MARCH 14, 2023
“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.” (Ezekiel 36:25)
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7)
These texts are quite glorious for they both speak of the same thing but they proceed from two different mouths. The first is from the mouth of the Lord and it is a gospel promise. The second proceeds from the mouth of David who had transgressed against the Lord. The first is God’s promise; the second is a sinner’s plea. Both speak of the work of God and the absolute effect. Pertaining to the work, the Lord declares, “I will sprinkle clean water on you;” and David asks the Lord, “Purge me with hyssop.” The work is that of cleansing! It is the Lord, alone, Who accomplishes this work. From the mouth of God, He promises He will do it. From the mouth of David, he asks God to do it because he knows that only God can do it. It is the work ascribed to God alone.
The absolute effect is that the individual shall be clean and clean altogether. God declares that His cleansing work will cleanse the individual from ALL uncleanness, from all idols. David declares that he shall be whiter than snow. The effect is not a partial cleansing, but clean altogether.
But what is this “cleansing” that is absolute? This “cleansing” speaks of the removal of our sins before the eyes of God. It is the washing away of our iniquities. Jesus Christ had much to say about this as well. We remember His words to Peter when He had washed their feet. Jesus had told Him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” (John 13:10) The one who has bathed is “completely clean.” His word is the same as that which is spoken of old. The Lord spoke of old, “You shall be clean from all of your uncleanness,” and the Lord Jesus spoke during His incarnation of complete cleansing. Jesus declares this again to His disciples in John chapter 15 when discussing the matter of bearing fruit. While the disciples of Christ are to bear fruit, He informs them that they are already clean: “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3) They are not clean because they bear fruit; they bear fruit because they are clean. This matter of “being cleansed” is speaking about God’s work of sanctification that took place on the cross. It was God putting away our sins by the death of His Son and washing us with His precious blood. For those who are washed in the precious blood of Christ, they have been completely cleansed. It is written, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)
Notice that we are not cleansed by our works but we are cleansed solely by the work of God. Notice that He does not cleanse us partially but cleanses us completely. If we do not comprehend this complete cleansing by the blood of the Lamb, then our Christian life will be one of great conflict. God has put away our sins; He has imputed unto those who believe in Jesus Christ a perfect righteousness, and forever beholds us in Christ. For those who are in Christ, we are the aroma of Christ unto the Lord. There is a work of sanctification that the Holy Spirit works out in the life of the saint, but there is a complete work of sanctification which Christ has accomplished on the cross. While the saints are being sanctified, they are wholly sanctified in the eyes of the Lord.
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