When we rest by simple faith on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, it brings peace with God. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. This is what the believer has to start with – forgiveness, peace, and acceptance into the favor of God. But then comes the question, what if I do sin after conversion? This is a point on which many young Christians are not at all clear, and we desire to draw attention to some Scripture truths, which we trust will be helpful to such.
And, first, we must clearly understand that there is no excuse for the Christian sinning. “These things write I unto you,” says the Apostle John, “that ye sin not.” But we may sin; and if we do, what then takes place? The answer of Scripture is very plain – our relationship as children to the Father is not broken thereby, but our communion with God is interrupted. Then comes in the blessed truth, “If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Notice the title here, “Father,” showing that we are still His children. The service of our ever-living Advocate in the Father’s presence is called into exercise on our behalf. Communion being broken by the allowance of sin, it is necessary that the Word should be applied to the conscience, so as to lead to self-judgment before God. And the door is open for restoration; for, “if we confess our sins, He (God our Father) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is not a kind of general confession. No, it is something far deeper; it is a confession of sins, specific acts, in genuine sorrow and humiliation.
When just about to leave the world, the Lord Jesus girded Himself and washed His disciples’ feet, and wiped them with the towel wherewith He was girded. It was truly an example of humility; but there was much more than this in it. He knew well how easy it was for them to contract defilement in going through this world, and that, too, with hearts ready to yield if not kept by His grace. And so He set about to do an act which gives us, in symbol, the service which He is now carrying on for His people on high.
How, some one may ask, does He wash our feet now? Well, that water in the basin represented the Word of God, as we read: “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”
“Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.”
And he sanctifies and cleanses “with the washing of water by the word.”
It is the application of the Word, the truth, to the heart and conscience to lead to self-judgment and restoration. There is no such thought in Scripture as any re-application of the blood; though, of course, it is true that it is only on the ground of the blood that any sin can be forgiven. The blood having been shed once for all has made a full and complete atonement, and it cleanses from all sin. Not merely sins up to a certain time in our history, and not beyond that, but all sin. But if the believer sins, he needs to be restored to communion with God, His Father, and this is effected by the washing of water by the Word.
Now, the ordinance of the “red heifer” in Numbers 19 gives us a very simple illustration of the same truth in the case of an Israelite who became defiled on his journey through the wilderness. This heifer, “without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke,” typified our Lord Jesus. Speaking briefly, it was to be slain and burned, and the ashes, kept with running water, in a clean place, were to be used as a “water of separation.” ‘‘a purification for sin.” These ashes spoke of the fact that the sacrifice had been consumed by the fire of divine judgment; and so the Lord Jesus bore the judgment due to our sins on the cross. What can touch the Christian’s heart more deeply than the application of the ashes, so to speak? Are we going to allow that sin which cost Christ all the agonies and sufferings of the cross to atone for? Are we going to sin against that infinite love which has done so much for us? But, even if failure has come in, let the believer not lose courage, for our ever-living Advocate never grows weary, and His service of love never fails.
Jesus Christ the Righteous is always there as our subsisting righteousness in the presence of God; and on the ground of that, which never changes, and the value of the shed blood, God is faithful and just in forgiving.
Thus, when we confess our sins, we are restored to the joy of the Father’s love: to communion with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.