John 13:3-11
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

Over the last several weeks I have noticed that there has been a pattern. We have spent two of the last three weeks talking about how to deal with our sin. I think God is really trying to work in us on this particular subject because he is wanting us to realize that we don’t have to walk in defeat.

At different points there is a saying that has been spoken from this platform by multiple speakers:

“We fight from victory, not for it.”

This is the point I want you to take home today.

In order for you to walk out victory there is one thing that we need to realize first and it is a simple truth. You are cleansed.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God’s desire for us is to experience his love and power.

The issue is that most of us focus on the first half of this verse. That God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. This is a solid truth to build our lives on, but this is the love of God without his power.

We have experienced his love through forgiveness but we haven’t walked in his power because we don’t understand his cleansing.

His cleansing is how we walk in victory. It is not our victory that we walk in but his. Only God can cleanse us.

When he forgives us, he also cleanses us. What does that mean?

It means he is purifying us. He purifies our hearts, minds, and souls.

Hebrews 9:14
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

God takes away the dead works.
Let me say it like this:
Forgiveness removes the penalty of sin. Cleansing removes the stain of sin.

Some of us have been forgiven for years but we are still introducing ourselves by our old stains.

This is why understanding sin loops and understanding the difference between condemnation and conviction is so important.
Those things are designed to keep you living under the weight of the stain of sin.

Titus 3:5
He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 1:18
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

This is what God does for us. He doesn’t just fix the separation we caused, he removes the stain it left behind.
The enemy on the other hand wants to constantly remind you of the stain. Because with that stain comes the weight of the sin. The enemy wants you to walk in that weight. But we don’t have to because God has cleansed us.

Just like in the passage that I read to start, Jesus didn’t have to completely bathe the disciples, he simply had to wash their feet.

In the Old Testament, priests would wash their hands and feet to cleanse themselves before entering God’s presence.

The disciples grew up with foot washing as something normal. They knew the process of cleansing but they didn’t know the heart behind it. This what Jesus does in this moment. He takes a ritual and turns it into relationship.

Under the Old Testament law, people preformed washings to become ceremonially clean. Under the Gospel, Christ becomes the one who cleanses His people.

The Old Covenant required people to wash before approaching God. The New Covenant reveals a Savior who comes to wash His people Himself.

The other day Allie was riding her scooter and ate it bad. Scrapped knee, hip, and elbow. She popped back up and kept going. My first instinct is to run and check on her in those moments and be mad at the things that cause her pain.

It’s in those moments of sin where I mess up, I don’t want God to run over and check on me. I feel like I deserve to sit there and revel in my bad decision. I don’t want him to check me out and clean me up.

But this is who God is. He is ready to run over to you, clean you up, and help you get moving again. He is coming to cleanse us.

That's why John 13 is so powerful. It isn't just an act of humility, it is Jesus acting as both Priest and Purifier, preparing His followers for fellowship with God and service in His Kingdom.

This is what Jesus has done for us. He acts as our priest and purifier. He is walking with us daily to help identify areas that we need purification and then he purifies us because of 1 John 1:9

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This is why we can walk in victory because His mercy is new every morning. This is why a prayer like Psalm 51:10 isn’t a prayer of desperation but of power.

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I said it earlier but let me say it again:
Forgiveness removes the penalty of sin. Cleansing removes the stain of sin.

It’s like pulling a shirt out of your closet and seeing a stain. You aren’t going to wear that. You’re going to put it back. You don’t want to be reminded of the mess you made, let alone show other people.

When God forgives, He declares you righteous. When He cleanses, He begins restoring what sin damaged in your heart, mind, and life.

God doesn’t just pardon us from our sin, He purifies and restore us from it.

This is why we can walk in victory, because we don’t have to walk under the weight of the sin any longer.

Maybe this is why we can’t get out of the sin loop. I wonder if we are still walking under the weight of something God has already defeated.

Remember you fight from victory, not for it.

I think this is why so many Christ followers walk around defeated. The enemy has convinced us through condemnation that we may be forgiven but we are broken forever.

