Are we clean?

To have "part with" our Lord and Savior, we must take part in that continual progressive sanctification spoken of in EPH 5:25b- 27: "Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

See the evidence we have in the Word of God that Peter was not a stranger to God's grace. In MAT 16:15-17 we read, "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona. For flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

Simon means obedient. Barjona means the son of Jonah. Jonah means dove, symbolic of the Holy Spirit. So his name means "obedience as the fruit of being born of the Spirit." Can you say that Peter was not regenerated? Can we even question that Peter was washed? The Lord Jesus Christ is telling him he was born of the Spirit. This however, did not mean that Peter did not still have need of some washing of water by the Word.

MAT 16:20-23 says, "Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

After having commended Peter for his true saving faith, the Saviour rebukes him for his human reasoning. He did not understand the atonement. He did not understand that Jesus must suffer, bleed, die and rise again. Peter needed to grow in grace. Now this is not to question whether he was born of the Spirit. He had a new heart; he had a new desire; he was a child of God, but we are talking about growth in grace. These same weaknesses of overreaction were still apparent in Peter as Jesus came to wash his feet.

The believer does not need to be washed daily from head to foot in the blood. In HEB 10:14 we read, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." To the believer Jesus says, "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet." Believers have been purged from the guilt of sin, but they have constant need to have their character reformed into that blessed image of Christ.

Look at COL 1:12. "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet [fit in character] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light," and that process, making His bride fit in character, takes place throughout the betrothal. Throughout the entire time from the time of the regeneration work of the Holy Spirit to the time of the great wedding feast, it is one constant working of purification, one constant work of making us fit in character. It is a constant coming to the knowledge of the blessed image of Christ.