How Clean Are You—Really?
Do you ever stop and ask yourself: Do I feel clean?
Not just outwardly—but deep down, in your soul?
For many of us, the feeling of spiritual cleanness is tied to behavior. When we’re “doing well”—praying, avoiding sin, helping others—we feel good, maybe even righteous. But that kind of cleanness is temporary. Sooner or later, we mess up. We get angry. We get selfish. We fall short. And just like that, the clean feeling fades.
Others take a more theological view. They know—on an intellectual level—that they’re clean because of what Jesus did on the cross. His death paid for their sin, so they’re positionally righteous before God. And that’s absolutely true. But knowing you’re clean in theory doesn’t always make you feel clean in practice.
Even in Jesus’ day, people wrestled with this. The Pharisees obsessed over staying outwardly pure. They avoided anything—or anyone—that might defile them. But Jesus called them out. He said, “It’s not what goes into you that makes you unclean—it’s w...
Will You Be Part of the Joyful Ascent?
I can remember it very clearly, as if it were yesterday. I was seated in a room with nearly 500 elderly people, listening to a presentation of the significance of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The man speaking was also drawing an elaborate picture with chalk pastels. I had heard many of the “facts” before, I had even heard some of the stories, but I had never really understood the significance of Jesus ascending into heaven.
Recently, on May 26th, was the celebration of what western church historians call Ascension Day; the celebration of Jesus being carried or taken up into heaven. (The story is recorded in the books of Mark, Luke and Acts.) I am reminded how on that evening many years ago I came to realize that when Jesus ascended into heaven, it opened the way for me to have a relationship with Him, the living God-man – and nothing has been the same ever since.
Do you believe that Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after He was crucified and killed? Jesus’ ascent brought ...
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