CHRISTLife — Nineteen: Clean and More

Hi there…it’s me, Coleen!  It is snowing here in upstate New York.  As I peeked outside in the early, early morning, I thought, “Oh, yes! It’s all clean again!”  All of the yucky, dirty, gross frozen slush and discolored ice and snow piles blanketed with grime kicked up by road traffic was—clean.  Sparkling, glistening, pure white clean. And then when I looked out again later, after some shoveling and plowing and snowblowing had been done, it was schmutzy again!  And more snow was wafting down…and the yuckiness was covered up again.  And I realized that really the snow hadn’t made the dirty and gross any cleaner…it just got dirty again.  Such is NOT how our hearts and minds are cleaned by Jesus’ blood.  ALL is clean…we are new again.

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, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar
and His Word is not in us.
1 John 1:7-10

We are justified—just as if we had never sinned (that is CLEAN, I tell you)!  We are redeemed.  We are rescued.  We are made whole.  We are purified.  We are sanctified.   We are forgiven.

However…remember this: none of this is of our own doing.  We could never do enough, try hard enough, be good enough to have made ourselves clean.  We were dead in our trespasses and unholiness, our unrighteousness.

This uncleanness has always been an issue.  God knew it…and He purposed and made a way for the only answer for it.  King David knew of his immense need for cleansing and saving from his own sin. Here in Psalm 51 he cries out to God…knowing that only God could help.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love;
according to the multitude of Your tender mercy
and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt
and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin!
For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them;
my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight,
so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment.
Psalms 51:1-4

BUT God has always had this plan to redeem mankind.  To provide the way—Jesus’ sacrifice and death on the Cross, the spilling of His perfect blood—to atone and redeem us back to Himself!  There was only one way…thank God that it already has been accomplished!  This cleansing and purifying is yours to receive!  Have you received it?  If not, will You?  This IS God’s will—His plan, His desire—for you.

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And now…check out another page from Kim’s inner identity album, along with some thoughts she has to share on this subject, too!

This picture is such a great reminder of where I once was—from a deep pit of despair with no hope…to a Redeemed woman with Hope and a future. I absolutely love the Scripture Mrs. Meyers uses in this chapter.

He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west.
Psalm 103:12 NLT

I praise You, Father, that my rebellious acts are as far away as the east is from the west; I am oh so thankful! And I thank You, Father, for this powerful truth for which I am thankful…

I have swept away your sins like the morning mists.
I have scattered your offenses like the clouds.
Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.
Isaiah 44:22 NIV

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Would you pray along with us these inspired words as we praise the God Who purposed all this?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.  In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

Ephesians 1:3-7

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