But that isn’t what God’s words or actions say.

The enemy wants your failure to become your identity. God wants your failure to become your testimony.

2 Timothy 2:21
21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

God’s promise is that when we are cleansed, which happens through God washing us and covering us with the blood of Jesus, that we will be used for honorable things.

We don’t have to stay in a lifestyle of defeat, we can walk in the victory of God.

The question isn’t whether God has cleansed you. The questions is, whether or not you will live like he has.

I want to give you 3 quick things to walk out being cleansed:

1. Take a Stand
When I think of taking a stand the first person that comes to mind is Elijah. In 1 Kings 17 he shows up on the scene and tells Ahab there is going to be a drought and then dips out. Then we get one of my favorite verse in all of the Bible:

1 Kings 18:17-21
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.”20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.

Elijah is taking a stand against sin. He not only acknowledges the separation but he is willing to do something about it.

Are you willing to do something about sin?

If you want to walk in victory, you are going to have to take a stand. You are going to have to do some uncomfortable things. You are going to have to face generational curses(patterns), hurts, unforgiveness, pride, arrogance, and other things.

You are going to have stand up to these things and make your decision.

You are going to face the same question that Elijah posed to the people:
“How long will you go limping between two opinions?”

Matthew 13:45-46
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

We have found the thing of great value. That is the kingdom of God. That is Jesus. Now we have to take a stand so we can walk in the freedom that comes with the kingdom of God.

There are so many of us that have been given freedom but still sit in the jail cell. The door is open but we refuse to stand up and walk out.

Some of us are asking God to open the prison door he has already opened for you, now it’s time for us to take a step.
Maybe it’s shame that keeps us still. Maybe it’s our comfort. Maybe it’s pride.

These are things that the enemy will use to fool you into believing that you either can’t do it or don’t need to do it.

We have unintentionally given authority to the enemy in our lives. That condemnation we sit in or the thought that every things is fine so why do more? That is the enemy gaining ground in your life. Thats a foothold. Every foothold starts with a compromise that looked harmless.

Paul writes in
Ephesians 4:27
“Do not give the enemy a foothold”

The word foothold implies territory. This little space is a place where the enemy can grow influence into your life.
That’s why we need to take a stand, it’s not enough to “work” on sin but we need to actively eradicate it from our lives.

A single offense can become bitterness.
A single compromise can become addiction.
A wound can become an identity.

The enemy doesn’t need to keep hurting you if he can convince you that your wound is who you are.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ

How do we fight? How do we take a stand on God’s victory in everyday lives?
Identify the lie. Embrace the truth. Take one step of obedience.

Identify where you have been giving ground.
What Lie have I accepted? Where have I allowed compromise? Where have I agreed with condemnation instead of Grace?
Embrace the truth.
The enemy’s weapon is deception, our weapon is truth. Jesus responded to every temptation with “It is written” Stand on the promises of God.
Take a step.
A stand isn’t a feeling; it’s an action. Freedom begins the moment obedience becomes more important than comfort. Read your bible.Pray.Talk to someone.

Before God can build something new in your life, there comes a moment where you stop surrendering ground to the enemy and decide, 'This is where I stand. This is who God says I am. And I'm not going back.

2. Understand the Power dynamic
The reason many believers stay bound is because they've misunderstood the power dynamic. They know they have an enemy, but they've forgotten who their Father is.

We have to stop giving the enemy so much credit.
We are quick to blame the enemy for pretty much everything. But he isn’t responsible for our:
Bad decisions Lack of obedience Lack of discipline Unrenewed thinking

The enemy tries to intimidate us into thinking he is more powerful than what he really is. But even he can’t do anything without God’s say so.

We have to remember who has the real authority here.

Matthew 28:18
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

We have to understand ALL authority. Not some, not most, all. And not just that but we are seated with him in that authority according to Ephesians 2:6.

It isn’t our authority, it’s his. We have to choose to walk in it. We need to reframe how we see the enemy.

He is already defeated. The enemy’s greatest weapon isn’t his power, it’s your belief that he still has it.

