July 30
‘Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.’ 1 Peter 1:22
Bible reading: 1 John 1:5-2:2 (Go to the Bible passage)
‘The blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purifies us from all sin.’ This is a scripture-verse that is quoted often and that can bring us great joy. For how else could we appear in the presence of God?
But how does this purification take place? Many think this will only happen in the far future when we will stand before God’s throne in eternity. But - if that were true - God would not have sent His Son to die on the cross on earth, but between heaven and earth, so that we could not sin anymore after the redemption. God intentionally placed the cross on earth, so that we on earth might die to sins and live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). Therefore, we should also here - in our earthly lives - experience the purifying power of the blood.
It is a great impoverishment to our spiritual lives when we simply assume the purification of sin instead of experience it. How many of us are still burdened by the guilt of sin, how many of us celebrate the salvation through the blood of the Lamb without experiencing the liberating power of this salvation!
Let us therefore be fully aware that the purifying power of the Blood works only there where we – like it is said in this passage - walk in the light as He is in the light. For only then will we have true fellowship with one another. And where this bond of love becomes reality, we do not want anything else than that our sins are brought to light. For where the love of Christ reigns, we learn to accept ourselves and therefore each other. Filled with His love, we then support each other in the obedience of Christ. But how could we do that without the salvation that Jesus brings, by making lost sinners into a new creation?

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