Inside Out

…and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us... 
1 John 1:7 (ESV)

I read about a janitor who worked at a nice hospital. He was friendly and did good work, but he always showed up with dirty, greasy hair and bad body odor. The administrator called a meeting to talk about firing him, until one woman spoke up. She said, “I hate to see us let him go. I know he’s dirty on the outside, but I’ve talked to him for years, and he’s clean and pure on the inside. Do we have to fire him?” Her boss looked at her and said, “Well, it’s either that, or we turn him inside out.”

That’s what the blood of Jesus does for you. This verse doesn’t say the blood “will cleanse” you, or “may cleanse” you. It says it “cleanses” you. The word “cleanse” is present tense in the Greek, which means it never stops. It cleanses you now, today, and tomorrow, because you need it every day and the supply never runs out. Did you lose your temper this afternoon? The blood of Jesus cleanses you. Did you criticize your spouse instead of encouraging them? The blood of Jesus covers you.

Here’s what that means. God doesn’t forgive you without cleansing you, and He doesn’t cleanse you without forgiving you. 

If you lost your temper 45 seconds ago, criticized your spouse under your breath this morning, or let a bitter thought sit longer than it should have, the blood of Jesus isn’t deciding whether to cleanse you. It already is cleansing you. That’s what “cleanses” means. Not “will,” not “eventually,” but happening right now, as you read this sentence.

So when you fail today, don’t hide it or explain it away. Just confess it to the Father. Then let it go, because He already has.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You don’t just forgive me; You cleanse me from the inside out. When I fail today, help me bring it before You instead of hiding it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.