John 13:9­10

What is cleansed in the Christian?

Ps 51:12­15
Our conscience is cleansed from accusation and the sense of the Father’s displeasure and is re­sensitized to holiness.

What else is cleansed in the Christian?

We are cleansed from moral defilement, as we flee from sin, mortifying its power, making no provision for it, and put off the old man.

2 Cor 7:1; 1 Cor 10:13; 2 Tim 2:22; Col 3:5; Rom 13:14

How do we flee from sin?

Rom 13:14; Matt 5:29­30
We flee from sin by removing opportunities to sin, like tempting situations, provocative stimuli, or by toying with temptation. Where a ‘radical amputation’ is necessary, it must be done to prevent further opportunities to sin. Faith will make sure we do not lead ourselves into temptation.

1 John 2:15­17
You must recognise that worldliness kills faith and strengthens the unbelief which fuels sinful desire. Protect your faith by shielding it from faith­killing and sin­fuelling influences.

Flee from sin by removing and separating from influences which feed the sinful nature. This could be things on TV, radio, Internet, types of music, certain places, certain social situations, certain leisure activities, certain acquaintances.

1 Cor 10:13; 2 Cor 10:5­6; 2 Tim 2:22

You flee from sin by saying ‘no’ to sin at the point of temptation ­ first in thought, and also in deed. God grants you ‘victory’ over sin at the moment of obedience, not a moment before.

If we are being cleansed from sin, we are then moving to a deeper communion with God.

What does deeper communion with God look like?

1. Love for God (Mark 12:30)
   Primarily, increased communion is evident in love for God. The holier you are, the more you see of Christ, and so love Him all the more (Matthew 5:8, Heb 12:14).
2. Love for one another (John 13:34, 1 John 3:23)
   Finding sufficiency in Christ and delight in Him overflows into love for His children (2 Cor 8:1­5). Love is the pursuit of the spiritual joy and maturity of other Christians. This is the stated aim of ministering to one another (Ephesians 4:12­16, Col 1:28). To put it simply, your love for Christ will overflow into wanting others to know the joy of loving Christ. Acts of love done for believers are acts done for and to Christ (Matthew 25:34­40). In other words, it is love and delight in and to Christ which overflows then into meeting the spiritual needs of others.
3. Love for our neighbour (Matt 22:39­40, Rom 13:9­10, Gal 5:14, James 2:8)
   The command to love our neighbour sums up the rest of all God’s commands. In essence, this means to be and do to others as you would want done to you. Since you always seek the best for your own life, have the same attitude toward your neighbour.
4. Love for our enemies (Matt 5:44­45)
   Enemies are those who mistreat us, malign us and deliberately seek our harm. Love for enemies is the ultimate test that we are in fact living by faith, and thus being empowered by grace.

What does growth in communion lead to?

Likeness brings nearness: God communicates Himself most to the soul that has progressed farthest in Christlikeness (James 4:8; John 14:21, 15:9­10; Eph 3:16­19). The more we are like