Clean

It's that time of year again. The clocks have gone back an hour and the autumn leaves are all over roads and gardens. With the dark evenings my wife and I have succumbed to wearing (rather uncool) glow-lights strapped to each arm, warning oncoming motorists of our presence.

In the spring I noticed  that the bald patches on my lawn were largely due to the fact that dead leaves that had smothered the grass. This baldness was aided by a pesky badger who likes to dig my lawn in the wee hours.

So today was a good day. I decided to rake up all the fallen leaves on the lawn and flowerbeds. I then used a paver blade scraper to remove weeds and grass that had grown between the paving stones. This was followed by power hosing the paving stones on our path and patio. The grey paviors had actually gone green with algae. The power hose did a brilliant job, totally cleaning them (see photo above).

This power hose cleaning is great analogy about the condition of our soul.

When the 'accuser of our souls' tells us we are vile, filthy sinners, just push back and remind him that we have been power hosed clean by Jesus! 

King David blew it big time by having Bathshebas husband killed by having him placed in the forefront of the battle. David knew he had sinned before God (2 Samuel 11 & 12).

Read these excerpts from David in Psalm 51

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin v 2

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow v7

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.v10

Sin makes us feel unworthy and even unclean. This can make us feel low and even depressed. Don't stay in this dark place of unbelief. Yes, we all blow it at some time, but remember Jesus has paid for our sin . Let's instead feed our faith - our faith is fed by hearing the Word of God ( Rom 10:17).

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool (Isaiah 1:18)

As you read these few scriptures about being clean (or cleansed) take time to personalise each verse.

(Jesus) who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:14)

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart (1 Peter 1:22)

how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14)

let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22)

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you (John 15:3).

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 (1 Corinthians 6:11)

so that He might sanctify her (the church), having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word (Ephesians 5:26)

for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord (Lev 16:30)

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that 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. (1 John 1:7-9)

How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God ( Hebrews 9:14)

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:3-7).

Q. Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart,
I am pure from my sin”? (Proverbs 20:9).

A. We can.

Selah.