I am sure you remember the time when Jesus confronted the Pharisee’s. In Matthew 23:25 Jesus said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Obviously, Jesus used this metaphor to point to the state of their hearts. The Pharisee’s were filled with pride and arrogance. The Law, they believed, gave them license to judge others, all the while ignoring their own faults. They hid these things by making outward appearances of humility and self-sacrifice.
At the risk of sounding like I am defending the Pharisee’s, I want you to know that they were not entirely unique among the people. Jesus was sent to die for the sins of the whole world. Isaiah prophesied, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6. What Jesus did on the cross is not something we could have done for ourselves. I know you already know that. So, in that sense, all of Israel—indeed, the whole world—was guilty of being clean only on the outside. No human—not even a Pharisee—has ever possessed the ability to purify their heart and soul.
And so I tell you as often as the Lord reminds me, that through faith in Jesus as the Son of God who suffered the cross and rose again, you have been made clean on the inside! Through faith and water baptism, you have become a new creation, holy in God’s sight, free from sin by His own declaration. Thank you, Lord for Your amazing grace through the cross!
For believers, Jesus’ metaphor has been reversed. Because you are new creations, the inside of the cup and dish are already clean. There is no sin in you. However, sin comes from the outside and tries to take hold of you. This world we live in is full of sin, sinful temptations, and whatever satisfies the lust of the eyes. These things wage war against who we are in Christ. Satan tries to soil the outside because he cannot get to your soul anymore. He cannot take your salvation. Yet he still finds value in these efforts because he knows that a Christian who tolerates sin is one who is unable to bear witness to the power and love of Jesus. Satan knows what grieves the Holy Spirit; he understands what quenches the Spirit’s fire—a fire that would otherwise shine brightly through you.
As new creations in Christ, with the Holy Spirit upon us, I can tell you that you have power over sin. As Paul wrote, “So I say to you, live by the Spirit and you will not satisfy the desires of the flesh.” Sin is no match for the Holy Spirit; therefore, we have no excuse to tolerate it. I know that sin comes as a temptation and we all “fall” from time to time. At such times, we praise the Lord for His forgiveness from the cross, giving thanks to God the Father. But dwelling in it is another story. The Holy Spirit will reveal such things to you—not because of guilt—but to give you awareness of the enemy’s schemes, and why He–the Spirit—is unable to give you peace.
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