‘Thorough Cleansing’

‘Thorough Cleansing’

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

Psalm 51:2

David was dirty. He had behaved in a supremely selfish fashion. He had robbed a poor man of the love of his life, and proceeded to rob him of life itself. He had involved other people in his evil, and contaminated their lives by making them accessories to adultery and murder. Nathan the prophet had faced him with his sin. Now, David had to face God Himself. God Alone could fix what was wrong with David. David knew that, hence he pled, ‘Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.’ This takes us directly to the Blood of Christ. John speaks of this pointedly when he says, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ Two verses before this statement, John declares that ‘the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.’ We need to grasp this truth for ourselves. We all find ourselves in the situation of being dirty. We may not have done exactly what David did in the way he did it, but that does not lessen our guilt. When we have sinned, we need cleansing. The only solvent for that kind of stain is the Blood of Christ. Here is the fountain that is opened ‘for sin and for uncleanness.’ Nothing else will do. As we consider these things today, let us dwell upon the fact that although this may not be where we are today, it may easily be where we arrive tomorrow. If we would have cleansing from the filth of our sin, we must look to the Blood of Christ.

Our Kind and Forgiving God,
we praise You that You provide cleansing for us
through the blood of Christ.
We rejoice that as often as we sin,
so often are You ready to forgive and to cleanse us.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning