You Are Clean

By: Rhonda Dungan

Rhonda was a lost sheep that was found and now lives in the glorious grace and love of the Shepherd.

My study the last two days has been encouraging to my soul. My joy can't help but grow wings and take flight when God whispers words of His love to my heart.  It is this flight of joy that brings this to you!

In John 13, Jesus performs an extraordinary action of love to His beloved disciples, He washes their feet. When Jesus came to Peter, there was an exchange of words as Peter struggled to allow Jesus to kneel before him and clean his feet.  Stop and think about that a moment. It is a humbling thing to have your feet washed by a brethren. It is beautiful, but humbling. Now think of Jesus, the Son of God, Prince of Glory, bowing before you, taking your dirty feet in His pure, clean hands, and washing them with a tender, gentle love.  This thought brings tears to my eyes 

It is in this exchange of words that Jesus makes the statement, 'you are clean'.  Those 3 words encircled my heart and gently gave it a hug.  The Greek word used here literally means - 'pure; purified by fire; a vine fit to bear fruit; imparts NO uncleanness; free from corrupt desire, sin or guilt; blameless; innocent; in a similitude'.  Wow!!  Similitude is defined as 'advisable likeness; an imaginative comparison; correspondence in kind or quality'.  Again I say, Wow!   Our cleanness is like that of Jesus Christ!  This is our sanctified souls dear ones!  The robe of righteousness we were adorned with when Jesus put on our sin and guilt.  

The Spirit of God penned these words through the writer of Hebrews, 'because of one sacrifice He has made perfect FOREVER those who are being made holy' (Hebrews 10:14).  From this passage, and the John 13 passage, I glean we are covered in His righteousness, yet we need a continual washing from our daily living in this world, battling our fleshly desires, and our daily walk in a corrupt world. Our feet get dirty. We need them washed daily.  

Here, I must share with you the visual aid given to me today. I stepped out of my bedroom this morning and stepped into cat throw up. Ugh. I hobbled to the bathroom, and as I was washing my foot, I was reminded by a quite voice within not to forget to meet with my Lord for my soul needed its own foot washing. That made me smile.  

I encourage the beloved of Christ to have your souls' feet washed today.  Remember, ‘you are clean’ and walk in this truth today. May you 'impart no uncleanness'. Today may you walk in the freedom of uncorrupted thinking and actions. Our Lord 'cut through the bars of iron, and broke down the gates of bronze' to redeem us from our bondage to sin. The shackles are loosed, walk in your freedom of 'you are clean'.

www.newlineministries.com 

Caution: Wet Floor

By: Adam McClendon

www.newlineministries.com

Several years ago, my mother slipped on a freshly mopped floor, broke her neck, and ruptured two discs in her lower back. I’ve been much more careful when walking on wet floors ever since.  They are just to slippery.

Around that time, while struggling with some habitual sin in my life, a sage piece advice was passed along.  Someone told me, “If you don’t want to fall down, don’t walk on a slippery floor.”    

The advice was so simple, but so true.  This advice has since revolutionized my spiritual life.  God calls all believers to live a life that is a holy reflection of his glory.  He is so kind to put up “Caution: Wet Floor” signs all around, and yet so often, I’ve ignored those in the past.  I felt they were unnecessary.  “I won’t fall this time,” I thought, and as a result continued to put myself in tempting situations that enticed the desires of my flesh to the point that they pressed me into sin. 

1 Peter 1:13-16 tells believers to prepare their minds for the battle of this world, stop allowing pre-Christian desires to press them into sin, and to be holy people who serve a holy God.

In light of this Scripture, the challenge is straightforward:

1. look out for the warning signs alerting that a dangerous circumstance is ahead.

2. commit to avoid those circumstances at all costs.

So, if drinking and sleeping around is a struggle, avoid parties.

If porn is a struggle, cut off the internet and cable, and trade in the iphone for a flip phone.

If envy is a struggle, close ebay and facebook accounts.

If gossip is a struggle, stop calling people who like information.

If a flirtatious relationship at work is tempting, change jobs.

If bragging, profanity, and telling dirty jokes is a struggle around certain friends, find new friends.

I know this sounds crazy, but often, crazy commitments require a crazy sacrifice.  The point is not to be isolated from the world; rather, in those areas that one struggles most deeply, is most wounded, is most prone to sin, situations that stimulate those pre-Christian desires too greatly need to be avoided at all cost.