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Clean
Friday, June 19, 2026 by Rick Stockwell
Clean
READ John 15:1-7
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
-- John 15:3 (NIV)
We keep a magnet on our dishwasher. One side says “Clean” and the other side says “Dirty.” When we start the dishwasher, we display the “Clean” side of the magnet. This indicates the dishes will be clean once the cycle completes. Even though the dishes are not physically clean yet, they are proactively declared clean. A white light appears on the dishwasher door when the cycle has completed.
God declares us to be “clean” when we first become a believer, even though there are many sinful thoughts and actions in our lives that haven’t been addressed yet. Although we aren’t fully clean, it’s a foregone conclusion that we will be.
The process of spiritually cleansing the believer is called sanctification. This is accomplished by sinful human beings cooperating with the Holy Spirit to become more like Jesus each day. The motivation underlying this process is always restoration, not condemnation. We never fully “arrive” at a state of perfect holiness in this lifetime. There may be times when we take two steps back and one forward, but the long-term trend is in the right direction. The process takes years and continues until our last breath.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“… Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).
Prayer: Father in heaven, please make us more like Jesus each day.
Prayer Focus: DISHWASHERS
Rick Stockwell
Rick Stockwell retired from a career in information technology, teaches Sunday school for first graders, served as an elder at his church, has been married for thirty-five years, and has two children and six grandchildren.
Rick is the author of two novels in his Heavenly Realms series called The Wall and The Battle. Audio, eBook and paperback versions are accessible via this link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07HQ8G3MJ
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