What To Do With Dirty Feet

1 John 1:6-7  ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

·        There is something many of us miss when we read this verse.      Can you see it?

·        If we are really walking in the light, why do we still need to be purified from sin?

·        There is only one possible answer …

·        Walking in the light does not mean living a PERFECT life, without need of cleansing.

·        Walking in the light means living a BLAMELESS life, even though you still need to be purified by the blood of Jesus!

·        When we use the word “perfect” today, we are speaking of something being “flawless.” But when the Bible uses the word “perfect” it is referring to “completeness” or “maturity.”

·        We will never reach total perfection in this life, but this does not give us a license to sin – in fact, it should push us toward more serious consecration.  We CAN walk in the light – in FREEDOM from sin!

·        The thirteenth chapter of John gives us clarification and insight …

(TELL STORY) – Jesus was doing more than initiating footwashing!

John 13:10

·        (KJV) Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

·        (NLT) Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you are clean, but that isn’t true of everyone here.”

·        (CEV) Jesus answered, “People who have bathed and are clean all over need to wash just their feet. And you, my disciples, are clean, except for one of you.”

·        WHAT DID JESUS MEAN?  (EXPLAIN CUSTOMS)

·        When we get saved, we get bathed from head to toe spiritually – all the years of filth and pollution are washed away, and we are made as white as snow … totally cleansed from sin!

·        Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

·        1 Corinthians 6:11 – And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

·        Ephesians 5:26 – That he might sanctify and cleanse [the church] with the washing of water by the word,

·        Titus 3:5 – Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

·        Hebrews 10:22 – Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

There is just one problem – we still live in this world!

·        We still have to walk along “dirty roads” and sometimes our feet get dirty even though we have been washed.  There’s simply no way to avoid all the dirt all the time!  (i.e. room full of smokers, profanity on the job site, lewd dress and behavior all around us)

·        We feel dirty, but that doesn’t mean we need another bath!

·        Sometimes we momentarily sin, we temporarily fall short, we have a fleeting envious thought, speak a judgmental word, cast a fleeting lustful glance, or quickly become swelled with pride because the Lord saw fit to use us.  OUR FEET ARE DIRTY!

·        God required purification from Israel for uncleanness as well as sin – that principle still holds true!

·        A child of God will have temporary shortcomings and failures, but that doesn’t mean we need to get saved all over again!

·        We know that we are walking in the light when we are quick to repent and also careful to guard our hearts.

·        We live in purity to the point that sin is an abnormality – merely dust and dirt on our feet while our whole body is clean.

·        This is in total contrast to those who despise the grace of God and go back to their old ways.

·        2 Peter 2:22 (NLT)  They make these proverbs come true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

·        BUT WE ARE CAREFUL TO KEEP OUR GARMENTS CLEAN!

·        2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)  Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

·        We are called to stay free from contamination.

·        God commands us to be blameless!

·        Only the blameless are blessed and used by God!

§  Noah (Ge. 6:9) – Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him.

§  Abraham (Ge. 17:1) – The Lord appeared to [Abraham] and said, “I am God Almighty; serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.”

§  Job (Job 1:1) – There was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.

§  Paul (1 Th. 2:10) – You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.

§  David (Ps. 18:23) – I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.

·        But it is not just the super saints who are called to be blameless!  This is what the Lord EXPECTS from all of us!

§  Deuteronomy 18:13 – You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

§  Psalm 15:1-2 – Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?  Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

§  Philippians 1:10 – For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns.

§  2 Peter 3:14 – And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God.

·        Many of God’s promises are given only to the blameless!

§  To the blameless You show Yourself blameless (2 Sam. 22:26)

§  No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless (Psalm 84:11)

§  He delights in those whose ways are blameless (Proverbs 11:20)

§  He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless (Proverbs 2:7)

§  He whose walk is blameless is kept safe (Proverbs 28:18)

§  Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord (Psalm 119:1)

·        BEING BLAMELESS IS OUR DESTINY AS CHILDREN OF GOD!

§  1 Corinthians 1:8 – He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

§  Ephesians 1:4 – For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.

§  Ephesians 5:25-27 – Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

§  1 Thessalonians 5:23 – Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

·        How can I possibly lead a blameless life in this world?  JUST REMEMBER THE PRINCIPLE OF 1 JOHN 1:7!  Being blameless does not mean being totally sinless, just totally committed!

·        WE DON’T HAVE TO BE POLLUTED!  It’s time we get consistent!

James 1:27 says that “pure religion” is …

·        to keep himself unspotted from the world (KJV)

·        [to] not let this world make you  evil (CEV)

·        [to] guard against corruption from the godless world (TM)

·        keeping yourself free from the world’s evil influence (NCV)

·        [to] keep oneself untarnished by the world (NEB)

·        [to] refuse to let the world corrupt us (NLT)

·        to keep oneself unstained by the world (NASB)

·        keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world (JB)

·        to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (NIV)

What about those dirty feet?

·        Those in the “I’ll Go Ahead And Sin Every Day” camp need to take notice of Paul’s words: “You can be sure that people who behave in this way will never be part of the kingdom …” (Eph. 5:5)

·        Those in the “I Have To Get Saved Every Week” camp need to remember the Lord’s words: “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.” (John 13:10)

·        IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE LEARN TO MAKE THIS DISTINCTION!

·        To be around sinners may give you an unclean feeling, but if you didn’t join with them in their sin, YOU are not unclean!  And if you do yield for a moment, confess and renounce your sin – wash your feet!

·        But what if I begin to like the darkness again and make it my habit to live there?  DANGER!  There is no such option for God’s people!

·        Footwashing is only effective for those who do not return to the mud!

·        God’s provision shouldn’t make us presumptuous, but cautious!

·        Song of Solomon 5:3 – I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

We are to be a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5) to the Lord

·        Exodus 29:4 – (consecration) And Aaron and his sons thou shalt … wash them with water.

·        Exodus 30:19-20 – (laver) For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet … that they die not.

·        Revelation 3:4-5 (NLT)  Yet even in Sardis there are some who have not soiled their garments with evil deeds. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.  All who are victorious will be clothed in white.   I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.

·        You were once a soiled sinner; now you’re a sanctified saint. You were condemned and carnal; now you’re consecrated and clean!

·        Don’t dirty your wedding garment!  Let’s walk home!  (1 John 1:7)