This cleansing takes place by the water of the Word.

Continually Cleansing Through The Word Of God


John 13: Jesus washes His Disciples' feet(13:1-11)
Jesus was no longer walking among the hostile Jews. He had retired with His disciples to an upper room in in Jerusalem for a final time of fellowship with them before going forth to His trial and crucifixion.

The day before the crucifixion, the Lord Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to die, to rise again, and to go back to heaven. He had loved His own, that is those who were true believers. He loved them to the end of His earthly ministry and will continue to love them throughout eternity. But He also loved them to an infinite degree, as He was about to demonstrate.

John13:5 In eastern lands, the use of open sandals made it necessary to wash ones feet frequently. It was common courtesy for a host to arrange to have a slave wash the feet of his guests. Here the divine Host became the slave and performed this lowly service. “Jesus at the feet of the traitor—what a picture! What lessons for us!”
13:6 Peter was shocked to think of the Lord's washing his feet, and he expressed his disapproval that One so great as the Lord should condescend to one so unworthy as he. “The sight of God in the role of a servant is disturbing.”

13:7 Jesus now taught Peter that there was a spiritual meaning to what He was doing. Foot-washing was a picture of a certain type of spiritual washing. Peter knew that the Lord was performing the physical act, but he did not understand the spiritual significance. He would know it soon, however, because the Lord explained it. And he would know it by experience when later he was restored to the Lord after having denied Him.
The basin speaks of cleansing from the pollution of sin and must take place, continually cleansing through the Word of God. There is one bath but many foot-washing.

John13:8 Peter illustrates the extremes of human nature. He vowed that the Lord would never wash his feet—and here “never” literally means “not for eternity.” The Lord answered Peter that apart from His washing, there could be no fellowship with Him.


The meaning of foot-washing is now unfolded. As Christians walk through this world, they contract a certain amount of defilement. Listening to vile talk, looking at unholy things, working with ungodly men, inevitably soil the believer. He needs to be constantly cleansed.


This cleansing takes place by the water of the Word.

As we read and study the Bible, as we hear it preached, and as we discuss it with one another, we find that it cleanses us from the evil influences about us. On the other hand, the more we neglect the Bible, the more these wicked influences can remain in our minds and lives without causing us any great concern.

When Jesus said “you have no part with Me,” He did not mean that Peter could not be saved unless He washed him, but rather that fellowship with the Lord can be maintained only by the continual cleansing action of the Scriptures in his life.

13:9, 10 Now Peter shifted to the other extreme. A minute ago, he was saying, “Never.” Now he said, “Wash me all over.”
On the way back from the public bath, a person's feet would get dirty again. He didn't need another bath but did need to have his feet washed. “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean.” There is a difference between the bath and the basin. The bath speaks of the cleansing received at the time of ones salvation. Cleansing from the penalty of sin through the blood of Christ takes place only once. The basin speaks of cleansing from the pollution of sin and must take place continually through the Word of God. There is one bath but many foot-washing. “You are clean, but not all of you” means that the disciples had received the bath of regeneration—that is, all the disciples but Judas. He had never been saved.13:11 With full knowledge of all things, the Lord knew that Judas would betray Him, and so He singled out one as never having had the bath of redemption.

Mat_4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' "

Pro 4:20:22 My son, give attention to MY WORDS; Incline your EAR to my SAYINGS.

Prov 4:21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;

Prov 4:22 For they are LIFE to those who find them, And HEALTH to ALL their flesh.






Heb 10:22
1. With a true heart. The people of Israel drew near to God with their mouth, and honoured Him with their lips, but their heart was often far from Him (Mat_15:8). Our approach should be with utter sincerity.
2. In full assurance of faith. We draw near with utter confidence in the promises of God and with the firm conviction that we shall have a gracious reception into His presence.
3. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. This can be brought about only by the new birth. When we trust Christ, we appropriate the value of His blood. Figuratively speaking, we sprinkle our hearts with it, just as the Israelites sprinkled their doors with the blood of the Passover lamb. This delivers us from an evil conscience. Our testimony is:
Conscience now no more condemns us,
For His own most precious blood
Once for all has washed and cleansed us,
Cleansed us in the eyes of God.
—Frances Bevan
4. And our bodies washed with pure water. Again this is symbolic language. Our bodies represent our lives. The pure water might refer either to the word (Eph_5:25-26), to the Holy Spirit (Joh_7:37-39), or to the Holy Spirit using the word in cleansing our lives from daily defilement. We are cleansed once for all from the guilt of sin by the death of Christ, but cleansed repeatedly from the defilement of sin by the Spirit through the word (see Joh_13:10).
Thus we might summarised the four requisites for entering God's presence as sincerity, assurance, salvation, and sanctification.
10:23 The second exhortation is to hold fast the confession of our hope. Nothing must be allowed to turn us from the staunch confession that our only hope is in Christ.
For those who were tempted to give up the future, unseen blessings of Christianity for the present, visible things of Judaism, there is the reminder that He who promised is faithful. His promises can never fail; no one who trusts in Him will ever be disappointed. The Saviour will come, as He has promised, and His people will be with Him and like Him forever.




1Pe 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.