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Cleansed From Sin
Bathing
Brent Hislop Psalm 51 is a remarkable prayer for mercy by David as he acknowledged his sin with Bathsheba. Seeking God’s forgiveness David said, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). David was probably alluding to the cleansing ritual for leprosy. The blood of a sacrificed bird was sprinkled upon the leper using hyssop and then the cleansed leper bathed himself in water that he might be pronounced clean by the priest (Leviticus 14:6-8). Christians will see clear parallels in their own lives in being cleansed from sin. The apostle John wrote: “The blood of Jesus Christ ... cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The apostle Paul told us Jesus died for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (1 Corinthians 15:3; Romans 4:25). Justification is of God through faith (Romans 8:33; 5:1). It is not simply the initial experience of a Christian. Justification must be maintained throughout our lives. We are not only initially cleansed of our sins, we must continue to be cleansed of them. John says that those begotten of God do not sin (1 John 3:9; 5:18). However, we know from Scripture and by looking at ourselves that we have the treasure of this new mind in an earthen vessel. We must continue to put off the sinful ways of the old man and put on the fruits of the spirit associated with the new man in Christ (2 Corinthians 4:7; Colossians 3:1-15). The new creature in Christ does not sin, but it takes time for it to put off the ways of the old nature. Paul told us to mortify or deaden our members to all immorality and sin (Colossians 3:5). John addressed this when he wrote: “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:1,2, NAS). To understand John’s words we must first understand the “these things” he wrote about. Second, we need to understand what he meant when he said if we sin, Jesus is our advocate with the Father.
These
Things These are the words that immediately precede John’s reference to “these things”: “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:5-10, NAS). John said his thoughts are to help us to not sin, that we are cleansed by the blood of Christ, by walking in the light, by the unyielding effort of seeking to be Godlike, seeking to know him and his will for us. He adds that if we acknowledge and confess our sin, God will be faithful and just or righteous to forgive us that we may be cleansed from unrighteous behavior. The two principle elements John identified for the cleansing work in our lives are: (1) walking in the light, and (2) confessing our sins. We must labor to do right and admit when we do not. The Greek word for confess, means literally to speak the same thing or to agree with. This suggests the cleansing that comes from the washing of the water by the word means coming to understand God’s will as revealed in his word. As we understand God through his word and recognize how far short we come, we agree with God’s righteous standards, clearly see our failings, freely admit to them, and then confess our failings to God, to ourselves, and to one another.
Jesus as
Advocate The thought of Jesus as our advocate with the Father is an interesting one. There has been much said about the proper understanding of this concept. The Greek word for advocate is parakleetos and means “one who is called to another’s side to aid them.” One thought likens this to an advocate in a court of justice who pleads for the offending party before a magistrate. But an alternate thought is that Jesus as a parakleetos does not need to plead for us. Since we acknowledge our sin, we call upon him to help us overcome that sin. Jesus said if we ask in his name, he will do it (John 14:13,14). The apostle told us to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace or favor in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). This is done in the name and merit of Jesus as the one through whom we first came to God, and through whose cleansing blood we continue to find favor with God. Jesus is actively involved in the development of the church. He sanctifies and cleanses the church by the washing of the water of truth, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having a spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish or blame (Ephesians 5:26,27). Without confession there is no forgiveness of sins. This makes the words of the psalmist pertinent: “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression” (Psalm 19:12,13). Since we are imperfect, how can we understand the breadth of our errors or failings? We seek to be cleansed of secret faults in part by acknowledging them and asking for the Lord to come to our side and proffer assistance as we ask forgiveness in his name. The psalmist does not say cleanse us from presumptuous sin. Instead, he asks that God keep us back from them. A presumptuous sin is an arrogant sin, a sin that presumes upon God. It presumes that committing sin is not so bad because God will forgive us, or it presumes God’s will without proper spiritual discernment and prayer. Such a callous and indifferent approach is a failure to walk in the light, and that can lead to the great transgression, the sin unto death. David wrote: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2, NAS). David’s sin was grievous because it was one of adultery and murder. David was blinded by his passions. Until the Lord reproached him through the prophet Nathan, David had neither acknowledged nor repented of his sin. Both Psalm 32 and 51 are based on this dark episode in his life. A closer examination of both psalms can help us understand repentance and forgiveness of sin. David acknowledged and repented of his sins which included the blood of Uriah (Psalm 51:14). David also wrote that when he kept silent about his iniquity, he wasted away (Psalm 32:3,4). David acknowledged that his sins were against God (Psalm 51:4), and he called upon God to have mercy upon him and blot out his transgressions. Nathan told David that the Lord had put away his sin and he would not die (2 Samuel 12:13). But David paid a heavy price for his sins including the loss of his child with Bathsheba. His house also suffered violence from that day forward until he died. Though forgiven, there were dire consequences because of what he had done. He reaped what he had sown, and it was a long, bitter harvest. This experience provides an important lesson: acts have consequences. We may solicit God’s forgiveness for our sins and receive forgiveness, but this does not mean we will not receive hard experiences as part of the cleansing process. We cannot deceive ourselves. God will not be mocked. Whatever we sow we shall reap (Galatians 6:7). David said, blessed is the man unto whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit is no guile or deceit (Psalm 32:2). Clearly there is nothing we can hide from God, but if we try to justify our actions before God, we only fool ourselves. In these two psalms David lays bare his soul before God, pleads for his mercy, and cries out for the renewal of God’s favor. David also wrote: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:10-12). He followed this by saying with this renewed spirit that he will teach transgressors God’s ways, and sinners shall be converted to God. Some think Psalm 32:8 parallels this thought when it says: “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” We are more inclined to think this refrain is God speaking to David, describing how he will instruct, teach, and guide David so long as David looks to the Lord for direction in his life. David wrote that God did not desire the sacrifices of the law, but the sacrifice of a broken spirit, the evidence of sincere repentance. God would never despise a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:16-19). David longed that, with the cleansing and washing of the Lord, he would hear joy and gladness, and be restored to the joy of God’s salvation (Psalm 51:7-12).
Sinners May Become Righteous In both these psalms David contrasts sinners who are the wicked with the righteous who are the lovers of God. Though David had sinned, his confession and repentance made it clear that he loved God and did not think of himself as a perpetual sinner, or a willfully-wicked person. David believed in God, but he also believed in himself in the Lord, knowing he was dependent upon the Lord for strength. Note David’s words: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:10-12, NAS). David wanted the favor of God’s holy spirit so that his spirit might become steadfast in righteousness and be willing and obedient. This is a beautiful lesson for Christians. Though we love God with heart, soul, strength, and mind, we fail and we sin. While we know a righteous person may fall seven times, and rise up again (Proverbs 24:16), it is nonetheless difficult not to become disconsolate and discouraged by our failures. David’s sins and how he repented serve as a wonderful example for us to understand acknowledgment of, repentance for, and renewal from sin. We must believe in God, and believe in his promised forgiveness for our sins. And we must believe in the favor of his holy spirit so that our spirits are renewed and we become steadfast in righteousness, and sustained to have a willing and obedient spirit. Christians must live their justification, believing and fully committing to faith in God that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses them from all sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). This growth process may be painful, but we take great comfort that we can call Jesus to our side for assistance, to learn of him and from him find rest for our souls, knowing that he sanctifies and cleanses us by the washing of the water of truth. God uses our failures as lessons for us and, if we are rightly exercised by them, we grow spiritually. In our failings we come to see, through personal experience, the darkness of sin and the beauty of righteousness. This should cause us to redouble our efforts to be more like the Lord in the beauties of holiness. We, like David, want to be washed and cleansed so that we may glorify God because of his majesty and mercy.
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