Cleansing Blood

5 min read

2 With a mighty voice he shouted: “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.

3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “ ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; …”

Revelation 18:2-4

As noted in another blog post, “Babylon” (that is, the kingdoms of the world that oppose God’s way and purpose) will fall. As inevitable as the great fall is, we cannot blame God for what is to come. “She has become” means that it is by it is by her free-will rebellion against God that evil calls “Babylon” its home. The kingdoms of the world make a choice every day to pursue the kingdom of the devil (power, performance, profit) over the kingdom of God (grace, mercy, love).

The people of God who live in the kingdoms of the world do not “abide” in the kingdoms of the world. Even though we live in the world, we abide in the kingdom of Christ because we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

That is what it means to “‘Come out of her,’” and “not share in her sins.” If only I could do that consistently day to day.

I cannot rely on my own ability to “not share in her sins.” The very act of trying makes pursuing holiness a burden and not the fruit of love. And so my hope can only be in Christ and Christ alone and what He has already done to wash away the guilt of my sins.

At the same time, I hear the voice of the angel, and I separate myself from the values of the world (power, performance, profit) to pursue to values of God’s kingdom (grace, mercy, love). And should I sin, I will confess my sin and let the the blood of Jesus wash me clean.

Is it fair that a sinner such as myself should have such confidence in the the mercy of God? When it comes to redemption and forgiveness, there is no such thing as “fairness.” We would all have no hope if “fairness” was the rule.

Father, Your love, mercy, and grace know no bounds. Forgive me for my many sins. And I will trust in Your love, mercy, and grace, since I would have no hope otherwise. In Jesus’s name. Amen.