1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

All the enemy can do is throw a temptation at you but if you have cut off the ability for him to tempt you, then how can he?
So what avenue do you need to cut off? Your phone? A relationship? Do you need to talk to someone about your worth?
What door have you closed but left unlocked?

We need to stand in what Christ has already won.

James 4:7
Therefore, submit to God resist the devil and he will flee from you.

This is the power dynamic. We submit, we resist, the devil flees. It’s not because we are powerful, it’s because Christ is.

The enemy wants you focused on his power. He wants you to be afraid.

Fear grows where ever Gods authority is forgotten.

God wants you focused on His authority. Because when you understand the power dynamic, you realize you're not standing against the enemy hoping God shows up.

You're standing with God, enforcing a victory Jesus already won.

Once we know the power dynamic, the next step is easy.

3. Don’t Look Back

When Elijah gets the command to go and call Elisha as his disciple, what does Elisha do?

1 Kings 19:19-21
19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

He returned and took the oxen he was working and sacrificed them and then made the fire with the yoke that was on the oxen. The instruments that could have been used to call him back when things got tough he burned.

You’re going to have to burn the ships.

When Jesus called Peter, he had to drop his nets.
We have to remove the option of returning to what God called us out of.

We can’t have a backup plan with God. Many of us are still struggling with the weight or stain of sin because we brought something with us that God told us to lay down.

Paul says it like this:
1 Corinthians 10:23
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.

He also says that we need to figure out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.

Paul isn’t asking us to identify right and wrong, he is asking us to look at it and determine if it is helping us to become who God called us to be.

Some things aren’t sinful but they are pulling us backwards.

Some relationships, some habits, some environments, some entertainment, our thoughts…

We need to identify what we are holding onto for security. Once we know that, we know what we are turning to over God. Then we can eradicate it from our lives.

Real freedom requires practical boundaries.

A lot of this comes from a place of measuring what we feel we are losing. But we aren’t losing anything we are gaining God. We get to walk in the fullness of his victory.

We can’t fully pursue God’s future while constantly romanticizing our past.

Some of us are asking God for freedom while keeping a backup plan to return to our bondage. Elisha understood that if God was calling him forward, there could be no plan B. The problem isn't that we don't know what God is saying. The problem is we've kept the plow in the barn just in case following Jesus gets difficult.

As we close this morning, I want to bring you back to where we started.

Some of you walked into this room carrying things God never intended for you to carry. You've been bound by fear, bound by shame, bound by sin, bound by disappointment, bound by what someone said about you, or maybe even bound by what you've been saying about yourself.

And today God has been asking you to do three things.

First, He's been asking you to take a stand.
For too long you've allowed the enemy to occupy territory in your life that Jesus already paid for. You've tolerated things that God has called you to confront. You've agreed with lies that God has already spoken truth over. Today is the day to take a stand.

Second, He's been asking you to understand the power dynamic.
Some of you have been living as though the enemy has the final say. But he doesn't.
Jesus has the final say.
The cross has the final say. The resurrection has the final say. Your past doesn't have the final say. Your mistakes don't have the final say. Your failures don't have the final say.

Jesus has already won the victory, and today He's inviting you to stop fighting for victory and start living from victory.

And third, He's been asking you not to look back.
Like Elisha, there comes a moment when you have to burn the plow. There comes a moment when you stop keeping a backup plan. There comes a moment when you stop asking, "Can I still hold onto this?" and start asking, "What do I need to leave behind so I can fully follow Jesus?"

Because you cannot walk into God's future while holding onto your past.

So this morning, I want to ask you a question:
What is your plow? What is the thing God has been putting His finger on throughout this message? What is the thing you've been returning to? What is the thing that's been keeping you bound?

In just a moment, we're going to pray, but before we do, I want to challenge you. If the Holy Spirit has been speaking to you this morning, if there's an area where you've been giving ground to the enemy, if there's a lie you've been believing, if there's something from your past you've been holding onto, if today you're saying, "I'm done looking back”, then don't let this be another moment where you hear the truth and walk away unchanged.

Let’s Pray