The stain can remain

Scripture Read: Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 

Application: There is nothing worse than that dirty feeling we have after we have come to our senses and realized we have been in sin. I say that because if we claim to belong to You, we, in the inner man, really desire not to sin. So when we give into the flesh I believe it is as Paul states: He is doing the very thing he hates! So why would he do it? It is clear that when this is happening Paul – the new man – is not in control so he does not follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. Even though he remains a child of God when he awakens to the fact that he allowed the old man to be in charge, the taste of that sin can remain. If not careful we can behave like people who have not been made pure. The taste of sin is worse to those who have tasted forgiveness. Consider this word:

Defile: μιαίνω miaínō; To stain with color, to tinge, pollute, defile.

What a very descriptive term, for that is what unbelief does to the soul – it stains it – so does our sin. So many times we convince ourselves that this moment of sin is only a moment, but we deceive ourselves because sin leaves a stain. Yes it is true that Christ has removed all of that in the eternal perspective for those that have placed their trust in Him, but we need to realize that the “here and now” will continue to carry those feelings of being unclean and defiled. That’s why after a person has sinned, confessed and repented he or she can still feel dirty. What about 1 John 1:9? It is so important and even though it is true, it does not remove the fact that when we sin many times the feeling of the stain takes a while to go away. Yes, God is faithful and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness, but that does not guarantee that I will “feel” clean. I was deep into porn at one point in my life, I have repented and He cleaned me immediately, but if I am not careful I can easily bring it back to my memory and be affected by it again, or if I see a picture of a woman who reminds me of something I saw, I can feel dirty again and ashamed. We are in part emotional creatures and emotions don’t disappear just because we intellectually know something as a fact. This is why living close to God is so important. Trying to survive off of a decision made some time ago will not do it. Your emotions will become an enemy of your soul. Moment to moment living with Him renews your emotional bank consistently, so you will be able to shut down the past emotions the enemy tries to attack you with. A moment is not usually a moment – many times the stain Lasts a long time!

* Meditation Questions: When was the last time you felt dirty? What did you do about that? What do you do when you feel separated from the Lord? What do you think it takes to separate you from Him? Why do you think this way?