Sermon Brief: Live Clean!

From Journey Through the Word: The Book of Numbers

Based on Numbers 19

ONE GREAT TRUTH: Redemption and salvation are “forever” terms, but to be intimate with the God we follow, we need to be cleansed from our sin.

(sorry, no audio, just some brief notes…)

We’re journeying through the Bible together and we’ve come to a place where God institutes a new kind of sacrifice for the people, different than all the rest. It was called the sacrifice of the red heifer and it was performed outside the camp of Israel, away from the tabernacle, by a priest. The story illustrates some eternal principles about fellowship with God and answers some of the most common questions Christians ask…

• How can I be close to God?
• If I’m saved, but I sin, do I need to be saved again?
• What difference does sin make if I’m already going to heaven?
• How can I feel close to God again when I’ve messed up?

SOME ANSWERS…

We are Cleansed on the Grounds of the Blood of Christ.

The blood of Jesus was shed once on the cross, and we are saved once and for all when we trust Him as our Savior. We don’t ever have to be saved or redeemed again – we belong to God eternally. But His blood continues to be the basis or the grounds of our salvation. It isn’t ever our works of righteousness, it is always God’s grace as He looks to the blood of His Son when He sees the dirtiness and guilt of His children.

We are Cleansed as God’s Spirit Uses God’s Word

The water used in the sacrifice is symbolic, I believe, of two things. One is God’s Spirit and the other is God’s Word. God’s Spirit uses God’s Word to convict of us of sin, convince us of truth, and call us to repentance. But we must be filled and controlled by God’s Spirit. We must be yielded to His cleansing work in our lives.

We are Cleansed as Sin is Removed and Fellowship Is Restored

One of the most significant aspects of this sacrifice is that it occurred outside the camp. In fact, the sacrifice was made outside the camp, then the ashes were mingled with water and it was kept outside the camp. Anybody needing cleansing would travel outside the camp to find it. Then they could journey back into the intimacy of the camp again.

We don’t cease to be God’s children when we sin, but we do hurt our relationship with Him – we damage our fellowship with God. But there is cleansing available! There is a fountain of blood and a stream of water.

Are you clean today? Trust Jesus. Ask His forgiveness, and come on into the camp!