A Clean Picture

Hebrews 9

Today as I read my Bible God gave me insight to His glorious love, the grace Christ Jesus displays for me, and the comfort that comes from the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. After journaling my observation and discovering how I can apply this chapter to my own life, I began to confess the sins I had done recently.

I made a list of things that I felt guilty about and I closed my eyes and began to envision myself walking up to Jesus. I could see my clothes were dirty with a few cuts and bruises on my face and my legs. Jesus’ back was toward me and I called out, “Master, I have come to confess my acts before you, my sins.” I was face down, ashamed and embarrassed. I began to speak the sins I had committed and while I was still speaking them, Christ Jesus turned and began to wipe off my face. I continued confessing as He touched my cuts and bruises and they were gone. When I finished confessing, He raised His hands I was in a white, flowing smock.

At that moment, He lifted His hands and turned toward this Glorious Light. As I was standing behind Jesus, a clear filter of power was outlining His body in a large transparent circle. Darkness was along the outer edges being pushed away. Christ was standing between me and the Light. The Light was God himself – in His splendor and majesty. I saw no face, but His presence was sufficient enough to know He was there.

It was if God was looking at me through this large transparent circle that surrounded Jesus. When God’s attention was on me the darkness along the outer edges was destroyed. I was surrounded by clarity, purity and holiness, with Jesus beside me and God’s presence was in front of us.

I was forgiven of all my sins. Christ Jesus had cleaned me, made me presentable before God. God never saw me in my dirty, cut and bruised body. He only saw me as holy and pure in His sight through the clarity that only Christ Jesus brings. The sins were not hidden, they were exposed and once they were exposed they were destroyed by God’s love, and Jesus’ grace. I did nothing to deserve this and I had no power to do this on my own.

Then, the Holy Spirit put his hand on my shoulder. He began to talk and I listened as He walked me back to my life. There was a great part of me that didn’t want to leave that purity and holiness, but I knew the Holy Spirit was going with me and that God had work for me to do.

I often avoid confessing sin in order to somehow make myself right before I go confess. My struggle only makes me look clean on the outside. This never works and my conscience is never free from guilt when I do this. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse my conscience from the sins that guilt me. Only through Jesus’ blood is my conscience cleaned, I am freed from the separation I have created, along with being free from the power that sin has over me.

My question to you today is what is your picture of Jesus interceding on your behalf? Ask God to give you your own vision. He will.