Concentrate on these words: “having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” When we are falling or failing in our walk with Christ, it is because we have forgotten the cross! Forgotten the blood Jesus shed to wash us from our sins! Forgotten the wounds which healed us! Forgotten the fountain opened at the cross which cleansed us! Forgotten the death which freed us! We have stopped Washing at the cross!
Question 6. If forgetting our past cleansing puts us in such a terrible condition in our lives, what is needed to get us growing and make us productive and fruitful again?
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If forgetting our cleansing from past sins has entirely derailed us, stopped us from growing, turned us inward and self-centered, and made us ineffective and unfruitful, then we should do the exact opposite! We should remember Jesus and His dying love for us. We should often think about His cleansing of our sins through His death and resurrection. We should begin to meditate on how He “gave Himself up for us, to sanctify us, having cleansed us” (Ephesians 5:25-26). We should again Wash at the cross!
Oh, friend, turn for a moment and look at the cross. Do you see Jesus taking your sins on Himself, and thereby removing them from you? Do you see His blood flowing over your sins, wiping them out, clearing you of any wrongdoing, and washing you from sins' defilement? Do you see Him breathing His last and giving up His Spirit which then cancels your record of debt and rids you of all guilt? I mean, look at Him there!
Zechariah 13:1-2 NLT “On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity. (2) “And on that day,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will erase idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten. I will remove from the land both the false prophets and the spirit of impurity that came with them."
Oh friend, look at the cross and see its power! There God has opened up a fountain. Do you see Jesus' blood flowing down? This is a fountain of cleansing in which to wash. It does not matter what you have been involved in, how far you've gone, or what you have done; the cross is your fountain of cleansing. Do you see Him dying there in complete weakness? This is God's power destroying false worship (pornography, sexual impurity) in your life. Do you see Jesus giving up His Spirit? This is how He removes the spirit of impurity from our lives, and gives us His own Spirit, right here at the cross.
We must be purposeful in considering Jesus’ precious blood. His blood is the “launderer’s soap” (Malachi 3:1-3) which has removed our impurities and uncleanness and has made us spotless and radiant. Do you see His blood flowing from His thorn-crowned head, His nail-pierced hands, His beaten back and wounded side? This blood flows to wash you clean, friend! Receive new grace at the contemplation of Jesus’ cleansing work on the cross. And as you do, "the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies you from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
Have you gotten sidetracked, lost your focus, and let your flesh overtake you? Have you given up and given in to sin? Forgot your first love, returned to old habits, and nearly lost your testimony? Well then, come to the cross and wash!
Recall the love Jesus has for you, the lengths He went to save you and the blood He shed to cleanse you.
Remember how He bought you with a price, healed you by His stripes, and ransomed you from death and hell.
Receive His forgiveness again and get some new and powerful grace at the cross.
So you see, then, that the gospel is not merely “the salvation message.” It is also the “sanctification” message; it is that which restores us after a fall, refocuses us on Jesus, reminds us of our total cleansing from sin, and enables us to grow, live effectively, and minister fruitfully. Oh, the power of the cross!
In the next lesson, we will see a fantastic illustration of how to wash at the cross!