A Clean House

Last night I helped my wife with some last minute clean up around the house in anticipation of company for the holiday (the overnight kind).  We’re ready now as we looked around this morning, everything looked and smelled clean !   You may’ve heard a similar thought before, but what would you have to rearrange or “clean up” if Jesus were actually stopping by for a few days to stay with you?   But what immediately comes to mind that you need to alter?  If anything does, bingo, thats what you need to clean up!

Its a favorite, common and very refreshing verse but when John wrote this it bespeaks our need and the blessing of a “clean house”:  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn.1:9).  If you haven’t, memorize it, it will prove to be of great value to you.  But let’s analyze it just a bit.  Its a conditional promise as it starts with the tiny word “if”.  The promise is based on us kicking it off by honestly agreeing with God when He says there’s something to clean up, we don’t make excuses or rationalize we deal with it His way, so that’s the idea of “confess”.     Once we do this we pave the way for God to bless us with a spiritual cleansing we need.

At times I have explained this to our church also in that the verse goes on to say that even if we don’t feel like we should be cleansed or that we truly are cleansed, if we have done our part you can rest assured God will do His !  To that end John incorporates the following words: “faithful” & “just” !   He will always cleanse you then for this is the absolute right or just thing to do !!  That is good, friend, very good, very heartening for us when we feel lower than low after we’ve sinned and taken it to the Lord.   And the kicker, is He then cleanses us completely or from “all unrighteousness” !!  You have a clean slate, the sheets are clean, the patio is in order, etc. You’re good to go, and it shouldn’t matter how Satan makes you feel once you truly exercise faith in what God has simply and powerfully said to YOU !

As you go on after confession, you can go on clean, fresh, and vibrant, ready to spend quality time with the Lord and others as a person right with his Maker !!

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