HOW DOES A CHRISTIAN BECOME CLEAN AND STAY CLEAN?

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BaptistBibleBeliever

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2018
2,244
1,032
113
70
Illinois
#1
How does a Christian become clean? Simple. Jesus cleanses by His Blood. We saw that in I John 1:7.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:7).

This refers to the initial cleansing from the guilt and sin and to our standing before God. Standing? Yes. There is standing and state. A lot of people still don't believe this, but Scripture proves it. Standing is where? In the Lord. Our state changes--it goes up and down. But my standing is in the Lord. I'm positioned in Christ. He has made us to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

When I got saved I was born again a new creature. He didn't use old stuff. He didn't put new wine in old flasks. This is a new thing. All of have this if we are born again. You are saved unto the day of redemption. And that has been taken care of by our Lord--that is your standing in Him.

But the state of your condition on planet earth in this flesh? Oh man, that fluctuates. It does. So God in that state condition--we are one perfect people.

- He cleanses us with His Blood.
- He washes us with His Word. "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word" (Ephesians 5:26).

See, the longer we preach and teach, naturally we have this stuff in front of us all the time. So, to me it dovetails a little bit better. I'm in it all the time. I can see how it blends. And some people can't see how it is all put together. But when it clicks, you all are going to connect this stuff with the Book, because without this you have no power, you have no cleansing--you're going to find this out. You are going to find this out experientially. When you don't read your Bible--sometimes for months--you see your spiritual batteries burning out.

We have peace with the Lord, and everything is going so good--we just neglect reading God's Word here and there--and we don't notice anything yet. And then something comes up and the word 'N ... O ..." No, is real weak. We just can't say no to it like we used to. Whatever it is, and other stuff starts to happen. And the devil is so slick we can never connect the dots. It takes a long time, you either hear a sermon or listen to a teacher, or listen to the Holy Spirit--because He does talk to you. He'll ask, "What are you reading? That's a good book, good book here, good book there--I mean, you can have religious books all over the house, like I do. You can read them all the time, but without the Word of God--the promises are only with the Book--God's promises go with the Book. Other books are written by men that are saved, Lord willing, and they expand your mind with wisdom and different things like that--but they can't do anything for you except expand your spiritual ramifications so that you understand some spiritual things out there--but you ain't getting fed by them. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God!"

You must have a supernatural Book to feed your supernatural soul! And if we don't do it, we start shrinking spiritually--you start losing power. And some people get so far away, the next thing they wonder is why they don't like church no more ... they wonder why they don't like the things of God. And then they start nitpicking and everybody's a hypocrite. I hear all this all the time. Then I ask them . . . Are you reading your Bible everyday? Are you praying? And then I get the stupidest looks ... like, what in the world does that have to do with what's going on? It's the simplest thing that we teach Sunday school kids ... You know, how you Grow, Grow, Grow or you Shrink, Shrink, Shrink. The elementary stuff--if you forget, you'll soon find out as a saved person--you got to get back to the Book!

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word" (Ephesians 5:25-26).

Cleanse it with what? the Word. The washing of the Word of God--it's very important.

There are those that claim, that memorizing Scripture by the teenagers and everything ... that ain't gonna help them. Well, whatever. They say, 'they're not going to remember this stuff' ... whatever ...

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word" (Psalms 119:9).

Remember the Word that you hid in your heart that you might sin, what, sin against God. Remember that verse? You learned a long time ago, it's true.

You can have all the programs in the world, and all that, but if a child has enough of the Word of God ... that is what is going to keep him. He'll have that certain protection. He may go away, but guess what is going to bother him? The Word of God. If the Word of God is not in there--never was in there--very difficult.

"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you" (John 15:3).

- Whose doing the talking? The Lord Jesus Christ.
- They are clean by the Word.
- They are washed by the Word.

Remember? Only a great God can purify sinful men and women? We know that He cleanses by His Blood and He washes with His Word.

"Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all" (John 13:10).

Who is speaking? The Lord, trying to do some washing of some feet. And Peter so boldly said, "No way, man!" You know, recognizing His authority and everything, saying, "No, no! We wash Your feet!"

This shows us the association of humility through the washing . . . that's the daily walk. You have to keep your feet clean, and you wash them with the water of the Word. And when we don't do simple little things, we run into problems.

That is our daily walk.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#3
A christian is made completely clean, by the word

But he must wash from time to time,


I know. Confusing, but I am sure the disciples got confused to when jesus told them the same thing.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
113
69
Tennessee
#4
A christian is made completely clean, by the word

But he must wash from time to time,

I know. Confusing, but I am sure the disciples got confused to when jesus told them the same thing.
There is probably a lesson to be learned from Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. He said that they were clean but at times their feet would get dirty. I take that to mean that their salvation was secure but at times they still would stumble into sin and would need God's forgiveness in order to be reconciled to Him. At that point they would be clean again. Very much a life-long process of washing.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#5
There is probably a lesson to be learned from Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. He said that they were clean but at times their feet would get dirty. I take that to mean that their salvation was secure but at times they still would stumble into sin and would need God's forgiveness in order to be reconciled to Him. At that point they would be clean again. Very much a life-long process of washing.
One has to also wonder. It was not the disciples who washed their own feet (made themselves clean) it was God himself who made them clean, he cleaned them completely, and washed their feet.

