embarrassment? Rugged Individualism? (I can pick up myself by my own boostraps, thank you!) A false sense of adequacy? This question haunts my own life. "Your Bud"
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