If you struggle to believe that God likes you due to the overwhelming evidence of your sinfulness, listen closely to Jesus. He told his friends the night before he died, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3).
How could Jesus say that? The guys in the upper room were hours away from denying Jesus and abandoning Jesus, so how could they be “already clean”? Jesus told them, “Because of the word I have spoken to you.” The word of Jesus, his message of forgiveness and salvation, had the power to make them clean. When God looks at a Christian, because of the blood of Christ, he declares with authority: “Already clean!”
“But, Pastor Mike, what if I have a record, have done time behind bars, am on parole?” Already clean. “But what if I’m still struggling with the same sins I did a year ago?” Already clean. “But what if I was a rebellious kid who did shameful things?” Already clean. “But what if I messed up my marriage?” Already clean. “But what if I said …” Already clean. “But what if I …” Already clean. “But what if …” Already clean. “But what …” Already clean. “But …” Already clean!
Do you regret your sins? Me too. Do you wish you could go back and redo parts of life? Me too. But Jesus shed his blood to make sure that there is no condemnation, that you are, right now, already clean.