This shoudl be an important aspect we should heed. And not think we can clean ourselves by any means.
 
Sep 4, 2018
33
51
18
#6
How does a Christian become clean? Simple. Jesus cleanses by His Blood. We saw that in I John 1:7.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:7).

This refers to the initial cleansing from the guilt and sin and to our standing before God. Standing? Yes. There is standing and state. A lot of people still don't believe this, but Scripture proves it. Standing is where? In the Lord. Our state changes--it goes up and down. But my standing is in the Lord. I'm positioned in Christ. He has made us to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

When I got saved I was born again a new creature. He didn't use old stuff. He didn't put new wine in old flasks. This is a new thing. All of have this if we are born again. You are saved unto the day of redemption. And that has been taken care of by our Lord--that is your standing in Him.

But the state of your condition on planet earth in this flesh? Oh man, that fluctuates. It does. So God in that state condition--we are one perfect people.

- He cleanses us with His Blood.
- He washes us with His Word. "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word" (Ephesians 5:26).

See, the longer we preach and teach, naturally we have this stuff in front of us all the time. So, to me it dovetails a little bit better. I'm in it all the time. I can see how it blends. And some people can't see how it is all put together. But when it clicks, you all are going to connect this stuff with the Book, because without this you have no power, you have no cleansing--you're going to find this out. You are going to find this out experientially. When you don't read your Bible--sometimes for months--you see your spiritual batteries burning out.

We have peace with the Lord, and everything is going so good--we just neglect reading God's Word here and there--and we don't notice anything yet. And then something comes up and the word 'N ... O ..." No, is real weak. We just can't say no to it like we used to. Whatever it is, and other stuff starts to happen. And the devil is so slick we can never connect the dots. It takes a long time, you either hear a sermon or listen to a teacher, or listen to the Holy Spirit--because He does talk to you. He'll ask, "What are you reading? That's a good book, good book here, good book there--I mean, you can have religious books all over the house, like I do. You can read them all the time, but without the Word of God--the promises are only with the Book--God's promises go with the Book. Other books are written by men that are saved, Lord willing, and they expand your mind with wisdom and different things like that--but they can't do anything for you except expand your spiritual ramifications so that you understand some spiritual things out there--but you ain't getting fed by them. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God!"

You must have a supernatural Book to feed your supernatural soul! And if we don't do it, we start shrinking spiritually--you start losing power. And some people get so far away, the next thing they wonder is why they don't like church no more ... they wonder why they don't like the things of God. And then they start nitpicking and everybody's a hypocrite. I hear all this all the time. Then I ask them . . . Are you reading your Bible everyday? Are you praying? And then I get the stupidest looks ... like, what in the world does that have to do with what's going on? It's the simplest thing that we teach Sunday school kids ... You know, how you Grow, Grow, Grow or you Shrink, Shrink, Shrink. The elementary stuff--if you forget, you'll soon find out as a saved person--you got to get back to the Book!

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word" (Ephesians 5:25-26).

Cleanse it with what? the Word. The washing of the Word of God--it's very important.

There are those that claim, that memorizing Scripture by the teenagers and everything ... that ain't gonna help them. Well, whatever. They say, 'they're not going to remember this stuff' ... whatever ...

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word" (Psalms 119:9).

Remember the Word that you hid in your heart that you might sin, what, sin against God. Remember that verse? You learned a long time ago, it's true.

You can have all the programs in the world, and all that, but if a child has enough of the Word of God ... that is what is going to keep him. He'll have that certain protection. He may go away, but guess what is going to bother him? The Word of God. If the Word of God is not in there--never was in there--very difficult.

"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you" (John 15:3).

- Whose doing the talking? The Lord Jesus Christ.
- They are clean by the Word.
- They are washed by the Word.

Remember? Only a great God can purify sinful men and women? We know that He cleanses by His Blood and He washes with His Word.

"Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all" (John 13:10).

Who is speaking? The Lord, trying to do some washing of some feet. And Peter so boldly said, "No way, man!" You know, recognizing His authority and everything, saying, "No, no! We wash Your feet!"

This shows us the association of humility through the washing . . . that's the daily walk. You have to keep your feet clean, and you wash them with the water of the Word. And when we don't do simple little things, we run into problems.

