James 1:13-15 - "Clean"

I woke up this morning singing Natalie Grant's "Clean"....

There's nothing too dirty that You can't make worthy
You wash me in mercy
I am clean.

Last night I was asked, "Miss Sheila what is the worst thing you've ever done?" 
My reply, "I'm not going to tell you.
"Why? You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine."
What an awesome teaching opportunity! I explained everything 'bad' I've ever done is no longer because I've asked the Lord to forgive me and He has wiped my slate clean. My sins are no longer in His mind. Therefore, I do not have to think about them myself! This happened at the end of class. I wish it would have been earlier so I would have had more time to explain. Hopefully a seed was planted to get this young man thinking and I will have further time to explain it. We don't have to fret over the past. It is just that. The past. When we repent, the Lord forgives us and He forgets our transgressions. Sometimes we have a hard time forgetting and even forgiving ourselves. But we don't have to. This song says it all...

Washed in the blood of Your sacrifice
Your blood flowed red and made me white
My dirty rags are purified
I am clean

Clean. Not just partly but completely. He cleanses us when we allow Him to. Natalie Grant writes about this song:

"I think maybe what there has been is an absence of light. I think that what's happened is that there's not enough good being done in the world and instead we're focusing on the evil," she continued.

Grant proceeded to note different dark times in world history, pointing out Hitler and slavery.

"I think that with the growth of social media we're just so much more aware of evil, and that's what this album's about – is to get our focus on the problem of the world and the problems in your own world and to get your focus back on Jesus, the king of the world, the one who is still in control. Instead of pointing your fingers at other people and saying, 'I need you to do this for me,' why don't we raise our hands and say, 'I was born to do this for You.'"

Too many people are wallowing around in the junk of their past instead of allowing Jesus to cleanse them fully. Some have repented yet they enjoy going back into the filth of their sins. The evil one loves to bring back memories to try to make us feel dirty. He loves to cause us to think we are worthless and have done things that are too bad to be forgiven for. But our Heavenly Father loves us enough that He sent His son to die for all of our sins. When we allow the evil one to control our lives, Jesus' death is for naught. We must stand up and proclaim the cleansing the Lord gives us in order to stand up against the evil one tearing us down. Jesus' desire for us is to live a cleansed life. He didn't just forgive us but He forgot all of the wrong we have done. Now we need to accept Him fully and forgive ourselves along with forgetting the past. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for loving me enough to die for me. Thank You for cleansing me fully. Thank You for forgetting my past sins. Thank You for empowering me to live a cleansed life. Lord, fill me to overflowing with more of You today so people will see and hear You through me. I pray You will not only be my words and actions but be my attitude. Father, I sometimes struggle with believers who wallow in their own dirt. But I know I use to live that life too. I am grateful I don't live there now and pray for others to grasp a life of holiness that will allow them to not live there either. Thank You Father for being My Cleanser. Amen.