You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. – John 15:3 (NIV)
Today’s verse is a little different. You have to think a little bit about what it means and how it applies to your life. It says the words that Jesus spoke made the disciples clean. What were those words? The sum of all those words is what we refer to as the gospel.
So this verse is telling us that the gospel makes us clean. Why? Because when we put our trust in the work of Jesus, in the gospel and the words He has spoken to us, we’re made clean from all sin.
Its sort of like when your parents know the right people. In my life, I can remember a time when my dad knew a person who worked at a restaurant. Every time we went into the restaurant, the worker gave us coupons for free sandwiches and things the restaurant sold. That meant the next time we visited we got food for free. It was great!
Did I get those coupons because of something I did? No, my family got them because of who my dad knew and what family I was a part of. The same is true with us being clean from sin. We didn’t do anything to deserve God’s forgiveness. But rather by faith we became part of God’s family. As a result, we got benefits (salvation, cleansing from sin) that we didn’t deserve.
So today, encourage yourself to remember how good God is. Know that you are cleansed, but not because of anything you’ve done, rather because of what you put your faith in.
