Day 20 - The end of the third week!!

Three weeks of riding. Another beautiful sunny day with a high around 87.t is interesting when I think that I riding right along the Mexico/USA border. Monday, Lord willing, I will be in the El Paso, Texas area; into our 4th state. Although the route I have planned takes me back into New Mexico before being back into Texas for what looks to be about a two week ride. I had just a nice ride today riding 32.4 miles in 1 hour and 40 minutes for an average of 19.3 mph. I will take that any time. As I rode along today, I could not help but to think about how we allow a line like in this case a border line to divide or separate people, one from another. In this case it is Mexican/American. But we do it with color of our skin or in a battle between the sexes or in a difference in beliefs or in our preferences and we do it in our churches. All too often we build a line; some would call it a wall, that does not need to be there. Because of it we "build" divisions too. Yes, even in our churches. That ha nothing to do with what I have been thinking about in John 15 but I couldn't help but think about that as I rode today and looked at how close I was to the Mexican border.
Verse three of John 15 is amazing to me. It says, "Already you are clean because of the word that I have have spoken to you." In the time frame of this statement Jesus and the disciples have just come from the upper room. They had just had the last supper and celebrated commnion. But before that Jesus took a time to wash the disciples feet. Peter didn't want Jesus to just wash his feet but his hands and head too. Jesus, in 13:10 said this, "The one who has bathed does need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. See, when we are bathed in the blood of Jesus Christ, we are completely clean. Oh sure, we still have to walk in this world until we breath our last, and as we do we will dirty our feet a bit. And when we do, Jesus has dealt with that for us. 1John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sin, He (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It says "all" unrighteousnessWe are completely clean. So Jesus tells His disciples, "Already you are clean." How? Because of the Word He spoke to them. Through our faith in the Word, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through the work of Jesus, we are clean.
After I have ridden my bike, I feel so groaty, sweaty, and yes, a little on the smelly side. It feels so good to get cleaned up. That is what Jesus wants for his creation -- to be clean. He supplied the way. We are told to believe. Acts 16:31, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." Now that is a clean feeling. Have a good Lord's Day tomorrow as we celebrate Palm Sunday. Talk to you on Monday.