The first has to do with being cleansed from the defilement of our own sin. Sin is not a popular word in our culture, but the apostle John reminds us that if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves (verse 8). The point is that light reveals what was formerly in the dark. Many who first come to Celebrate Recovery (a Christ centred 12 step program) are aware of just one issue. Perhaps it is an alcohol addiction or pornography or co-dependency. What I hear over and over in this program, is that as recovery starts to take place, the Lord reveals other problems, problems that may have lead to the addiction in the first place. Unforgiveness is huge and it poisons us, but I am not here to give a comprehensive list of sins. I will leave it to the Lord to nudge you in this in the right place at the right time. He has a different priority than we do, He knows how fragile we are and knows the right pace to go, in bringing wholeness to us through His forgiveness and cleansing.
The other other aspect of the cleansing of His blood has to do with the defilement we experience as we walk in the World. The closer we get to Christ the more the former things we did, and still see in others, bother us. We all know of the ex-smoker who has an evangelical zeal to stomp out smoking. On the one hand it is certainly wrong to be self righteous about these things, but on the other they can be what we call triggers, temptations to go back to the old ways that brought us so much pain. It is hard for our friends to understand. Off colour jokes that once seemed harmless and brought us together now leave us with a bad taste in our mouths. This is not because we have suddenly become prudish or judgemental, but because as we walk in His light we start to see how degrading they are (usually at the expense of others) and displeasing to the Lord. So then what I am saying is that the pollution of sin, our own and others leave us feeling defiled and dirty. But, Praise God, the blood of Jesus, his Son, keeps on cleansing us from this sin pollution too.
