There is a teaching that is common in circles I run in.
Before you pray, before you worship, you must confess your sins and become clean. So your prayers will be answered and so God will hear you and be pleased with you.
But as a result I become sin conscious.
This is what happens: I want to approach God, but now because I don’t want to mock God with prayers from a sinful person, I will search my soul and dredge up every nasty thing I’ve done all day and all week or whatever and try to confess it. Then I notice what a lot of crap it is and then I think, this is a losing battle, and what am I doing talking to God anyway.
We need to stop being sin conscious, we need to be Jesus conscious!!!
(This is something I learned from Joseph Prince, he rocks!!!)
So this is what I believe; all of our sins have been forgiven forever, we can come boldly to the throne of grace to worship and pray no matter how bad we have screwed up. And He is always pleased to see us!! Always!!!
But then I get a moment of doubt. I just read a teaching that said all of this but only worship was mentioned. It excluded the word pray. And I thought, maybe you do have to confess it all before prayer, it’s worship that is a freebie. Maybe prayers need to be from clean people, but anyone can worship. No, my doubt is clearing up. I’m not willing to give this grace up. Prayer and worship, it’s all a freebie in Christ Jesus.
So then I was thinking, Wash me Lord. Because if the Holy Spirit convicts me, I want to confess, but I do not want to be condemned or discouraged, because that’s not from the Holy Spirit. But if there is something to be washed away, wash me so I can pray.
But then this Holy Spirit thought entered my mind: Jesus turned water into wine.
Yes, you know, it’s the first miracle, the wedding at Cana in John 2. Water into wine. But, one of the details about the miracle is what water he used.
John 2:6-8:
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
So then, I’ll paraphrase, the master of the banquet tastes it and says “you have saved the best wine till now!!” So hot dog!!
So let’s review, what water? The ceremonial washing water.
Apparently, WE DON’T NEED IT. Apparently, if we needed to use that water for washing, Jesus would have turned some other water into wine. Because I can’t wash now, even if I wanted to, because Jesus went and turned all the water into wine. So it is not possible for me to get any cleaner, I guess.
But what can I do?
I can drink.
I can drink wine.
I can drink good wine. The best wine.
And then I can drink some more because, if I do my math, there’s at least 120 gallons of very fine wine.
So what does the Savior say to me?
No more washing. Let’s drink.
Take it in. Drink deeply.
This is my blood, shed for thee.
More than you will possibly need.
Drink. Remember.
This communion, it is proclaiming His death. The sacrifice is made.
Your sins are forgiven forever.
It is finished.
Praise God.
So what else does the Savior say?
He’s laughing.
Sorry about your water.
I know you’re really good at that whole washing thing, but I kind of thought it would be fun to use the water for something else.
Would you like a drink? It’s good! That guy over there, he really likes it.
Would you pass this to my Mom, she’s been waiting. Thanks.
Disclaimer: This little blog is not a statement about alcoholism, or doctrines about alcohol, or any kind of thing like that. Thank you for no condemnation!!!
