- 11. Washed and Purged
Isaiah 4:4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged away the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.
God promises to wash away the filth and purge away the blood-guilt from the Church of God’s people, the invisible church which is the entire group of believers in Christ Jesus. This promise has been fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus washed and purged the sin and guilt (filth and blood) from persons who believe in Him. The Holy Spirit includes each believer in the Church, which He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies through the Gospel.
It was the spirit of judgment and burning that accomplished this cleansing. All sins were judged in Christ on the Cross. The Spirit is the fire by which we were baptized that burned away all sin. Through the blood of Jesus we are clean thoroughly. Filth is the result and consequence of sin. Sin results in a messed up life: life is confused, chaotic, stinky, messy, disgusting, and ugly because of our sin; and we have no one to blame but ourselves. We are the sinners who have sinned and brought about the troubles, pains and sufferings we experience. But Jesus washed away the filth of sin, and we are as clean and tidy as a pin, and we are as white as snow.
Blood signifies the guilt of murder. Bloodguilt stains, pollutes, corrupts, despoils, disgusts, damages and destroys the land in which it occurs and the person who commits the murder. Even we the good people who did not actually murder have murdered life with our hands, our tongues, and our thoughts. We have purposely or inadvertently hurt other people with our words, lies, gossip, and criticisms. Even if we regard anger and hatred in our hearts it is accounted as murder. We who do not treat others with love, forgiveness, kindness, and care are murderers; and thus we are guilty of blood. But Jesus purged away the blood and we are pure and holy.