I thought my home was clean until Kelsie* came.

As she conversed about her services, she lifted toothbrushes out of the container and set them on a wash rag. She sprayed cleaner into the cup, shoved a twisted cloth into it, and rinsed. That ornate cup was pretty on the outside, but the grey water indicated its insides needed the thorough cleansing Kelsie had given it. I was happy she’d found hidden muck. She returned the individually rinsed toothbrushes, fanning them as they hit the cup. The entire procedure took a matter of minutes, which let me know she was familiar with doing this for her clients.

I wondered if I’d ever cleaned the toothbrush cup. The answer, regrettably, was “Never.” My toothbrush—yes—but the cup? That hadn’t even crossed my mind. Kelsie had a different standard of “clean” than I was used to, and I’d hired help before. Work and family responsibilities made that an easy decision. I just wasn’t used to this level of indulgence.

Let us cleanse ourselves … perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

~2 Corinthians 7:1b NKJV

In 2 Corinthians chapters five through seven, Paul reminds us that as ambassadors of Christ, we are commissioned to share the new life we have in Him. But he doesn’t stop there. He reminds us we are children of light, not darkness. The Spirit of God fills us. Effective ministry requires Kelsie’s standard of cleanliness. We must examine ourselves, wash our minds, and renew ourselves by the Word of God and Christ’s shed blood so we can present the Gospel in an attractive way. We should be different from the world, not like it. Our peculiarities should cause others to wonder. They should also attract them to Christ as they observe our lifestyle.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

~1 John 1:9 NKJV

This brings to mind that little word we try our best to ignore: sin. We give intellectual assent to being renewed in Christ, but how can we want to confess a sin? The answer lies in knowing how much our Bridegroom loves us. It is so much easier to give up a sin when we know we are loved. Our Beloved stands ready to cleanse us, having paid the price for every sin—past, present, and future. We can walk in holiness. As we receive His love, we just don’t want to hold onto those little sins anymore. We become the Bride of Song 2:15, asking our Groom Jesus Christ to catch the little foxes that hinder spiritual growth. He willingly helps us, dancing on the mountaintop to protect us and shining His glory upon us until all the shadowy places in our lives are transformed. What remains is His glory within our souls.

Prayer is the key that unlocks the prison doors of sin’s sway. We enter Beloved Jesus’ love, and gratitude compels us to give every ounce of our being to Him. We want no idol or sin to stand in the way of this love relationship. Our Bridegroom gladly woos us to His side, allowing us to commune in His presence, and the moment we confess, sin slips away. He then provides us with the tools to keep sin at bay. Even transgressions that are deep-rooted are no match for the loving God who stays with us as we slay these giants.

As we traverse the prayer garden, Beloved says, “You are fair, my love, and there is no spot in you” (Song 4:7 NKJV). He says this ahead of our cleansing because He knows the process works. He assures us we will be victorious over sin. James 4:6b-7 NKJV shows the process, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

It doesn’t seem logical that permitting Beloved to love us erases our sin, but it’s true. When we see the beauty of who He is and the depth of His love that’s indescribable in human terms, we want to be like Him. Apart from Jesus, this is impossible, but yoked to our Beloved, we become glorious within.

Do you want the Kelsie level of cleanliness within your soul? Come to Jesus and permit His cleansing love to saturate you through and through.

Are you cleansed within?

Beloved Jesus, thank You helping me to become whom You intend me to be. As I submit, resting in Your loving embrace, I trust You to cleanse my soul. Amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2021: Are you Cleansed?: Diane Virginia: All Rights Reserved

Published: January 2022: Inspire a Fire: Senior Editor Martin Wiles; Executive Editor Cindy Sproles