Made Clean

There is always more than one side to every story.  If we only listen to one side we don't get the full picture of what the speaker is saying.  The same is true for the story of salvation.  There are two sides.  The first side tells us that we are sinners in need of a savior and apart from him we cannot know God.  I get the impression that many people read or hear this and immediately tune out.  After all, it's hard to acknowledge our sinful nature and our utter dependence on God to bring us out of it.  But there is another side.  Jesus came to Earth to give us new life; to give us peace and joy, and the ability to come freely before the Father.  God doesn't call us to salvation so we can forever feel ashamed of ourselves.  No, He calls us to salvation so he can give us life, and life to the fullest at that!

I'm reading through 1 Corinthians this week and came across a familiar passage.  This is one that probably offends a lot of people, but read it through to the end.  Chapter 6 verses 9-11 say, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived; Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

In the past as I've read that verse I've tried to be sure that I wasn't included in the list of those who won't inherit the kingdom of God.  But then this morning while reading it I realized that Paul begins his list with "the wicked."  In our sin we are all wicked, and apart from Christ none of us will inherit the kingdom.  But then here is the beautiful part, when we have salvation in Christ our sins are washed away.  We are made clean and righteous.  We become a new creation and the old sinful life is no more.  What a wonderful picture of God's grace.

We are not saved from a life of sin in order that we might continue on in the same path.  Jesus dined and fellowshipped with sinners.  He was ridiculed for spending time with prostitutes, but after experiencing the grace of Christ, those prostitutes didn't continue in their life of sin.  They began a new life in Christ!  The same is true for us today.  We don't become perfect overnight, but by seeking the Lord everyday, we can walk in righteousness.  When you allow the grace of Christ to wash away your sins, you do not take on a heavy burden of guilt and shame, rather He makes you clean and sets you free!