Washed by the Lord Jesus Christ

John 13:8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” NKJV

There is perhaps no more gratifying time than after working in a dusty field or spending 2 hours sweating at the gym to go to your home and take a hot shower or bath, immediately you feel new, clean, invigorated, and refreshed ready for whatever is in store for the evening or the rest of the day. As followers of Jesus Christ, our souls have received the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit at our second birth. The Lord Jesus uses this picture of washing the disciple’s feet certainly as self-sacrificing love they should demonstrate to one another, but He also pictures here His daily cleansing us of our sins as He keeps us here in this fallen world where we are constantly assaulted by the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. NKJV

During this time a person could wash their entire bodies but as soon as they spent any significant amount of time walking the streets or paths (which were just dusty trails) in the surrounding cities immediately their feet would be dirty with the dust of the roads. Likewise, our Lord tells us here that though our souls are cleansed by His giving to us the gift of repentance to life, but we will still be assaulted by sin everywhere we are in this world and will need to be washed daily by Him in order to maintain un-interrupted fellowship with Him. He affirmed that this was His purpose by saying, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” Our Lord knew the betrayer (Judas) from the beginning knowing His heart was never regenerated and that he was an Apostate, a goat, a false brother, and a thief. None of the other disciples had a clue that this man did not love the Lord Jesus as they did and were shocked when they discovered in the end his act of betrayal. Christ knows all of those that He has washed from their sins in His own blood and it is a solid foundation that we who love Him can stand on even when we cannot tell who has been washed and who is still filthy. The physical washing done by our Lord was a picture of a greater spiritual washing that He does to and for all of His elect. Therefore, to be washed by the Lord Jesus is twofold the first washing is for one time (new birth) and the second washing occurs daily as He keeps us down here on the earth as His ambassadors.

Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. NKJV

Psalm 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

“It is necessary to our having a part in Christ that he wash us. All those whom Christ owns and saves he justifies and sanctifies, and both are included in his washing them. We cannot partake of his glory if we partake not of his merit and righteousness, and of his Spirit and grace.” Matthew Henry

“God will not lightly or easily lose His people. He has provided well for us: blood to wash us in; a Priest to pray for us, that we may be made to persevere; and, in case we foully fall, an Advocate to plead our cause.” John Bunyan

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…