Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
There are a lot of people who rise up each morning to begin the process of cleaning their homes. They wash windows, mop floors and wipe down walls in an attempt to eliminate something that builds up when not regularly attended to… Dirt. Most of it accumulates in the carpets throughout the house, and although many people will reach inside their closet for an electric vacuum cleaner, the original non-motorized version was created back in the 1860s. It was known as a carpet sweeper and used a bellows for suction and spinning brushes that would pick up dirt from off of the floor.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
The vacuum was created for the purpose of eradicating dirt from homes. And although people can develop the daily routine of regular house cleaning, many don’t even consider the dirt that has accumulated within their own hearts. Sanctification is a process of spiritual vacuuming as we cleanse our minds from the dirt of sin. Like inspecting your home each morning for areas that need your attention, we must inspect our hearts to see if there is anything displeasing or not harmonious with the teachings of Christ. Like dirt that gathers in a vacuum bag,, we must cast it all into the garbage can, removing it from our homes and from our lives.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Sanctification is a purification process by which we turn from sinful living to holiness. We extricate the deeds of the flesh from our lives, and walk in goodness, righteousness and truth. Although each of us are sinners, God gives us the opportunity to become saints, which will require repentance and living your life in a completely different manner then what you have become accustomed to. Paradise is a place that is completely free of sin, and to inherit it, you will need to free yourself from sin. Jesus died on the cross to take our sins away, but it is the responsibility of anyone who names the name of Christ to depart from iniquity.
2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
Those who choose to serve sin are in bondage to the sinful nature, and in that state will not remain in the house of God forever. Like weeds in the garden, sin needs to be removed from our lives. Genuine faith will result in believing God’s Word enough, that you accept the error of your way, and then free yourself completely from its grasp. This requires cutting away the chain of sin, completely freeing you from the bondage of iniquity.
John 8:31-36 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
As an unbeliever, we used to live and behave the way that the world does, but when we become a Christian we are called out of the world, to begin a new walk of obedience towards Christ Jesus. People vacuum each day to remove dirt from their carpets, but in order to inherit eternal life, we must cleanse our hearts from the filth of sin.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Jesus warned that some people would claim to know Him but would not enter into the kingdom of heaven because they never turned away from sinful living. They never truly repented in their hearts. They wanted eternal life, but they didn’t do any of the things required of them to obtain it.
Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
We are purified through our faith in Christ which means that when you truly believe in him and His teachings, genuine faith will result in becoming a doer of his will. When you obey scriptural truth, you will be walking in the will of God rather than in the sinfulness of this world. Heaven is a place reserved for those who have rejected sinful living. Those who use the time that God has given them to purify their hearts, will eventually have the opportunity to see God.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
The inheritance of eternal life will be granted to a select group of people. It will be given to those who have been sanctified through faith in Christ Jesus. These are people who have turned from their sins to walk in the truth. They have removed themselves from the wide road that leads to destruction, to walk on the narrow path of Christ. As God is preparing a place for His obedient children, we too must prepare our hearts, by lovingly submitting to His will.
1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit……
We cannot see inside each other’s minds and hearts. This is why you must examine yourself to see if you are truly walking in the faith or not.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…..
The Apostle warned the church, advising them to walk the path of repentance, and to cleanse themselves from sin.
James 4:8-10 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Many people are more concerned with washing their hands or washing the dishes rather than focusing on what’s most needful,.. things that concern our own salvation, such as sanctification and washing sin from our lives.
So the next time that you get up to clean, take a moment to look inside of yourself to see if there’s some cleaning to do within. Are you walking each day in God’s will? Are you being sanctified by submission and acceptance of biblical truth? Are you emptying your heart from sin,…removing it from your life, and changing out….
…. The Vacuum Bag
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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