THE PROCESS OF CLEANSING

JOHN 13:9–11

“He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean …”

(John 13:10).

There is some debate over the motivation behind Peter’s response in this passage: “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Some, like Hendriksen, think Peter responds in such a way because he thinks the benefits he will receive in Christ are proportional to the washing he receives, i.e. the more places that are physically cleansed on his body, the more benefits he will receive as a joint-heir with Christ in glory.

Others, such as Matthew Henry and John Calvin, maintain that Peter, who despite his impulsiveness was ever aware of his sinfulness, was confessing his need for complete cleansing. If he needed to be cleansed from his sin, then he wanted to be cleansed fully and not just in part. While Hendriksen’s interpretation would be fully in line with the apparent tendency of the disciples to blur the line between the physical and spiritual significance of Jesus’ teaching, Henry’s and Calvin’s interpretation is acceptable in light of Peter’s awareness of his own sinfulness. Remember his confession to Christ when he returned with his nets overflowing with fish: “Away from me, for I am a sinful man.” Peter knew all too well his need for spiritual cleansing.

But Peter still missed a very important point. He had already been cleansed by the Holy Spirit! His heart had been changed. But, as Jesus demonstrated, there was a sense in which he was not fully clean. He still needed daily cleansing by Christ. To put this in more doctrinal terms, Jesus was giving a demonstrative lesson in sanctification and the “being saved” dimension of redemption. We are brought to life by the Spirit, and the kingship of sin is removed, but we are not fully and completely sanctified until we are brought to glory. Until that point comes, we need to be continually putting to death the carnal part of us. This is represented by the feet, which is the lowest part of us, the part that is mired in day and in contact with the world and its passions. Calvin comments, “Thus Christ always finds in us something to cleanse. What is here spoken of is not the forgiveness of sins, but the renewal, by which Christ, by gradual and uninterrupted succession, delivers His followers entirely from the sinful desires of the flesh.”

CORAM DEO

Psalm 75–77

Romans 6

Do you ever question your salvation because of your sin? While we should certainly examine ourselves to see “whether we be in the faith,” we should not blur the lines between Christ’s forgiveness and our need for daily cleansing. Today, confess specific sins to Christ and ask Him to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

For further study: Isa. 1:16–18 • Ezek. 36:24–32 • 2 Cor. 6:14–7:1

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