This is the seventh prayer in the prayer acrostic, F.O.L.L.O.W. C.H.R.I.S.T.
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C: I Confess My Sins!
- "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Prayerful Observations:
Forgiveness is conditioned on confession. The result of our confession is two-fold: Forgiveness and cleansing.
This forgiveness and cleansing is to restore fellowship. It is not a cleansing to keep us from damnation, as Christ has already accomplished our freedom from damnation:
- Christ "through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12).
Prayerful Observations:
Eternal redemption is ours at conversion by His blood. This redemption is eternal. It is not intermittent or probationary. If redemption was intermittent or probationary, it would not be ETERNAL. This redemption last forever. Failure to confess sin does not result in damnation to a child of God. It makes one unclean, but not damned.
According to Ephesians 2:8, we are saved by faith, not works. And there is no such thing as one who believes and stops believing. This is the very explicit teaching of Hebrews 3:6, 14.
Now, back to the subject passage:
- "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
There are two cleansings. One occurs at conversion. The other occurs as we confess sins committed after conversion. This is taught in the thirteenth chapter of John. I will explain.
At the Passover meal, shortly before Christ's arrest and crucifixion, Jesus washed the disciple's feet to show them that there were two cleansings (John 13:1-15). He said that those who were "completely clean" must allow Christ to wash their feet (v 10). Jesus said that if the disciples did not allow Him to wash their feet, that they would "have no part with" him. It would break fellowship. He said that they would "understand later" what He had done for them. They would understand after they saw His blood shed for them. They were eternally and "completely clean" by His blood (Hebrews 9:12).
Here is the passage from John 13:1-15
"Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God, and was going to God, 4 arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, 'Lord, do you wash my feet?'
7 Jesus answered him, 'You don't know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.'
8 Peter said to him, 'You will never wash my feet!'
Jesus answered him, 'If I don't wash you, you have no part with me.'
9 Simon Peter said to him, 'Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!'
10 Jesus said to him, 'Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you'
11 For he knew him who would betray him (Judas), therefore he said, 'You are not all clean.' 12 So when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me, 'Teacher' and 'Lord.' You say so correctly, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should also do as I have done to you."
Prayerful Observations regarding John 13:1-15
Some say that the washing of the disciple's feet teaches us to serve one another. But a message of serving does not fit the particulars of the event. If the message was one of service, then the teaching would be to allow others to serve us in little things (foot washing) when we were "completely clean". Peter was rebuked for not allowing Jesus to wash his feet. The rebuke was not because Peter wouldn't wash the feet of Jesus. Furthermore, if we didn't allow someone to do little things for us, we would "have no part" with them. This amounts a message of enjoying fellowship by letting others serve us when our needs were small. Additionally, if the message was about service or hygiene, they would have been able to understand that message before the crucifixion. Jesus would not have said, "'You don't know what I am doing now, but you will understand later" (v 7).
Jesus said, "'Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you". The foot washing didn't' apply to Judas because he was not "completely clean". He needed a complete cleaning. He needed to be converted "through the washing of regeneration" (Titus 3:5). A relationship must exist before it can be restored. We don't know if Jesus washed the feet of Judas, since the account doesn't tell us. If Judas was in the room at the time and Jesus skipped Judas, they would not have understood, since Jesus said in verse 7 "You don't know what I am doing now, but you will understand later." They probably thought that it had to do with foot comfort, hygiene or service. Perhaps Judas had already washed his feet. We don't know. The use of the phrase "the disciples" in verse 5 does not mean that all twelve were present (John 18:1-3).
Verse eleven says, "For he knew him who would betray him, therefore He said, "You are not all clean." When Jesus said that Judas was not clean, it is clear that He was speaking of a spiritual uncleanness. He was not speaking of a physical need.
Summary:
John 13:1-15 teaches that a convert's fellowship with Christ is broken as a result of sin. Broken fellowship with one who is "completely clean" is what Jesus meant by the sentence "If I don't wash you, you have no part with me" (v 8). That fellowship is restored by allowing Christ to forgive us "wash our feet". It also teaches that fellowship with brothers in Christ is broken because of sin.
Fellowship among Christian brothers is restored in the same way. We confess our sins to each other (Matthew 18:15-17, James 5:16) and the injured brother forgives (washes our feet). Two things must happen between "completely clean" brothers to restore fellowship after one sins against another.
