2. Divine Detergents for Sin! Psalm 51:2

Text: “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”

Psalm 51:2.

“If we say we have fellowship with Him (the Lord God), and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth (continuous verb. cleanses, and continues to cleanse us) from all sin." 

1 John 1:6-7.

          “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the Word.” 

Ephesians 5:25-26.

Good morning, Divinely double-washed Christian!  If you are truly and Eternally saved – then we are double-washed from your sins and mine: once for all time, by the precious Blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ; and progressively ever after by a ‘...washing of the water by the Word.’  Hallelujah!  You and the author are double-washed by Divine detergents, and made fit for Heaven’s glory by the Blood and the Word.  Glory to the worthy Lamb!

John 13:10, ‘washed’ and ‘wash’: Two Divine Detergents for Our Sin.

“Jesus saith to him (Peter), He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.  (John 13:10)

Sanctification:

Definition of the term:  Sanctification is a two-fold doctrine and can be understood better in this manner:

(a)  Immediate Sanctification - consecrated, set apart for sacred use or service.        (John 10:36)

(b) Progressive Sanctification - purify afresh; make Holy. (1 Corinthians 6:11) (John 17:17)

- “Jesus saith to him, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”

There are two different Greek words used in John 13:10 for the words we have in the King James Version Bible as “...washed...” and “...wash...”.  The first word simply means, ‘The big bath’; the second word could be understood as, ‘The tidy-up wash’.

(a) Washed:  This denotes being bathed completely spotless; sanctified; set apart for sacred service to God - and it’s a ‘...once-for-all-time...’ wash. (Hebrews 10:10)

We are cleansed from all sin by the precious Blood of Christ Jesus. (Titus 3:3-6)            (1 Peter 1:18-19)

We are passive in this act of God’s sanctification; it is done according to His free grace.  (Ezekiel 36:22-23) (Hebrews 10:3-25)  Praise God!

Sanctification:  Sanctification in this ABSOLUTE sense is performed by God in His gracious act of Salvation - we are ‘born again’ of His Spirit. (John 3:3-8) (Jonah 2:9)

Christ’s righteousness is imputed unto us by God-given faith. (John 6:37) (Acts 4:12)

This act of Sanctification has primarily to do with the believer’s STANDING before God, in Christ Jesus.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)  True believers can stand like Christ, before the Father.

The believer is thus deemed PERFECT, sinless; not guilty; Holy; righteous; etc.; a son or a daughter of God; joint-heirs with Christ; beloved of the Father; with immediate access to God in prayer and acceptance before God’s Holy throne of grace - a new creature in Christ indeed!  Hallelujah!  What a Saviour!  Praise His gracious Name! Amen.  (Hebrews 7:25) 

(b) Wash:  This word denotes being washed (or purified afresh) DAILY, as we walk as pilgrims through this barren land.  We are personally and individually ACTIVE in this progressive sanctification process.  (John 15:3) (Galatians 6:5)

Therefore, this sense of progressive sanctification implies the sense of having a daily tidying up; a constant cleansing exercise which must continually follow the main bath to keep the believer Spiritually clean in his/her actual STATE.  It is therefore, the believer himself who is held responsible for this sense of his/her SANCTIFICATION.         The Lord commands us as believers: “Be ye Holy for I am Holy.”  (1 Peter 1:16) (1 Peter 3:10-16)

Practical Reality of Sanctification:  In our State we are, and shall always remain, “...unprofitable servants...”. (Romans 3:10;22-23) (Romans 7:14-24)  (Luke 17:10)

Sin separates us from God’s Holy fellowship - but NOTHING can ever separate us from His Family!  (Isaiah 59:1-2) (Romans 8:28-39)

We, as born again, Spiritually regenerate believers have a STANDING in Christ.  However, if there is unconfessed sin, or consistent impurity of habits, in the believer’s life - the believer shall seldom receive real Spiritual power to serve the risen Lord Jesus.  (Hebrews 12:14) (Acts 1:8)   (Ephesians 5:18)

Holy Spiritual power to serve the Lord Almighty will only be imparted to those who are sincerely seeking to sanctify themselves to receive it!  Therefore, be Holy, “...be filled with the Spirit.”  (Ephesians 5:18)

We must strive to be:  (a) ‘...vessels of honour...’. (2 Timothy 2:15-21) (b) ‘...conformed to Christ - not the world.’. (Romans 12:1-2)

Question: How do born again believers prepare to be filled with the Spirit?

Answer:  By progressively sanctifying the vessel (i.e. our hearts) and constantly desiring to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

Conclusion: Sanctification is, therefore, a two-way doctrine.  God sanctifies us once for all time in our STANDING before Him and in His Holy sight - by clothing us in Christ Jesus.  (Hebrews 12:14) (Habakkuk 1:13)

Our duty thereafter then, as Christians, is to progressively, “...grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  - as to our actual STATE daily. (2 Peter 3:18)     (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When the almost inevitable sins do come into our lives, and cause a hindrance to our fellowship, service, and worship - they must be: (a) confessed: (1 John 1:7-9) (Psalm 51:5) (b) forsaken: (Philippians 3:1-10) (c) and the vessel ‘washed’: (Ephesians 5:26) (John 15:3)

Thought: Only Divine detergents can wash and cleanse us from the vileness of our sin.