John 13:10 “Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.’”

Most people know what a piston is, at least in terms of vehicles and engines. However pistons are also used in hydraulic systems as well. One type of an accumulator (a device that stores and balances/dampens hydraulic fluid and actions) uses a piston that moves relative to the pressure or content of the fluid.

What does a mechanical term like accumulator have to do with us? We as humans are similar to a “spiritual accumulator.” We are a combination of God and the world. If God is fully our focus, then the world cannot be. Also if the world is entirely our focus, our thoughts, our desires, then God will not be. Our bodies, our spiritual accumulator is what we focus on. The more we focus on God, the more the world is shoved out and replaced with God, the less we focus on Christ and the more we allow the world in, the less of God there is.

How does this compare then to the verse? In 1 John, we learn the very basic good news, in verses 7 through 9, we are told (as backed up in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Corinthians, James, and Hebrews) that Christ’s blood washes away our sins and cleanses us. We are then clean of all sin, of all the world. We have been forgiven. Our “spiritual accumulator” is set to allow God in. We start studying and learning and God fills us and infuses us, yet after awhile, we start to loose focus on Christ. We start to let the world back in. It is a gradual thing. We watch more and more television, we read magazines, we talk to people, good people (Christians some of them), and start to loose our primary focus on God. We let the world in, and God starts to be shoved around and moved out.

I do not say that we are no longer Christians, that we are no longer washed by the blood, but rather we are drawing away from God, slowly and gradually. At some point in all of this we must realize that we are slowly pushing God out of our lives with things of the world, good things though they may be. At this point we need to draw close to God. We need to be cleansed of all unrighteousness.

Since we have already been washed in the blood, why then should we clean again? Why should we try and re-cleanse ourselves in the blood. How can Christ die again for us (as Paul puts it)? We are stained pure, and must merely remove the dust of this world from our feet. We need to again make Christ our focus.

We no longer need a mediator to approach the throne of God for us; no longer do we need to be ceremonially clean. We have assurance to enter the Holy Place by the very blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19) and we are able to approach God, no matter how much mud we track in, how, much sin we find ourselves in. We can approach the Almighty with the assurance of faith and request Christ to cleanse us, to wash our feet and remove our unrighteousness again. Our hearts and evil conscience will be cleaned and purified (Hebrews 10:22).

There is no wrong in knowing the world or dealing with it. Christ himself worked with those whom society deemed untouchable and evil. We must remember that also like Christ, we must continually focus on God and His word.

The world must leave and Christ again be the focus of our hearts. This spring, let us allow Christ to spring clean us. Let our “spiritual accumulator” be full of Him and the knowledge of Him.

What in our lives detracts from God? Let us together pray Psalm 51:2 and 10 this week.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.