House Church Talk - inclination toward ceremonial

[jesusislord343 at juno.com]

David,
I believe the context of the passage in John 13 provides the answer to
your question.  The saints of God have been bathed from head to foot,
typifying the one time work of "the washing of regeneration" (Tit. 3:5). 


As our Lord said, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is
completely clean" (v. 10).  We may then liken foot washing to the
Spirit's continual work in progressive sanctification, and this perhaps
by means primarily of "daily" brotherly exhortation (Heb. 3:13)--as
worked by the Spirit, a work of service done in humility.

Whatever the type in view, we have no part with the Lord Jesus apart from
it (v. 8).  [Certainly there is no salvation apart from the Spirit's
sanctification.]  We are commanded to "exhort one another... lest any of
you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."  Thus we wash one
another's feet as we walk in the filth (sin) of this world--"warning
every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every
man perfect in Christ Jesus" (Col. 1:28).

The looming question then of course is: How do we respond when we are
thus lovingly approached by others who seek our spiritual well-being, in
seeking to "perfect what is lacking in (our) faith" (I Th. 3:10)?  

May we recall from the Proverbs that "reproofs of instruction are the way
of life" (6:23),

and,

       "Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you." (Pr. 9:8)

Go to that brother who has recently sought to correct you in love, and
embrace and thank him!

Grace in Christ,
Glenn


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
David Anderson <david at housechurch.org> writes:
> 
>      Greetings from the South
> 
> John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; 
> ye 
> also ought to wash one another¹s feet. 
> 
> Was our Lord telling us to do menial tasks for one another or was 
> this 
> the institution of the "ceremony of foot washing?" What in modern 
> society, with it's dirt and mud-free roadways, might be the 
> equivalent of 
> foot-washing?
> 
>      David Anderson
> 
>      
>     
>     --- Info and subscription management at 
> https://housechurch.org/talk ---
> 
> 

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