A Clean Start

Have you ever noticed how much of our time is devoted to cleaning things?

It seems like perpetual warfare with the dust and dirt that accumulates inside and outside of our homes.

All kinds of machines have been developed to help with the war on dust and dirt. We have washing machines, vacuum cleaners, dry cleaners, street cleaners, brooms, dishwashers, showers, soaps, and detergents.

Keeping clean is big business. Americans spent almost three and a half billion $ a year on soaps and detergents alone.

The Scriptures contain a great deal of information and teaching about cleansing. But the cleansing the Scriptures teach about is about internal cleansing more so that outward cleansing. That is, more about soul cleansing rather than bodily cleansing.

James, in his letter to Christians, (James 4:8): Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Further, in 1 John 1:9 we hear John telling us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”

Isaiah 43:25 – “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake.”

Isaiah 44:22 – “I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud, and your sins like a heavy mist, return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Acts 3:19-20

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;  and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,

So, let’s look at God’s ways of cleansing the world – internally, as well as externally.

Forgiveness is a part of God’s cleansing system for his world.

There are two intertwined components of forgiveness.

1.   Forgiveness of God for man.

2.   Forgiveness of man for his fellow man.

Several years ago, a new song was written (1954). I can remember my uncle singing the song in church back then. The title of the song was “HE.”

One of the lines in the song said: “Though it makes Him sad to see the way we live, He will always say, “I forgive.”

Now, it is a great song, with a valuable message, but it falls a bit short in its wording.

The truth is He will always say, “I forgive” – but He expects us to come to Him in repentance, asking for forgiveness.

It took the blood of Jesus to make forgiveness possible.

Titus 2:13-14: “…looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

And, from Revelation 1:5 we see that forgiveness is possible only through the blood of Jesus Christ – “…and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins BY HIS BLOOD.”

God’s righteousness required the perfect sacrifice – which He, in His love, provided to us in Jesus, His Son.

We are all sinners. Isaiah 64:6 describes our condition without the cleansing blood of Jesus --- “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment…”

The Apostle Paul says it like this in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made Jesus to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

Jesus has delivered us from the power of darkness and – as Paul writes in Colossians 1:13-14 – “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.”

All of that culminates in this one statement: God’s forgiveness of the sins of humanity is only made possible through the shed blood of Jesus, His Son.

All that we have said up to here deals with God’s offer of salvation to those who are repentant of sin and call upon His Son for that salvation.

Now, there is another area of forgiveness which we must address as well.

That is – our willingness and command to forgive one another.

Forgiveness of others is a prime distinguishing feature of those whom Christ has forgiven.

Paul writes to the church in Colossae: Colossians 3:12-13:

“So, as those who have been chosen by God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other; whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

That message from Paul describes a prime feature of Christ’s forgiveness: forgive others.

Today we live in a world that could be described as a “dirty world.” And, there is only one way to cleanse a “dirty world.”

That is – a way to cleanse the world – when people are truly forgiving on one another. I believe that if people were more active in forgiving one another we could close the courts – we could close the gap between specific groups of people – we would see people living in harmony with one another – despite differences of opinion.

To be forgiven is a wonderful experience.

When we goof up, we repent or seek forgiveness if we have sinned against another person, and we receive that forgiveness, a relationship is restored.

And, while the person who is forgiven is blessed, the person who forgives is also blessed.

How is that? Well, he doesn’t have to endure a weakened spirit; he has no desire to try to get even for any real or perceived wrong that has come his way.

Forgiveness is a wonderful cleansing agent.

Forgiveness frees us from negative, hateful thoughts and deeds.

Forgiveness permits us to fill our minds with the goodness of live and God’s love for us.

Burdens are lifted from us – a tiring load of conniving, plotting, and hating is lifted from our souls.

We can smile at the world rather than face the world with a scowl or frown.

Forgiveness gives us a positive view of others.

As people who forgive, we can confidently approach life believing that others are forgivers as well.

So, all that said, we can conclude that God’s forgiveness has been made possible through the shed blood of Jesus.

And there are certain implications of God’s forgiveness of us.

It is closely linked to our forgiveness of others.

The Lord’s model prayer asks God to forgive us as we forgive others ---

Matthew 6:12.

It must be remembered that if we want mercy before the judgment seat of God, we must be willing to grant mercy to others in this life.

Jesus elaborated on this section of the model prayer by saying further in

(Matthew 6:14-15)

 “For if you forgive men their trespasses (sins), your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but, if you do not forgive men their trespasses (sins), neither will your father forgive your trespasses (sin)”

It is no accident that a forgiving spirit is an element of a Christian’s mental health as well as the spiritual health of a Christian.

A highly effective way of cleansing your spirit today is to try a touch of forgiveness.

It can become a wonderful thing to begin again. And that is what forgiveness is --- an opportunity to begin again.

It is our allowing – or inviting God to help us to begin again.

Sin separates man from God. God’s forgiveness enables us to begin again in a renewed relationship with Him.

And, in the same way, a renewed relationship with a brother or sister in Christ if there has been contention there in that relationship.

Forgiveness enables us to start over with a relationship that is uncontaminated by the mistakes of the past.

Let us make every effort to succeed in forgiving one another, accepting the forgiveness of others, and most important of all --- seek the forgiveness for our sins that Jesus died for.