"HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WANTING TO BE CLEANSED OF SIN, AND FORGIVEN BY GOD."

"HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WANTING TO BE CLEANSED OF SIN, AND FORGIVEN BY GOD."

Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.

Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

2Cor 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

1John 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. Let's start with what King David said in Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. Notice, He was confessing his sin, and asking God to wash him from his iniquity, and to cleanse him from his sin. We can follow this same pattern. To acknowledge our sins and our iniquities to God, and ask Him to wash us and to cleanse us. In a word, we can pray and ask God to do it, and He will.

2. Again, here's another truth that God proclaimed through David.
Psalm 119:9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. The question is asked, "How can a young man cleanse his way?" The answer is not just for young people, but for anyone. And, the answer is, by taking heed according to Your Word. Here's how it reads in the NLT Psalm 119:9 How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its rules.
Obedience to God's Word, and following the rules that God gives to us, will help us to be pure, to be cleansed, and to stay that way.

3. Jesus stated it in a slightly different way. Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. He also encouraged us to make confession of our sins a part of our prayer life and walk with God. When we know we have sinned, we are to ask God to forgive us, and He will. And, Jesus adds, that we are to ask God to forgive us, just as we forgive our debtors, those who have sinned against us. So, there is cleansing and forgiveness that takes place from human to human, and from human to God. God forgives, and we are to be just like Him, forgiving others also.

4. Paul addresses the matter also in 2Cor 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Essentially, he says that we have promises from God about His cleansing us. Here are those promises. 

2nd Cor 6:17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

2nd Cor 6:1“I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”

So, as you look at those two verses, you can see the call of God to come out, and be separate, and not to touch the unclean thing, and God would receive you. Also, God says He will be a Father to you, and you shall be His sons and daughters Says the LORD Almighty.

We have these promises, and we are to act upon them, believing them, taking them to heart, and doing just as God instructs us to do, and we will be cleansed and forgiven.

5. Now let's see what James says in James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. He starts off by encouraging us to draw near to God, and promises us that God will draw near to us. And, that we are to cleanse our hands, and purify our hearts. In the NLT it reads this way "Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites."

This is so encouraging isn't it. God promises to draw near to us, if we draw near to Him, and then states that we ought to, and can be cleansed in our hands, and in our hearts.

6. Lastly, the apostle John says in 1John 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. As you can see, confession, or acknowledging your sins, and or agreeing with God, or saying the same thing He does about your sin, is the first step towards forgiveness and cleansing. We are told two things here about God. That He is faithful, or dependable, and that He is just. meaning, He is right, or righteous, or He will do what is right, which is to be faithful to His promises of course.

And, we are told, 2 things that God will do. He will forgive us our sins, and He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Cleanse means to be clear. Our account will be clear with God as it were.

A prayer:

Father, we are in such need of what only You can provide. Thank You for being so faithful, so just, so willing to forgive us and to cleanse us from our sins, and our iniquities. For they are many, and they can come upon us in a flash. But, Lord in an instant You can forgive, You only call us to be honest with You. Thank You for Your grace and Your mercy. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.