Foot Washing
After writing last week’s blog I was reminded of the times when I did foot washing in two retreats and once at our church. When we had foot washing, we used lotion on each woman’s feet and prayed over her. It was a humbling act of service to one another and a powerful time of rededication to the Lord.
The story of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet is recorded in John 13:1-17 (NIV). During the Last Supper, Jesus took on the role of a servant and humbly washed each of His disciples’ feet. This act symbolized love, sacrifice, and service. Jesus emphasized that His followers should also serve one another in humility, just as He had done for them.
Jesus’ act of washing the disciples’ feet illustrated their spiritual cleansing. Jesus is the One who forgives. Peter and the rest had experienced the full cleansing of salvation and did not need to be bathed again in the spiritual sense. As followers of Christ, salvation is the one-time act of justification by faith while sanctification is the lifelong process, a daily washing away of the stain of sin.
This is important for us to realize that His forgiveness and love continually keeps us free in Him. It would be tragedy to allow the devil to make us feel that on every turn in our lives we need to repent because of being unworthy of His love. Do not live in a state of condemnation and unworthiness. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 5:26).
Until Jesus calls you home to forever be with Him, remember that you are forever forgiven, yet need daily to be washed by His Word into a repentant and forgiving lifestyle, in words and in deed. “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye†(Colossians 3:13 KJV).
The story of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet is recorded in John 13:1-17 (NIV). During the Last Supper, Jesus took on the role of a servant and humbly washed each of His disciples’ feet. This act symbolized love, sacrifice, and service. Jesus emphasized that His followers should also serve one another in humility, just as He had done for them.
Jesus’ act of washing the disciples’ feet illustrated their spiritual cleansing. Jesus is the One who forgives. Peter and the rest had experienced the full cleansing of salvation and did not need to be bathed again in the spiritual sense. As followers of Christ, salvation is the one-time act of justification by faith while sanctification is the lifelong process, a daily washing away of the stain of sin.
This is important for us to realize that His forgiveness and love continually keeps us free in Him. It would be tragedy to allow the devil to make us feel that on every turn in our lives we need to repent because of being unworthy of His love. Do not live in a state of condemnation and unworthiness. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 5:26).
Until Jesus calls you home to forever be with Him, remember that you are forever forgiven, yet need daily to be washed by His Word into a repentant and forgiving lifestyle, in words and in deed. “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye†(Colossians 3:13 KJV).