Note: This article, “How To Be Cleansed By God To Help You Live Without Regret” is also published here.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

– James 4:8 

Painting With A Two-Year-Old

Have you ever painted with a two-year-old? It gets messy, fast. I was babysitting an adorable and curious little girl one summer afternoon when I decided to crack open a few bottles of washable paint and let her creativity flow. After covering the garage floor with newspaper, I taped down a piece of construction paper. I handed her a paintbrush, and immediately she set to work. Every once in awhile, I would catch her painting her stomach or stepping in paint before seeing how far she could walk before the color faded. All this to say, there was more paint on her tiny body than on her paper.

Realizing my time was nearly up, I picked the now 80% pink toddler up and rushed her to the kitchen sink. Although I attempted to help her rinse off, she insisted that she could wash. I let her be for a moment, turning to make her afternoon snack. She called for me. “All done!” She exclaimed. I turned. While she managed to cover the counters in hand soap and water, she still looked like a paintball survivor. I congratulated her attempt, and, taking her hands in mine, I ran the water over her tiny hands, careful to regulate the amount of soap she pumped. Before long, the pink and red splotches had disappeared, and with a quick towel dry and a snack, all was well in the world. We had a cleansed, happy baby, and a one of a kind painting. 

Our Call To Be Cleansed

In James 4:8, the Bible calls us to cleanse our hearts, minds, and hands. The best way for something to be cleansed is by scrubbing away the impurities. As a child, we needed our parents to help us wash our hands, or we would end up either getting sick from going without or merely playing with soapy bubbles. Just as we needed our earthly parents to clean our hands (and sometimes our mouths), we also require our Heavenly Father to take our hands in His and cleanse and refine us. We need Him to lead us along the path of purity. 

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

1 John 1:7

How We Can Be Cleansed

Jesus’ blood cleanses and saves us. His promise of salvation and His diligence to erase our sins keeps and cleanses us. God, being the creative genius He is, found a way to wash our hands, hearts, and minds and wipe away all remnants of sin and death in our lives. All we must do is follow God, who will lead us to “walk in the light.” 

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,”

Titus 3:5

Titus 3 points out that our works nor our ability to “walk in the light” save us. It is God and God alone who can lead us to the light, as He is light. By striving after Him, we walk in the light of His glory. God’s glory, patience, and providence save us. 

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in fear of God.”

2 Corinthians 7:1

Finding The Strength

The promises of God give us the strength and diligence to follow Him into the light, walking into The Holy place, to become complete and perfect with respect for Him. God continually covers our paint spots and slowly and thoroughly deep-cleans them, granting us patience and humility. 

As a “recovering perfectionist and aspiring good-enoughist” (as Brené Brown says), I long to be thoroughly purified and refined to perfection. But I often forget that it is not by my own hands do I become cleansed. Dirty hands cannot clean themselves; they require a hefty amount of soap and water and, often, a guiding parent.

Our Choice

God promises to cleanse and preserve us, draw near and renew us, and show us mercy and undeserved favor. These powerful promises are to act as fuel to continue pursuing God’s perfect love and perfect grace. We are to chase after the most Holy God and enter The Holy place. But we must be cleansed. We must continue to walk in His glory to experience the fullness of God. Until we see Him face to face, continue to draw near to Him, He will direct your steps and strengthen your bones. God calls us clean every day when we choose Him. He will cleanse you, you must only ask. 

I wrote this piece for the blog, Recapture Faith, run by Cortney Whiting. Check out her blog by clicking here.