“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin… purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter then snow” – Psalm 51:2, 7.

REALISING AND FEELING the depths of our sin does not necessarily make us cry, “Wash away my sin” but more so, “Cleanse ME… wash ME from my sin” It is we who need cleansing, for when we sin, we do so with our will; we have done it with our entire being. Sorrow for sin is running to the Great Physician of our souls Who knows full well how to untangle us. He is the One Who restores our soul. It is not just being cleansed from guilt, but the stain of sin, the impression and influence of it that still bears its mark on us until we are cleansed and as the apostle John states, God is faithful and just to not only forgive us our sins, but to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). John was writing to believers and the exhortation is to go on confessing our sins, which we shall do until we are fully conformed to Christ’s image.

We are not to lie content in sins merely being forgiven, but rather that the influence and presence of it is also wiped out; there is to be an intense breathing after God’s holiness; that God’s ways run through our very heart. “O that I were holy as Thou art holy, pure as Christ is pure, perfect as Thy Spirit is perfect!” – The Valley of Vision, Puritan Prayers and Devotions. This is the heart of repentance – not blaming sin – but seeing the problem lies with us and giving ourselves no rest until God touches us and indeed heals our diseases – and that is what true cleansing is: healing.