Spring cleaning
This past week, a church sign captured my attention. “Spring cleaning–get washed by Jesus.”
I nodded and thought, “Right on target. Here we are–it’s almost Easter. That’s when we celebrate the gift of His sacrifice and recognize that through Him, we are cleansed–washed in His blood.”
But if we walk in light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son purifies us from all sin. (1John 1:7)
When I see a waterfall, I’m awed by its beauty. But I also think of fresh, clean, and pure water flowing over rocks. But even that pure water cannot provide the cleansing we receive from Jesus. He shed His blood as a gift of love for us.
When washed in the blood, we receive:
Forgiveness of sins
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. (Ephesians 1:7)
A demonstration of God’s righteousness
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement–to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because of his forebearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished–he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25)
Reconciliation with God
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Jesus), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:19-20)
Cleansing to answer the call to serve
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremoniously unclean so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciousness from acts that lead to death, so that we might serve the living God! (Hebrews 9:14).
God’s Word reminds us of the amazing gift of love by Jesus, Son of God. When we accept the gift of salvation we are washed in the blood of Jesus. Our righteous God reconciles us to Him through Jesus. Our next step is to serve.
About that waterfall…
Baptism by water is a symbol of cleansing and purity, often used to welcome members into a Christian Church. John the Baptist baptized Jesus (described in Matthew 1:13-16; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23; John 1:29-34).
The sacrament of baptism is an important part of our Christian profession of faith. However, the symbolic purification by water, as we profess our faith, falls secondary to our belief in the gift of salvation by the sacrifice of Jesus.
Sharing His love with others
We can never repay our Lord for His gift of love, but we can love Him back by caring for others and sharing the light and love of Jesus with others.
It’s almost Easter. How can we share the miracle of God’s love with others?
- Tell others the story of Jesus
- Share the depth of His love for us–Jesus died for us
- Love others through our actions
- Share the pathway to salvation with others
What other ways can we share Easter with others?
How can we show, through our words and actions, that Easter is the forever gift of God’s mercy, grace, and love?
Are we ready for a Spring cleaning?
Love your waterfall photo and its symbolism. Thank you, Katherine.
Thank you for your kind encouragement, Diana.
Loved the article.
Thank you, Jimmie. I’m grateful for your support.
A great reminder of the cleansing power of Christ.
We are so blessed my our Savior’s gift of love. Wishing you a joyful Easter, Barbara and family.
Amen. Let’s show His love to others with all of our words and actions. Have a blessed week! 🙂
A friend once gifted me a song that shared the theme of “we are God’s hands and feet” here on Earth. Your message expresses that thought. Through our words and actions, we show our Lord’s love to others. Thank you, Barbara, for your wonderful example of loving others.
Your waterfall is an excellent illustration of God’s lavish love for us. What better way to know God’s love than to fully immerse yourself in it.
I love the way you express that thought and visual. “Fully immerse” ourselves in God’s love. That’s beautiful–and we can do it! Thank you, Candyce.
Thanks Katherine. Loved the analogy with spring cleaning, and the Bible references about the blood of Jesus. So powerful.
I’m grateful for your encouragement, Sylvia. We are so blessed by our Savior’s love, aren’t we? Wishing you a joyful Easter.
Thank you for this inspiring message Katherine. May the Lord continue to do spring cleaning in my life and remove old sins. Happy Easter
Thank you, Yvonne. I pray the same for me–“Spring clean us, Father!”
Thank you for your encouraging words, Katherine. I’m so grateful for God’s gift of salvation through His Son. I’m praying for the opportunity to share the message of Easter with my neighbor as I build a friendship with her. Blessings to you, Katherine!
I just prayed for your neighbor, Kim, and for God to guide you in your witness. Your message reminded me of the need to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. That’s our calling and sometimes I feel so inadequate. May God bless you in His service. Happy Easter!
Thank you, Katherine, for this timely reminder to share Easter with others!
Thank you for your kindness, Kathy. Wishing you a blessed Easter.
Wonderful message to honor Christ and what He’s done for us. Yes, let’s pass it on!
I’m grateful for your encouragement, Debbie. I pray we can all share the love of Jesus with others and pass on the story of Easter whenever we have an opportunity. Peace and blessings.