- First, the offending brother must confess his sin (allow the offended brother to wash his feet).
- Second, the offended brother must forgive (wash the offending brothers feet). If we do not do this, fellowship is not restored, no matter how much time passes. Fellowship is not restored, even after half a century of ignoring the problem.
Foot washing represents forgiveness in restoration of fellowship.
1976
One of my parents used to say "I don't want revenge. I just want to get even." It can take a long time to get even. My parents were in some form of litigation for most of the period between 1968 and 1993, a quarter century. It caused a lot of tension. I was typically caught in between. There can be hell to pay when one refuses to cooperate in one person's vendetta against another. In my experience, saying "no" is not usually the end of the matter. If one doesn't keep one's eyes fixed on Christ, one can get lost.
One way that we get lost is from our tendency to avoid suffering. Most of us try to avoid suffering. We tend to do this automatically. We don't need to train ourselves to automatically avoid suffering. 1 Peter 4:1 says "he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin". One must come to terms with physical pain. Fasting is one way to develop the proper attitude towards suffering. Through fasting, one breaks the habit of automatic pain avoidance.
One of my parents filed for divorce against the other in 1968, 1972 and in 1976. Even after they were divorced, they were typically involved in some kind of lawsuit against each other. In the six members of my childhood family, seven divorces have been filed so far.
During the third divorce of my parents in 1976, a family member did a very evil thing to me. I will refer to that person as "Peyton". It was the most devastating event in my life. That is true to the present day, nearly half a century later.
It brought me to the edge of some sort of emotional or spiritual precipice. It was as if evil was calling me into a darkness where I would feel nothing. I screamed "Jesus", and collapsed onto the floor and sobbed. But I was sobbing in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
For two years I was filled with hatred for Peyton. But after those two years, I realized that my hatred was destroying me. I couldn't find a place in the Bible where I was instructed to forgive one who wouldn't confess their sin. But I decided that I needed to forgive that person anyway. I had to stop the destruction that my hatred was causing in my soul.
I still saw Peyton regularly at family gatherings. At one point, Peyton asked me why I didn't call or visit. My response was "You said you would call the sheriff if I ever came back." Peyton denied the entire event, as if it had never happened. I concluded that possibly, because of severe emotional trauma, Peyton had some sort of blackout. Our family had severe emotional trauma ad infinitum. So, I began to call and visit. But fellowship was not restored. I could always sense Peyton's anger.
After that, Peyton became angry at me because I would not join in an attack on another family member. In anger, Peyton said "You are so *#*#. That's why I did #*#~* to you." My response was "So, you do remember what you did to me."
I continued to forgive, in the knowledge that Peyton knew full well what Peyton had done, even though Peyton refused to confess or ask for forgiveness. Over the decades Peyton did nice things to me. Peyton seemed to think that a wicked act could be atoned for by adding good acts to cancel the bad. Peyton seemed to think that time would heal the wounds.
I will address this figuratively. If Peyton cuts off Jim's toes, with Jim being the primary witness of Peyton's act, but Peyton refuses to apologize or even acknowledge said act... Peyton will not be able heal the relationship by bringing donuts to Jim for decades. Even though Jim forgives Peyton, the relationship is not restored.
There are two parts to the restoration of human relationships. There are two parts to the restoration of the relationship between a convert and God. The two parts are confession by the offender and forgiveness by the one offended. If only one of the two parts is completed without the other part, the relationship is not restored.
That is why Jesus said "If I don't wash you, you have no part with me." We confess when our feet are dirty. The forgiveness by the offended one is figuratively represented by washing the offender's dirty feet.
So, if you have broken your relationship with another person by your sin, here is the way to restore fellowship: Confessing your wrong to that person and ask for forgiveness. If the other person will not forgive, the relationship will not be restored, but you will have done your part. You can then pray that the other person will forgive you.
For those of you who have been deeply wounded by the sins of another, you need to forgive the offender to avoid destroying your life in your own bitterness, anger and hatred.
I will relate one other case of a family member sinning against me. I will call this person Devon. Even though I forgave Devon, Devon would not apologize. I still invited Devon over for holidays, family events and etc. for years. But I did not allow Devon to be alone with my children out of concern that Devon would try to turn them against me. If you are not concerned about your physical safety, you may be able to do the same. For those of you who have been severely wounded, I have prayed.