Double-Pain Cleaning

The windows on our house are double-paned and slightly older than I am. This means they are a double-pain to clean as you have to dismantle them like one of those brainteaser puzzles they sell at Cracker Barrel. My favorite spot to sit in our house is in a vintage, velvet gold chair nestled next to one of the said windows. This particular window provides a wide view of our modest backyard bordered by the wild vines and thick forest of our unknown neighbors. Despite this being the favored window in the house it had been so neglected over the years it had dirt between the panes, cobwebs in the corners and it literally had moss growing on it. It took over 3 years living in this house and nearly 2 weeks of self-quarantining for me to muster up enough courage to tackle cleaning the beast. The difference is amazing! The glass is so clear I feel as if I am in the backyard sitting in my gold chair. I can see so much more detail in the trees and the flowers blooming. Why did I wait 3 years to clean it?

We are a bit like my grimy window. From the day we are born we are covered inside and out with the filth of sin (Romans 5:12). While I wish my window could magically clean itself, I assure you it cannot. Likewise, we cannot miraculously cleanse ourselves of sin (Romans 3:20). However, our Creator sent His perfect Son to do the difficult task of “deep cleaning” for us by sacrificing Himself on the cross. When we believe in Jesus alone for eternal life all our sin is washed away inside and out (John 3:16). The Spirit indwells us and seals us so that our inner being can no longer be tainted by sin (Romans 8:10).

Unfortunately, we are still walking around in flesh prone to sin and we reside in a world full of sin. So, sin happens, but it does not affect where the believer spends eternity; instead, it affects how a believer spends eternity. I won’t need to take the window apart to wash it the next time the pollen count goes above 5.2. A quick wipe of the rag will have it shining again. If we want to stay in fellowship with our heavenly king and earn rewards for His kingdom we need to routinely talk to Him about our sins as they happen, admitting them to Him (2 John 8, 1 John 1:9). Over and over He will forgive us drawing us closer to Him.

…He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean…”

John 13:10

When we are “clean” we are in fellowship with God, walking in His Spirit. That means others will look at us and see the fruits of His Spirit, not the fruits of our filthy flesh. The window is a reminder that we need to be doing the routine maintenance of confessing our sins to God so they don’t hide the perfect work of His Spirit living in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

1 John 1:9