What’s the difference in these words?
Cleansed :: Cleanses
Same word, right? Same idea? Same meaning?
You would be tempted to think so, and in so doing, find yourself on the short side of God’s immeasurable grace.
1 John 1:7 tells us that Jesus’ blood cleanses us from all our sin. All our mess and failings. All that separates us from God. Scroll over that verse and notice the tense there. What if it said “cleansed?” What if it said Jesus’ blood cleansed us of all our sin the moment we accepted Him as Savior? Past tense. Singular event. That would still be a pretty awesome feat.
But what about tomorrow?
And the next day?
We, as broken humans, need a continual salvation. We need help every single day. It’s not a one-stop shop when you come to know Jesus. It’s not an “accept this and never mess up again” mandate. It’s a constant cleansing. Not to get real deep, but the original Greek word in that text is the present, continuous tense of the word cleanse, meaning a continual purification that doesn’t stop after it’s first application…a cleansing that never stops. Imagine comparing a trip through the car wash. You go through, you get cleaned up, but then you are messy again. Now imagine a waterfall. Water running continuously, constantly sweeping away the mess on the river’s bed. It never stops. It never relents. It never lets the dirt build up.
God’s grace and forgiveness is just like that. He never stops. He never relents. He’s always loving, forgiving, and reaching out to His children. He never lets our dirt, our sin, build up.
His cleansing of us, through the power of Jesus’ ressurection, is perpetual. Unending. Without fail.
And it all serves to testify to the greatness of God. When He sent Jesus to the earth, He didn’t perform cheap tricks or hand out a gift that was not costly, but instead paid the ultimate price for a gift of absolutely infinite, and seemingly unstoppable, worth.
No doubt, I am a flawed man who needs that more than anything…what about you?
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[...] everyone. We’re all invited. We’re all loved. He gave Himself for each of us and cleanses us continually. And while I would love to just shower praise on those who are desirable and those I feel are [...]