When we are born again, our spirits are made new. Nothing can be more new than a new creation! But our souls (our minds, wills, emotions, personalities) were not made new. They need to be renewed by the Spirit and the Word.
“That he might sanctify and cleanse it (the church) with the washing of water by the word.” (Eph. 5:26)
This washing of the soul can be compared to having a glass full of dirty water. If we put that glass of dirty water under a faucet that is gushing pure water, the dirty water is going to be stirred up, lifted to the top and eventually replaced by the clean water. This is a good example of what happens to many believers when they start getting renewed to the Word of God. Soulish thoughts, habits and tendencies start to surface. They are new and clean in their reborn spirits, but their minds, wills and emotions are getting a bath. Sometimes it is like bathing a dog. Everybody who is nearby gets wet as well. The dirt from the past surfaces and sometimes is shaken off on anyone who is near.
The more time we spend in God’s Word, the more the water of the Word will cleanse our souls. We will learn that life is more than our feelings and emotions. Truth does not fluctuate with the fads of society.
The renewing of the soul takes time. How should we respond to those who are getting us wet with the junk from their pasts? “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” (Rom. 15:1)
Let’s be patient with each other and realize that we are all at different points in the cleansing process. Let the Word do its work.
“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Ps. 51:7)
Barry Bennett is an instructor- Charis Bible College Colorado. He is a graduate of Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas, and has been serving the Lord since 1972. He and his wife, Betty Kay, have served on the mission field in Mexico, Guatemala, and in Chile, where they spent almost 12 years before returning to Texas in 2001.
