Cleansed part 2
We have been cleansed by the Word that Jesus spoke. The Word that Jesus is. Love. Love is what washed away all that junk that had piled up on the surface. Love is what reveals what is deep inside. The hidden man of the heart... no longer hidden when we let what's inside come out. And, in that way, we can cleanse others, and, in a sense, cleanse ourselves. Let me quote some Scripture and then I'll try to make what I'm saying plain. "If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven" (John 20:23 NLT). Sounds like we have a lot of power, right? We can forgive people, or stop people from being forgiven. Well, the truth of the matter is... we--as a species--have been forgiven. That's a done deal. When Jesus cried out on the cross for His Father to forgive them (us) for they (we) know not what we do... I believe God heard, and answered, that prayer. But let me add a verse to the one we just read: "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT). See... God did what He did. He forgave us. Took away the sin of the world. We ran from Him because we thought He was angry, but He reconciled us back to Himself. And gave us this Word of reconciliation. Not, "Come back to God... or else," as so much of the religious world has taught, and would have you believe. But, "God brought you back to Himself! We can enjoy the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God that He has already given us... by letting Him live His own life in us, and through us, and as us!" That's the gospel. The good news. That's the message we ought to be preaching. Not... "Maybe I'll forgive you and maybe I won't." But, "You are forgiven!" When we tell people that they are forgiven, it makes God's forgiveness real to them. And when we don't tell them, we're kind of holding them back from experiencing it. Because the truth HAS set us free and made us free. But if we don't know the truth we can't LIVE free. So this idea of "cleansing" ourselves has nothing to do with us making ourselves--or each other--clean. It has to do with knowing and believing that Jesus has made us clean. And making each other clean simply by sharing this glorious revelation. Not, "You aren't good enough, but if you do this, this, and this someday you might be." But, "You're exactly who you need to be and God loves you just the way you are. He MADE you just the way you are! Now let Him show you just the way you REALLY are! You... but loved. You... being you... with love, through love, in love, because of love!" There's no cleaner feeling than when your heart and mind is clear. When you lay aside the sin (unbelief) and the weight that so easily besetts you. When you let go of the things that are holding you back. When you let go and let God. Stop trying to clean up your act, and understand what it means that God already cleaned it up! He did what you couldn't do because He wanted you to know how much He loves you. He gave you the Word that cleansed you, and now you can use that Word to cleanse others... by letting them know they've been cleansed. You can share the good news and in that way equip and empower others to experience it! You can share the gift you've been given and in that we can all experience and enjoy it!