Cleansed part 3
Man, there were a lot of cleansing rituals in the Old Testament. The Old Covenant. And it was all about US putting the work in. Unfortunately, we still think that's what needs to happen--we think WE need to put the work in. Here's the thing though: We've already been cleansed by the Word that was spoken. The Word that is Jesus. The Word that is love. Love is what made us clean, and washed away ever spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. When you look at someone with love you don't see what's "wrong" with them. You see what's RIGHT with them. You see them clearly. You see them as God sees them. Because God IS love. So when I say, "When God looks at Jesus He sees us, and when God looks at us He sees Jesus," I'm also saying, "When we look at each other we ought to see Jesus." He is our true identity. But here's where I want to get to tonight: "But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" (Acts 11:9). And, yes, this story was about food. But it was really about people. Not so much what they were eating, but who they were eating with. Because even then Jews wouldn't eat with Gentiles, right? And some people wanted some other people to jump through hoops in order to "be cleansed." Be it through circumsicion, or what. Point being: Since God has called us cleansed... we ought not call ourselves, or each other, common. We ought to just accept the truth. And act accordingly. Stop trying to get people to change. Let people be who they are, and love them anyway. And watch love show them who they REALLY are. You can't be who you really are until you see who you really are. And telling people what's wrong with them is the opposite of that. Showing people love is the only way to show people that they are loved. Not making them try to earn it. You can't earn love. Love is freely given and must be received (and released). But if you think you're a dirty sinner, what chance do you have of being anything else? You are what you eat. If you swallow that lie... that's what you're going to experience. But if you stop trying to "clean up your act" and begin to know and believe and understand that God has already cleaned up your act (by dying both for you and as you on the cross and then rising again so that you can walk in newness of life... so that you can experience His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of Love by letting HIM live His own life in you, and through you, and as you). You are clean because of the Word. Because of the love. So don't call it any other way. And don't let anyone else call it any other way. When you know the truth you can simply ignore the lie. When you know you've been cleansed, you don't have to go around trying to cleanse yourself. Or anybody else. You can be who you are--who you really are--and you can let the people in your life be who THEY really are. Don't go through the motions. Don't try to do it yourself. It is finished. Let what's true about you BE true about you. And then give what you've got to others. Don't call yourself, or anyone else, common. Know that you've been cleansed... and BE who you are!