Washed, Yet Still Walking
The final splash gives way to slowly decreasing ripples across the surface of the water. A thin layer of oil drifts away from now-cleansed skin. The last drops fall from the body as the reflection of the one who finished washing slowly appears upon the surface below.
After drying off, the walk home begins, leaving the river behind. With a light pack thrown over the shoulder, dust rises again with every step along the road. Reaching home, the now-clean traveler sits down, removes his shoes and quickly wipes the dust from his feet so that no dirt is carried into the house.
In the same way, we are cleansed by Christ and made new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), yet we still continue to walk through this present life. The call upon the believer is to cast away the old habits that no longer belong to our new nature. The hardest part has already been accomplished through the cross and sacrifice of Christ, where the consequences of sin were dealt with fully. Now we are called to walk in the new life we have received from Him, walking in His righteousness while putting away the old ways that once enslaved us.
Trees and Their Fruit
Consider this further: we are like trees. Paul clearly lists the fruit of the flesh and warns that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19–21, 24–26). Before Christ, all of us bore some of this fruit. Yet in Christ we have been made new. The very nature of the believer now stands opposed to the old fruit that once grew naturally from us.
Still, remnants of the old life often remain upon the branches. The call is therefore to cast these things away. Our attitude toward sin reveals much about our hearts. Sanctification is often slow and becomes visible over time, much like observing a tree across several seasons rather than judging it from a single moment. There is a difference between struggling against old habits and willingly continuing in them. A tree continually producing corrupt fruit reveals its nature, but the lingering presence of old fruit upon a believer only magnifies the grace of the Saviour who rescued us from sin.
Over time, the old fruit should become less and less. We are therefore called to pray seriously, flee temptation and pursue cleanness. We are not striving to become new trees, but learning to live according to the new life already given to us by Christ.
Washing One Another’s Feet
Jesus Christ washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:5–11). He explained that those who had already been cleansed only needed their feet washed, while Judas himself was not clean. Here Christ speaks of the difference between those who belong to Him and those who do not.
This also teaches us something important about life among believers. We help one another wash the dust of the world from our feet. As we walk through life, dust continually clings to us, and believers are called to serve one another in love. We should therefore allow the counsel, correction and encouragement of fellow believers as we walk together after Christ.
The Old Grave Clothes
Scripture also warns us not to grow blind regarding holiness. Peter writes that the one lacking godliness has forgotten the cleansing from former sins (2 Peter 1:9). Christ likewise teaches that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit (Matthew 7:18).
Yet we must understand this carefully. Through faith in Jesus Christ we are no longer bad trees attempting to become good. God Himself has made us new. The call upon believers is not to create a new nature through works, but to cast away what no longer belongs to that new nature. A bad tree becoming good is a miracle accomplished by God alone through Christ. Nothing can be added to that work.
We all continue to struggle against remnants of the old self, but we are called to put away the old grave clothes. This article concerns the casting away of corrupt fruit. In the next part we will consider the good fruit that should grow in its place.
The Orchard of God
If we are now new trees, then we are also part of an orchard under the care of its keeper. The keeper knows the history of every tree in the orchard. He knows what we once were and has dealt with it in grace. Indeed, it glorifies the caretaker that trees once bearing corrupt fruit can now begin to bear good fruit.
Sin still brings death. This is the very reason Christ died upon the cross. To treat sin lightly or play carelessly with old sins is dangerous and unwise. Consider Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11). We are not attempting to change our nature by removing sinful fruit; rather, because our nature has already been changed by God, we now seek to make room for spiritual fruit by putting away the works of the flesh.
Cleansed in Christ
In justification we were decisively cleansed in Christ. We are forgiven because our faith rests in Jesus Christ, not because we have succeeded in removing every sin by our own strength. Scripture demonstrates repeatedly that such cleansing is impossible through human effort alone. Salvation belongs to God.
We therefore do not pursue holiness in order to impress God or earn forgiveness. We pursue holiness because we have already been forgiven. Because we belong to Him, we desire to appear clean before our God.
Although believers are not yet perfectly holy, sanctification continues throughout this life. The perfect holiness promised to us will one day be fully revealed when we are glorified with Christ and receive new bodies. Until then, we continue slowly and steadily being conformed into His image.