Cleansing of the Heart and Life
John 13:1-17.
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10 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.
11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
12 ¶ So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
A Method Parable
Through the Blood of Jesus we have forgiveness for all sin. We are washed wholly clean. Yet, we walk in the world. We get dirty and need a daily cleansing of our heart and lives. Also, sometimes the Lord wants to cleanse us from sinful habits - this takes a longer washing.
God first gets our attention. He then gives us a good dose of truth about ourselves. Just as a clothes-washer has an agitator; detergent and bleach to help shake the dirt loose. John 17:17 - "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John 15:3 - "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
Events of life cause a true shaking of every human foundation - what we depend on: pride, self-worth, money, family, job...
Psalms 51:2-13.
2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
God has infinite ways of getting our attention to make us aware of our own selfishness and sinfulness. Communion with God has been broken - life is miserable. One way out: confession and forgiveness - which will cleanse us.
After we have been thoroughly cleaned, we are hung on the line to dry in the heat and light of the Sun (Jesus Himself) - a new vision. We are then ready to be used, a clean garment which will bring glory to He who wears it.
John 17:1-10.
1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
6 ¶ I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
Questions and Answers
Article Tags:
religion
,spirituality
,christianity
,church
,lake city
,south carolina
,holy bible
,bible study lessons
Jesus was a living miracle, a supernatural work of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born, and lived without sin. He died by choice, and was raised unto glory eternal with the Father. As a human, He spoke of spiritual things, the truth about spiritual reality. In John 8:12, Jesus made the claim, stated as factual truth.
He commands them to rejoice in the Lord always; to let their moderation be known to all; to have no anxiety about worldly matters - in necessities to go to God - to do whatever was honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.
Worship leads to service, which is possible through the gifts of the Spirit. We must not think too highly of ourselves – all are saved sinners, only by God's grace and mercy. You may minister to the church through the same areas of natural (God given) talent or ability – or you may not. We are to use God's gifts for God's glory as we have accepted God's grace, so that God's greatest Gift to us, His Son, may be glorified.
We are going to look at the subject of salvation. We can be very thankful that it is something simple enough for a child to grasp. And yet the more deeply we look at all it includes, it becomes a rich and profound subject with aspects that we can only begin to understand in this mortal world.
If you sign up for a tour and then decide not to follow the guide, you want to make your own tour. You are likely to get lost and the guide cannot help you. If you want guidance, you must be willing to follow the guide. In Revelation, Jesus says several times, 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.'
Intro - the purpose of spoken or written language is communication to us, and God uses as clear and direct a way as possible. He doesn't give us riddles or tell us one thing when He means another. All Scripture should be taken first and primarily at face value. This does not deny secondary meanings or implications, symbols or types. God employed all the words and literary devices used by man in order to best communicate with man.
Do you want to live a fulfilling life? The peace of God is a catalyst for a fulfilled life. The more of God's peace you experience, the more your life is fulfilling. This article gives the steps to increase the peace of the Lord.
For centuries the Jewish people had heard from the scriptures, prophets, priests and rabbis that God would fulfill His promise and establish a New Covenant with His people through the Messiah. On this day in Acts 2 God fulfilled His promise and poured out His Spirit on His people.
"Women inside Christianity" is often a vast along with sophisticated theme by using multiple volume because Christianity is probably the biggest religions on the earth applied within various societies plus countries worldwide.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever will believe will have everlasting life and not perish. God is there for nonbelievers also. He wants all of His children back. Seek and you shall find, ask and you shall receive, knock and the door will be opened
Historic Black College choirs across the country traditionally visit local community churches. For many churches it's reminiscent of a homecoming. Alum, prospective students and the community at large celebrate the choir, enjoy and appreciate the sacred music, pay tribute to loved ones that have helped financially support and embraced the school's mission which instills pride in the hope and dream of surviving and making it in a harsh world. Their presence is a testament of God's goodness.
Christians are called upon to be good citizens of the nations we dwell in. Titus 3:11 – 'to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.' Peter said in I Peter 2:13-14, 'Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king, as supreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and the praise of them that do well.'
Revelation 13:16-17 describes the control of the world by the Anti-Christ. Surveillance technology: satellites, GPS systems, cameras on street corners, in public buildings, and ATMs, etc., even surveillance via computers. Also, biometric identification systems, such as fingerprint, eye and facial recognition systems. All pushing forward in the name of security and protecting against the threat of terror.
Worship leads to service, which is possible through the gifts of the Spirit. We must not think too highly of ourselves – all are saved sinners, only by God's grace and mercy. You may minister to the church through the same areas of natural (God given) talent or ability – or you may not. We are to use God's gifts for God's glory as we have accepted God's grace, so that God's greatest Gift to us, His Son, may be glorified.
If you sign up for a tour and then decide not to follow the guide, you want to make your own tour. You are likely to get lost and the guide cannot help you. If you want guidance, you must be willing to follow the guide. In Revelation, Jesus says several times, 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.'
Jesus is the word of God, declaring God's nature and purpose to man (John 1:1,18). The Word was given to holy men of old through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The 66 books of the Bible resulted. This was established in heaven before God created the world.
Discuss this Article
