1149-How to Become Holy#
1149-How to Become Holy
(JP Text Group - Organized by Life Like an Eagle)
The New Testament Bible, John 13:1-20,
1 Before the Passover, Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean. 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
18 I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ 19 I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” Amen!
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Lord, you love us so much and tell us that you will love us to the end. Today, through your word, we want to draw strength from you once again as we enter a new week.
We are willing to open our hearts to receive your word. We know that your word is powerful; your word is the power of our victory. Holy Spirit, bless the time that follows, especially lead every brother and sister seeking you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord. Do you know that you belong to God?
Look at the message we are sharing today; it is a very important message that can help you and bring about great change. For example, if you are in a very weak situation, understanding this message will give you the strength of God; if you have many bad habits that you cannot change, today’s message can help you completely change those bad habits.
What does holiness mean? Some say that only God is holy, and we can never become holy, right? It sounds quite right because many people think that holiness means not sinning, behaving well, and having no selfish desires.
However, the Bible does not say that. What does God tell us? In Leviticus 11, God tells Israel to be holy because He is holy.
What does this prove? We can also become holy. It is not to say that we can never be holy; only God is holy. The Bible has already told us that we can also become holy. But today, how can we become holy? Can we become holy by trying hard to do good things? No, can we become holy by desperately restraining ourselves from sinning? No. So today we need to know how you can become a holy person. Today’s message will help you, and when you know you are a holy person, your life and your circumstances will undergo a transformative change.
Let’s look at the first verse we are sharing today,
Before the Passover, Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. [John 13:1]
When did this happen? Tomorrow is the Passover, and today’s events are taking place.
Now let’s push this timeline back a bit. In the text we read today, a very important thing is mentioned—water. Many people know that Jesus washed the disciples' feet. What did he use to wash? Water. In the afternoon of the day Jesus was crucified, he had already died. That night, because it was Passover, they had to take the bodies down from the cross before dark. At that time, a soldier pierced Jesus' side with a spear, and two things flowed out: one was blood, and the other was water.
Last year we talked a lot about the blood; this year we will talk about the water. These two are completely different. Many churches today still emphasize the precious blood, but most churches overlook one thing, which is the issue of water. Today we want to break down what kind of help this water can bring you.
Because this water can bring you holiness. Although we have the status and identity of children of God through Jesus Christ, we still have unholy behaviors, right? Today, no one says that after believing in Jesus, they completely stop sinning. Is there anyone like that? No, you can’t find one.
Today’s message aims to help you overcome those unholy behaviors in your life, telling you how to gain victory and release you from some bad habits. This passage will teach you how to practice your holiness. The focus is not on your behavior; it is not about how hard you try today to become holy. Your effort is useless. The focus is that God can change us. So today’s message will bring change to your heart. When a person’s heart changes, their behavior changes.
You will find that when a young couple is in love, it can be very cold in the park during winter, but do they feel cold sitting on that bench? To others, this behavior seems very silly; why not go somewhere else? But they are warm together. You might think their behavior is abnormal; they are sitting there, not caring about the environment because their hearts are warm. When your heart is changed, your behavior will naturally change. If your heart is filled with the love of Jesus, what you express will be acts of love.
Let’s share about “water.”
Today, we are saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ; He rose from the dead, and we are justified, Amen! How to gain victory in life and overcome bad habits is found in the water.
When Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father, did you notice that Jesus knew where he came from and where he was going?
He knew his mission in this world. This passage is Jesus’ last instruction to the disciples before returning to the Father. So in the latter part of the verse, it mentions that having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. What kind of people did Jesus love? His own. It is not that Jesus does not love those who do not believe; it is that they themselves are unwilling to accept Jesus’ love.
If you know you belong to Jesus, then Jesus loves you and loves you to the end.
After the Passover, he became the true Passover lamb.
Many people believe in Jesus to go to heaven. But everything Jesus did on earth was so that we believers could return to the Father.
He loved his own who were in the world and loved them to the end. Why does the Bible say to love them to the end? Because a series of very sad events are about to happen; the disciples all ran away, denying him, cursing him, and betraying him.
Brothers and sisters, this is a very stark contrast: one is that Jesus saw his bright future, returning to the Father; the other is seeing that this group of people in the world is about to betray him, about to sell him. But what was Jesus’ choice regarding this group of people? I will still love them to the end.
Brothers and sisters, this is the blessing we, as people belonging to Jesus, should receive. Today, no matter how bad your behavior is, Jesus still loves you. Thank the Lord!
Verse 2 says, While they were eating, the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. [John 13:2]
Even though Judas was about to betray him, Jesus was still willing to give him love. Unfortunately, Judas did not accept it. But those who believe in Jesus are blessed; because of Jesus’ crucifixion, people can receive eternal life in Christ and become holy.
Brothers and sisters, today you come to hear the word; your ears are blessed. During this time, many people might be enjoying good food in restaurants, chatting, or watching movies, or doing other things they like.
But you are different; you chose to listen to the words of Christ, so you are blessed. Many people are extravagantly spending and shopping in some places. We are not saying we should not do these things; I am just telling brothers and sisters that today, you have heard the good news they have not heard, and you will receive the blessings they cannot obtain, Amen!
Our eyes have been opened by God, so we know what is more important. We are not saying we should leave this world; you just choose to put Jesus first, and God will guide us and bless the work of our hands.
While they were eating, there is a foreshadowing that darkness is coming. Jesus tells the disciples these things to let them know that when they see this darkness, they should not be afraid because I have already told you.
Verse 3, Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God. [John 13:3]
Did you see that? Jesus was very clear about where he came from and where he was going. Many people do not understand this and do not know where they will go in the future! If you ask them, “You believe in Jesus; do you think you can enter the kingdom of heaven?” They might say, “Well, that’s hard to say; it’s up to God.” But Jesus was very clear that he was going back to God.
Jesus knew he would soon return to the Father, and the last thing he did for the disciples was to wash their feet. This proves that this act is also very important. Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist, poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Earlier we mentioned that Jesus is the true Passover lamb. He had all the supplies of the kingdom of heaven; after coming to this world, he lacked nothing, but he gave everything he had to us. The Bible tells us, He was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, so that we through his poverty might become rich.
The Bible also tells us, He, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant. You see, his status is high enough, right? Isn’t Jesus the highest in the entire universe? But he did not look down on others because of his noble identity. If it were a worldly person, after dinner, they might put their feet up and say, “Judas, come here, wash my feet; you are going to sell me soon, comfort my soon-to-be-hurt heart!”
He did not say, “Peter, come here; you are going to deny me three times soon!” Jesus did not do that. What did he do? He stood up, poured water into the basin, took off his clothes, and washed the disciples' feet one by one. This is our Jesus. He took on the nature of a servant to serve his own. If you feel you belong to Jesus, then Jesus will serve you in this way, making us holy.
The Bible tells us that because of Jesus Christ, you have already become holy.
In the original text, what does holiness mean? It means to be set apart. Jesus separates us from the world. He serves us so that we can learn from his example.
Jesus poured water into the basin and washed the disciples' feet; this is a very beautiful scene. In fact, with Da Vinci’s excellent painting skills, wouldn’t it be better to paint a picture of Jesus washing the disciples' feet? Thank the Lord!
Today, many churches read this passage and have brothers and sisters bring basins to wash each other's feet. We are not criticizing them; sometimes the Bible cannot be understood literally. In this text, if you interpret “washing each other's feet” literally, it may have some effect, but if it becomes a method of achieving merit, it feels a bit like a show.
What is mentioned here is actually a symbol. Jesus used real water to wash the disciples' feet. When it came to Peter, Peter said, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet? Who are you, and who am I? Are you really going to wash my feet? You shall never wash my feet.” He refused. Jesus explained with the following words (this is a symbolic meaning),
Jesus said: Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.
Verse 7 tells us, What I am doing, you do not realize now, but later you will understand.
Isn’t this about more than just washing feet? If it were just washing feet, would it need to be so complicated? Here, Jesus wants to tell us something related to serving with him, which is to say, if you want to work with Jesus, if you have weaknesses, you need to work with Jesus and let him wash your feet. First, let Jesus serve you, and then you will have the strength to supply others.
Brothers and sisters, when do people need to wash their feet? Isn’t it when there is dirt on their feet? If you think about it, the feet are actually cleaner than the hands; they are protected layer after layer. You see, first, there are socks, and then there are shoes. The hands are out all day, aren’t they dirtier? But the Bible tells us that Jesus says it is time to wash the feet. Why must we wash the feet? Is it because there is dust on the feet? Isn’t it hard for other things to stick to the feet? Did you notice that they are well protected, but there will still be dust?
When there is dust on your feet, you need to wash it off; this is a symbol. Let’s think about it. In the beginning of Genesis, when the serpent was cursed by God, what did God say to it? You will crawl on your belly and eat dust all your life. Do you think the dust the serpent eats is the same as the dirt we wash off our feet?
Brothers and sisters, why does Jesus want us to wash our feet? Because our feet are too close to the dust of this world and often get contaminated with the filth of this world, wrong thoughts, etc. When these wrong thoughts enter us, they will affect our behavior and can easily be used by the devil.
When we use this water, which is the word of God, to wash away the filth, the devil will no longer have the opportunity to deceive us. So Jesus says, “What I am doing now, you do not realize, but later you will understand.” Today, do you understand? Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
Peter is a straightforward person; he says whatever he thinks. At this moment, what does Peter say? “Lord, you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me!” When Peter heard this, he thought, “No way. Lord, you absolutely cannot abandon me; come, wash my head and hands as well!” He thought washing more would be better.
But what did Jesus say? “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Is this related to salvation? How many people think that if they are not washed by Jesus, they will not be saved? Please raise your hand. No one raised their hand.
Did Judas have his feet washed by Jesus? Yes. Was he saved? No.
So everyone needs to understand that this passage is not about salvation, but about how to work with Jesus to serve the church. If Jesus has no part with you, then your ministry will be your own work, and it will be hard to succeed.
Peter did not understand. Peter said, “Lord, wash my head and hands as well!” Jesus explained to him, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.”
Let’s share again; when taking a bath, is there anyone who does not wash their feet and waits until after the bath to wash their feet? No. When taking a bath, don’t you wash your feet too? Bathing represents what? Here, “Those who have had a bath” refers to those who are already saved. What are they washed with? They are washed clean by the precious blood of Jesus. From Jesus comes two things: one is his blood, and the other is water. Are we not all people who have been washed clean by the precious blood? How many times do we need to be washed? Once is enough. Then what is the water for? For washing feet.
Those who have had a bath, today let’s explain, those who are cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus, you are saved; after that, you do not need to be cleansed by the blood again; what you need is to be cleansed by water. That is, you need the word of God to correct yourself. Amen? Because this water is to help you gain victory in everything, relying on Jesus Christ for victory.
If you do not wash your feet, are you still saved? Yes, you are saved, but in your life, you may face many failures, just like Lot.
The Bible tells us that Lot was also a righteous man, but how was Lot’s life? It did not glorify God at all and was full of sin, yet he was still a saved person. On the other hand, Abraham lived according to God’s word, so God kept him away from the city that was to be destroyed. Today, we continuously cleanse our hearts through God’s word, allowing us to become victorious Christians in everything.
After Jesus stood up and washed their feet, he dried them with the towel around his waist. What does the towel represent? In the original text, it is called fine linen. In the Old Testament, what did the priests wear when serving in the temple? Fine linen garments. They were also called fine linen. What does fine linen represent? Holiness. At this moment, Jesus used the towel around his waist to dry them, representing the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which wiped away their filth and uncleanness.
After we wash our feet, do we have to dry them? If your feet are already clean, walking around with wet feet will make them dirtier. You will find that all the invisible hairs on the ground will stick to your feet, making it worse than not washing at all. So brothers and sisters, when your feet are washed clean, you must dry them. What does Jesus use to dry us? Jesus uses his righteousness to dry us clean.
What is this water? John 15:2-3 says,
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Today, what words are you hearing? The word of God makes you feel that you are righteous, that you are holy; this word does not make you feel more filthy; this word is to tell you that you have already been washed clean, and you are now holy. Hallelujah!
Brothers and sisters, does hearing the word make you feel more holy or more filthy? The true word is to tell you that today you have been cleansed by God’s word. That is to say, today when you come to Jesus with weakness, I want to tell you that Jesus is your strength; he is the answer to all your problems. Are you feeling strong and restored? When your weakness is replaced by Jesus, you are now holy because you have moved from incompleteness to completeness. Thank God!
So what kind of message we hear is crucial. Jesus wants to tell us that today, when you wash each other's feet, it means to tell those around you who are saved today that because of God’s word, they are righteous, no matter how big their problems are; they can come before God and receive His strength.
1 Corinthians 1:30, It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
Believers are in Jesus Christ; this is what God has given us. God made him, this “him” refers to who? “Him” refers to Jesus, brothers and sisters. God made him our wisdom. Who is your righteousness today? Jesus Christ is your righteousness. Who is your holiness? You do not need to work hard to become holy; because of Jesus, you are already holy.
Every time you hear the word, you should feel that you have been cleansed. No matter how big your problems are, you must know that God loves you; he will definitely love you to the end. He is your wisdom; no matter what problems you have now, his wisdom will surely help you solve your problems. You know Jesus loves you; you are righteous, you are holy, you are loved by God, and your strength will flow through Jesus Christ from within you. So this is the message we should share with one another. Hallelujah!
When you see the person next to you, you should know that they are loved by God, and you should tell them. Do not always look at their shortcomings and criticize them; you should look at them as Jesus does, seeing them as wise, holy, and righteous.
Many messages are messages of condemnation, “You cannot do this; you cannot do that; otherwise, God will discipline you, punish you, make you sick, and throw you into hell if you do not obey.” When you hear this, you find that the sins on you are countless, and this sin can never be confessed. The devil is indeed too powerful; how can you ever overcome it?
But today, know that Jesus is our redemption, our righteousness, our holiness. Because Jesus first served us, we are no longer the same and will live differently. Hallelujah! Only the true message that makes you feel you are already clean is the true gospel that Jesus wants us to convey.
Finally, let’s look at a passage from Ephesians 5:25-27,
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Amen!
Every time you come to church, through God’s word, you are holy; you are without blemish. Jesus wants to wash us clean with water through his word. Every time you come here to hear the word, what you receive is the assurance from Jesus that you are still loved by Jesus, that you are still blameless in God’s eyes. Thank the Lord! You must know your identity; you must know what you look like in God’s eyes now, and you will have the strength to overcome the problems you encounter.
To be presented to himself as a radiant church. Only when you know you are blameless and holy can you see that everything in this world is different. You will find that a person’s mood affects how they see the world differently. A person in despair sees the world as gray.
When you know you are loved by God, you will sing as you walk down the street every day, no matter what the world says about you. It doesn’t matter; you can say whatever you want; my God sees me as a treasure. Amen? No matter what people around you say, “Look, you have sinned again.” You must know that today, through God’s word, you have been washed clean, Amen? So when there are some small problems in life, you can declare your identity in the name of Jesus Christ, and you can overcome them.
In the past, we had a brother who started smoking and drinking at the age of 15 and could not quit. Later, after he believed in Jesus, he declared every day with God’s word, I am holy; I am righteous. Do you know how he declared every day? He would light a cigarette uncontrollably and take a puff, saying, “I am holy; I am righteous.”
To others, this seems like self-deception, but you know, after fifteen years of smoking and drinking, he knew to declare this every day. But there was still a process, right? Every day he declared this without using other methods, just declaring it like this. When he couldn’t resist drinking, he didn’t force himself not to; he would take a drink and say, “I am righteous; I am holy.” He repeated this, and after September, he completely quit.
Others tell you to endure, to stay away from it; does that work? No. When you know you are holy, you have the strength to overcome what seems impossible to others. When he declared this, he became different. This is how he lived a holy life.
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for your special grace. Lord, now we know that although we have many bad habits and sometimes worldly thoughts, through your word, I am now righteous, I am holy, and I have been washed clean by Jesus.
Lord, relying on the cleansing of Jesus’ precious blood, just as we have already taken a bath, today we cleanse the filth in our hearts once again through your word. We want to experience all the blessings you have accomplished for us, thank you for loving us so much.
Lord, through the declaration of your word, I am blessed in Christ; this week will be different. Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!