A relatively new believer, zealous in his pursuit of God and
with genuine concern that he not waver in his resolute decision to follow
Christ asked, “I was forgiven when I made my way down to that altar. Now I’ve
been far from perfect since then. Don’t I need to be saved again?” I had just
wrapped up a teaching on Mark 10 where Jesus looks into the eyes of the rich
young man inquiring about eternal life. He apparently sees his sincerity and
his pure motive and “loves him.” Now looking at this gentleman, I feel much the
same way. He’s done with falling short, with missing the mark. Sin has had it’s
way with him long enough and he’s over it. Now with earnest ambition he’s
resolved that he doesn’t want to carry the weight of it around any longer than
he has to and, if that means kneeling at an altar to be saved every week, he’d
gladly do it. It was with great joy that I shared with him the story of Peter’s
foot washing experience with Jesus. I’m sure he could relate to Peter’s first
response to Jesus when he approached with a basin of water and a towel tied
around his waist. “You shall never wash my feet.” In other words, it’s far
beneath you, as I’m so filthy and you’re so pure. But when Jesus explains the
need to be washed clean, it’s without hesitation and with much zeal that Peter
blurts out, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” I love
Peter’s passion, much like that of the gentleman now posing this question about
being saved again after another messy week of living loved. Jesus clears it up
for as all. “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,
but is completely clean.” He’s telling you and I that life is messy business
but when washed us clean of the mess, we’re completely clean. Now we’ll walk
from time to time in areas that will get our feet dirty but, day-by-day, we’ll
learn to walk the cleaner paths avoiding the muck especially the muck that’s
dirtied our feet in the past. Then the clincher: He puts the maintenance of our
spiritual hygiene, the cleansing of our feet into the context of community when
He says that we should wash each other’s feet. It’s the baring of our souls and
the bearing of each other’s burdens that continuously lifts the weight of sin,
freeing us all from it’s dark grip in the light of community.