June 11, 2000, SM: The Cleaning of a Christian

June 11th, 2000, Sunday Morning

"The Cleaning of a Christian"

If you walk in this world, you're gonna get dirty

OPENING: John 13:1-10, KJV

Everyone in this world gets dirty--no matter how innocent. Men, women, children, and babies.

Psalm 51:5: No matter how good and clean we believe to act and live, this verse reminds us all that everyone is a sinner simply because we're born that way. Therefore, even the most innocent baby is born into sin. "Dirty," in this context, is another way of saying we are sinners.

Sin is our nature because we all are born into it. We're born into it because we're descendents of the first sinner--Adam. For example, you're not a liar if you lie; you lie if you're a liar. Read it again slowly and think about how it relates to sin as our nature. It will make sense.

Dirty people (all of us) don't need to be talked about or criticized. They need to be cleaned. In other words, we're so quick to point out others' faults we don't first think about "cleaning" them, instead.

Even after being saved, you can still get dirty

1 John 1:8: We're not fooling God, but ourselves, if we say we have no sin.

Romans 5:12: Translated, this verse means through Adam sin entered the world and is passed unto all men (and women)--for all have sinned.

John 13:10: In this verse, Jesus is saying we need to be cleaned even after being saved. "but not all" means that not everyone who claims to be saved is saved. Example: Jesus' disciple Judas Iscariot. Judas was never saved.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11: This tells of the importance of being "washed." All the types of people listed in these verses cannot enter Heaven and be justified by Christ Jesus without being "washed" clean.

Hebrews 12:14: Without washing with the blood of Christ, we cannot be made holy. And holy is the only way we can look upon the Lord because the Lord himself is holy.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WASHED:

In order to walk with God, he requires that we be holy.
1 John 1:6-7: We must be washed clean so we may be holy so we may walk in the light with Him. Else, we are darkness and cannot walk with him.
2 Timothy 2:21: When you go to a restaurant, do you want dirty or polluted water? Like when you ask for a crisp, refreshing glass of water and what's brought over is a glass with lipstick and food particles in the water. The point is the water is Word of God; But the vessel is man. And the problem is not with the water but the vessel--it is dirty.
- PROOF WE MUST BE HOLY, CLEAN, TO BE WITH GOD:
  - 2 Chronicles 20:21: We praise the Lord in holiness; clean.
  - Psalm 29:2: We must also worship in holiness.
  - Psalm 51:1-2: We must pray to God and specifically ask him to wash us clean from our iniquity.
  - Psalm 51:10: You must pray to God for a "clean heart."
  - Psalm 96:9: Another example that we must be holy to worship him.
  - Isaiah 1:16: The Prophet Isaiah says in addition to ceasing evil, we must wash ourselves to make ourselves clean.
  - Isaiah 52:11: To be holy is to touch no unclean thing. Verse also mentions that the vessels of the Lord require cleanliness

It only takes a tiny bit of smoke (moral impurities) to ruin a good, clean shower (sincere forgiveness of your sins).

We become dirty after a fresh, clean shower by thinking, hearing, seeing, drinking, eating the wrong things and associating with the wrong people.
Even from a distance, just a car splashes the small droplets from a mud puddle all the way onto you, you become dirty again.
Psalm 1:1: You are blessed from above just for staying away from sin and avoiding it!

Many young children don't like baths. Their parents ask them to go take a bath and they fill the tub and splash the water around with their hand--pretending to take one when really they are not. This can be compared to people attending church on Sunday. They attend but do not wish to wash themselves in God's pure Word. They just splash around pretending to be interested and cleaned.

HOW TO WASH YOURSELF:

Ephesians 5:1: We must be cleansed with God's Word. Attending the right church will take care of that.
John 15:3: Even Jesus said we're clean just by listening to Him speak the Word.
Revelation 1:5: We are washed clean through Jesus' blood.

HOW TO STAY CLEAN:

Avoid the dirt! Heed what we see, hear, and say from our mouth.
2 Peter 2:8: How your righteous heart will be troubled and tested as you associate with the unrighteous.
Job 31:30: Do not allow yourself to become dirty by speaking evils because someone has wronged you.
- Romans 12:14: If wronged, do more than nothing--bless him that hateth you.
Psalm 59:12: Sin comes right from the mouth. Lock it down.
Ecclesiastes 5:6: Again, the mouth is targeted as the sinner.
Matthew 12:36: On Judgment Day, you will be held accountable for "every idle word that men shall speak."
Matthew 15:19: Also, it is the nature of the heart to originate sin.

CLOSER

John 13:6,8: Just before Jesus' time of Crucifixion, Jesus washed each of His disciples' feet--symbolic of them being washed clean. But Peter refused the washing to which Jesus replied that Peter cannot be with Him in heaven if He cannot wash Peter's feet.

So ask yourself the same question... will you allow Jesus to wash your feet so that your whole body may be cleansed in His blood? Remember that if you refuse, then you can never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.