Your Daily Cleansing

Our Lord Jesus not only cleansed us at the point of conversion, but he graciously continues to cleanse us as we confess our sins (1 John 1:7, 9). Scripture warns us not to claim that we are sinless. If we do, then we only deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8, 10). John Owen wisely saw "the believer's need for daily cleansing." 

There are no perfect Christians here below. Our temptations continue. Our battle with the flesh is reality (Galatians 5:17). Our sanctification is not perfect nor complete in this life. Our growth in holiness continues, but we do sin from time to time. Free from the bondage to sin, we are not yet free from the temptation to sin.

John Owen (1616-1683) a Puritan theologian saw the believer's need for daily cleansing. He wrote, "Go daily to Jesus for cleansing. Hence also is manifest the necessity we have of continual applications to Jesus Christ for cleansing virtue from his Spirit and the sprinkling of his blood on our consciences to purge them from dead works."

Owen recognized the need for daily cleansing from our sins as believers. Not only did he recognize the need, but more importantly, he recognized that cleansing is open daily for all believers. Our conscience witnesses to our need. The blood of Jesus avails to daily cleanse you from all sin.

The Trinity of Salvation

The Bible clearly reveals the Trinity of salvation. There is election by the Father, redemption by the Son, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit. The three eternal Persons of the Holy Trinity work in perfect harmony from the beginning to the completion of your salvation.

Water baptism is every believer's public testimony. Jesus commanded believers to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Praise be to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for your complete salvation. God will saves believers to the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14).

God the Father chose to save sinners by grace through faith in his Son Jesus. God the Son came to reveal the fullness of God's grace (John 1:14). That grace was fully revealed at the cross of Jesus. His substitutionary death guarantees the complete salvation for all who believe the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). His glorious resurrection is every believer's justification. Jesus completely saves!

God the Holy Spirit is also known as the Spirit of grace, applying complete salvation to the believer's heart. The Holy Spirit seals every believer as the guarantee of our salvation, complete unto glorification in the day Christ returns (Ephesians 1:13-14).

When You Are Justified

Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, "In justifying us God tells us that He has taken our sins and our guilt, and has imputed them to, put them to the account of, the Lord Jesus Christ and punished them in Him. He announces also that, having done that, He now puts to our account, or imputes to us, the perfect righteousness of His own dear Son."

When you are justified, it's by faith alone in Christ alone. We are justified from all sin at the cross of Jesus (1 John 1:7). Then, God puts the righteousness of Christ on our account. As Lloyd-Jones declared, "He now puts to our account, or 'imputes' to us, the perfect righteousness of His own dear Son."

Martin Luther focused upon the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ. He referred to it as the great exchange. Believers exchange their sins for the righteousness of Christ. Augustus Toplady, called it the double cure in his hymn, Rock of Ages. We sing these words: "Be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure." That's when you are justified.

When you are justified, it's through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. By faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, believers are justified from all sin (Romans 5:1). But, God does even more for every believer. He puts the righteousness of Christ on our account (2 Corinthians 5:21). Yes, our record of sin is wiped clean, and God also accounts us righteous in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17-19).