Clean

Have you ever went a few days without a shower? Sometimes when we go camping I don’t shower. I know I’m gross. I don’t really mind that much but after we get home and I’ve had a chance to bathe and get cleaned up I realize how much better I feel when I’m clean. I even feel more energized. In Hebrews 12:1&2 it says to take off anything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race set before us keeping our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. When I think about this verse I think about how heavy my clothes get during the work day or a long camping trip. At days end it feels good to get them off and get clean. Sin is like those dirty clothes. It’s heavy to carry around and we can’t live to our fullest potential with that filth hanging on us! To run the race of life we need to shed some weight and get clean. Jesus paved the way for us to do just that. He endured the cross so that we could be forgiven. Cleaned up from our sin. He was able to deal with great opposition because he didn’t have sin to entangle him or slow him down. We can’t be perfect like Jesus but we can be forgiven which takes the weight of sin off of us so that we too can endure much!! Living in obedience to Christ instead of living the life of sin is to live life free of the weight and filth that keeps us from our full potential!! True freedom is to be forgiven. Paul who spend much time in prison for preaching the good news of Jesus and sometimes he was even in chains, considered himself a free man. He had once lived in true bondage. The bondage of sin but after he met Jesus and was forgiven, even in chains he was free!! I have never been in physical chains but I have experienced the bondage of sin and I have felt it’s weight!! I also have experienced that weight being lifted!! Thank you dear God for sending Jesus to take away ours sins that are much too heavy to carry!!