That is our daily walk.
Amen to that response !
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
113
69
Tennessee
#7
One has to also wonder. It was not the disciples who washed their own feet (made themselves clean) it was God himself who made them clean, he cleaned them completely, and washed their feet.

This shoudl be an important aspect we should heed. And not think we can clean ourselves by any means.
Your exact and concise estimation is right on target per usual.
 

BaptistBibleBeliever

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2018
2,244
1,032
113
70
Illinois
#8
There is probably a lesson to be learned from Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. He said that they were clean but at times their feet would get dirty. I take that to mean that their salvation was secure but at times they still would stumble into sin and would need God's forgiveness in order to be reconciled to Him. At that point they would be clean again. Very much a life-long process of washing.
The people of that day wore a leather thong that tied around the ankle . . . similar to a slipper. As they walked the dusty lanes their feet would get dusty and it was common any time a guest would enter a home that a servant would wash their feet.

"And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head" (Luke 7:44).

So, you are correct. The feet represent that part of the body that is always in contact with the world, the part most in need of more than just a daily cleansing. The water of the Word of God is that which keeps us clean after we have been spotted by the sins of daily existence.

A few on this site would insist that getting dirty means that we have lost our salvation. Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools.
 

Hepzibah

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2015
337
24
18
#9
"There is probably a lesson to be learned from Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. He said that they were clean but at times their feet would get dirty. I take that to mean that their salvation was secure but at times they still would stumble into sin and would need God's forgiveness in order to be reconciled to Him. At that point they would be clean again. Very much a life-long process of washing. "

I see this often - presumptions been made about what behaviour is expected of us and using the example of the disciples before they were baptised in the Spirit.
 

BaptistBibleBeliever

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2018
2,244
1,032
113
70
Illinois
#10
"There is probably a lesson to be learned from Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. He said that they were clean but at times their feet would get dirty. I take that to mean that their salvation was secure but at times they still would stumble into sin and would need God's forgiveness in order to be reconciled to Him. At that point they would be clean again. Very much a life-long process of washing. "

I see this often - presumptions been made about what behaviour is expected of us and using the example of the disciples before they were baptised in the Spirit.
I bet you think the parables were just fairy tales for kiddies.
 

Locutus

Senior Member
Feb 10, 2017
5,928
685
113
#11
Yer gotta use der rite toothpaste.


 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
113
69
Tennessee
#13
"There is probably a lesson to be learned from Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. He said that they were clean but at times their feet would get dirty. I take that to mean that their salvation was secure but at times they still would stumble into sin and would need God's forgiveness in order to be reconciled to Him. At that point they would be clean again. Very much a life-long process of washing. "

I see this often - presumptions been made about what behaviour is expected of us and using the example of the disciples before they were baptised in the Spirit.
Isn't one of the points in the bible to learn what behavior is expected of us. OK, in your estimation, what was the purpose of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper? To be on the safe side I won't presume that you know the answer.
 

BaptistBibleBeliever

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2018
2,244
1,032
113
70
Illinois
#14
Where do you suppose this crass attitude of your comes from? Hint: It is not from the HS.

View attachment 188821
I wonder where Jesus got His attitude from when He used this language . . . "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27).

Sometimes you just gotta call a spade a spade.
 

Deade

Called of God
Dec 17, 2017
16,724
10,529
113
77
Vinita, Oklahoma, USA
yeshuaofisrael.org
#15
I wonder where Jesus got His attitude from when He used this language . . . "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27).

Sometimes you just gotta call a spade a spade.
I am sorry, I just realized Hepzibah was criticizing a post by tourist. He managed to hide the quote and make it look like he said it all. It's no wonder the last sentence of his didn't seem to fit the general post. You are right, his criticism was out of place.

embarrassed-smile-smiley-emoticon.gif
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#16
"There is probably a lesson to be learned from Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. He said that they were clean but at times their feet would get dirty. I take that to mean that their salvation was secure but at times they still would stumble into sin and would need God's forgiveness in order to be reconciled to Him. At that point they would be clean again. Very much a life-long process of washing. "

I see this often - presumptions been made about what behaviour is expected of us and using the example of the disciples before they were baptised in the Spirit.
Completely clean means completely clean.
That means we are completely saved, period.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,530
13,094
113
#17
HOW DOES A CHRISTIAN BECOME CLEAN AND STAY CLEAN?


you were washed, but you were sanctified, you were justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God!
(1 Corinthians 6:11)
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you
(John 15:3)
To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!
(Jude 1:24-25)

THROUGH JESUS CHRIST WHO BY ONE SACRIFICE

HAS PERFECTED FOREVER ALL WHO ARE BEING MADE HOLY!
 
P

pottersclay

Guest
#19
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
 
Mar 23, 2016
6,732
1,630
113
#20
Hebrews 10:

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.


...


19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

21 And having an high priest over the house of God;

22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.