A CHRISTIAN gentleman—a friend of mine—with whom I was speaking the other day, told me that so far as his own observation went there were but few Christians who seemed to know anything about the place “the water” had in the teaching of Holy Scripture. He was not referring to the water of baptism. He had in view that significant passage in John 19 in which we are told that from the pierced side of the crucified Saviour “there came out blood and water”— and that in Ephesians 5:26,26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26) which tells us that “Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”— and that in John 13:10,10Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. (John 13:10) where our Lord says, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.” These are the passages which were in his mind when he said what he did.
And he further remarked that he did not believe the true value of “the blood” was clearly seen, inasmuch as it is an article in the creed of Evangelical Christendom that the believer, as often as he fails, should go back to the precious blood of Christ to be re-washed, re-cleansed. Hence, failing Christians—and who does not fail? — are continually exhorted to seek a fresh application of “the blood” which cleanses from all sin. My friend believed this to be a profound mistake which a proper understanding of Hebrews 10 would correct once for all.
I propose in this short paper to examine briefly certain passages of Scripture and see whether these things be so. The Bereans did this when Paul preached unto them, and they were warmly commended for so doing (Acts 17:1111These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)). We shall not go wrong in following their example.
Let us begin with Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). Here we are told that “Christ died for us,” and in the following verse it is said that we are now “justified by His blood.” It is God who justifies, of course, but the shed blood —the sure sign of life laid down—is the ground of our justification before God. It is the meritorious cause of it. The blood of atonement satisfies all the demands of divine righteousness and enables God—the Supreme Judge—to absolve the believing soul from every charge of sin. And He does so absolve him. This is a fact of the first magnitude, and glorious enough to set the bells of the universe a-ringing! Henceforth no one can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect—no one can bring an accusation against them. “It is God who justifies,” says the apostle, and then in triumphant tones he asks, “Who is he that condemns?” To that loud challenge there is no answer—every voice is silent (Rom. 8:33-3433Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:33‑34)).
“Though the restless foe accuses,
Sins recounting like a flood;
Every charge our God refuses:
Christ has answered with His blood.”
Blessed be God for that!
Here it may be helpful to ask a question. Is this justification of the believer a thing that lasts, or has it to be renewed every time he does something which he ought not to do? Will he have to be justified over again? The answer must be in the negative. Though he has failed, he has not ceased to be “in Christ.” He is still a child of God, though a failing one. What failure involves is the loss of communion with God. Other consequences may follow. But God does not cease to love him any more than an earthly parent ceases to love his child when that child trespasses. The link of communion is easily broken, not so the tie of relationship. And what the erring one now needs is not to be cleansed afresh by the blood, for that can never be repeated. What he needs is the cleansing of the water—the feet-washing of John 13. But more as to this presently.
In Hebrews 10 the atoning work of Christ is very blessedly set forth. Being first addressed to Hebrew Christians it is presented in terms admirably suited to their habits of thought. But the apostle’s reasoning we can easily follow. He tells them that the sacrifices offered on their ancient altar could never take away sins either from before God or from the conscience of the worshippers. Those sacrifices were divinely ordained; they served their purpose, they were a shadow of good things to come, but they could not atone for sins and purify the burdened conscience. But in the sacrifice for sins which Jesus offered there was a complete atonement, the worth of which endures to everlasting days. Therefore it is said in verse 12 That after He had offered one sacrifice for sins, He forever sat down on the right hand of God. On that line of service there remains nothing more to do.
“Done is the work that saves,
Once, and forever, done.”
Looking back to the cross I see the solemn settlement of the great sin question. It cost the Saviour untold suffering to settle it. All my sins were there, all of them, I say, from cradle to coffin. None of them forgotten, all of Ahem remembered. And in that supreme transaction, the like of which Eternity had never seen nor shall see, I had no part save that which my sins gave me. There were but two engaged in it—God, whose love and righteousness shine out from that cross in all their unclouded majesty, and the One who said, “Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God.” On Him my sins were laid. He bore the penalty. He paid the ransom price, and met every claim that divine justice made or could make. And the One who did all this is now forever sat down at the right hand of God. The work that saves is indeed forever done. There remains nothing for us to do. By that one offering the believer has been forever perfected. So says verse fourteen of Hebrews 10.
But there is another thing. The Holy Ghost also is a witness to us that this is so. Not only have we the reasoning of the apostle—divinely inspired of course—but we have also the witness of the Holy Ghost. The apostle cites it from Jeremiah 31. It is to the effect that God will remember our sins and iniquities no more (verse 19). They have been remembered in Calvary’s dark and dreadful hour—they shall be remembered no more. They have been blotted out as a thick cloud, never, never to come up again. Such is the witness of the Holy Ghost, and a surer witness it is impossible to have.
And if I receive this witness of the Holy Ghost—this testimony that He bears in the Holy Scriptures, to the value of Christ’s one offering, what follows? My conscience is perfectly and forever at rest. God is satisfied, and I might well be!
But we must say a few words about the water. In this very chapter it is spoken of (Heb. 10:2222Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22)). Two things are indispensable if we are to enter into the Holiest with boldness and to be at home there. The evil, that is the guilty, conscience must be taken away—this, as we have seen, is the result of the atoning work of Christ—and the body must be washed with pure water. This should have recalled to the recollection of these Hebrew believers what took place when the Jewish priests were consecrated—they were washed with water. That was the first thing, and, as an act of consecration, it was never repeated (Lev. 8:66And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. (Leviticus 8:6)). What answers to that washing in our case is found in John 3 “Born of water and of the Spirit.” This is the basis of all moral cleansing—the cleansing of life and ways—moral cleansing, I say, as distinguished from judicial cleansing which is by the Blood. It is the water of the word by which, when clothed with the power of the Spirit, we are born again. The Apostle Peter’s way of putting it is this: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever” (1 Peter 1:2323Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:23)). And thus a new life is communicated with a holy nature, and in. following the instincts of this new life we find pleasure in obedience and in the things of God. This is the starting point of all practical sanctification. It is the first washing of John 13:10,10Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. (John 13:10) which, as our Lord tells us, is never repeated, for we are “clean every whit.” There is no such thing as being born again the second time.
Feet-washing is another matter—that we often need. This, too, is by the water of the Word. And connected with it is the ceaseless intercession of our Advocate on high. “I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not,” said the Lord to Peter on the eve of his terrible fall. And He who prayed for Peter prays for us. “If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:11My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1)). In result, the believer who has sinned is made to feel his sin, and to confess it to his God and Father. He does not do so as being in the same position as when he first confessed his sin as a rebel brought to repentance. He confesses his sins now as a child of God—not as fearing the judicial penalty, for he knows that has been borne by his Saviour. His confession is deeper, for he has sinned against grace and light. And “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1: 9). This is moral cleansing, the cleansing of our practical ways. It is the feet-washing of John 13.
Is this clear to the reader? “If not let him write to the Editor, whose address is on the cover, and the subject shall be further dealt with in the correspondence columns. We believe it to be of prime importance that we should distinguish between “the blood” and “the water” and see the place which Scripture assigns to each.
W. B.