July 2026 Writen by Amy Davies
Washed - The Cleansed and New
Welcome back to Flourish - apologies for the gap in receiving blogs - it’s been a busy time with all our efforts put into making our first Refresh Ladie’s Day as special as possible and we praise God for how we saw Him move. In our last edition we opened up the new series on Water, and we will continue with the theme of being Washed today.
When I think of being washed, I get a strong sense of being made clean. The definition of clean is to be physically free from marks, dirt and stains; spiritually uncontaminated, pure, innocent.
I don’t know about you, but when I touch something unclean I know it. I feel it on my skin, I know it’s there and cannot rest until I feel the relief of fresh water cleansing me - removing the dirt. Aren’t our spiritual lives similar? When we sin, deep down we know it. We might try to cover it up, to dilute it with excuses, but we cannot deny its presence. Sin has a way of weighing us down, contaminating our inner being, staining our hearts, marking our lives. Sin doesn’t just eat us up on the inside, it becomes visible on the outside, impacting our behaviour and interactions.
The Gift of Baptism
So what do we do with it? When we are physically dirty, we wash ourselves clean. Jesus offers us the same solution as we come to recognise our spiritual uncleanliness - baptism. To be baptised is to respond to the call of God in our lives - to take a step of faith to believe in what we cannot see, an outward act of inner acceptance and commitment to Christ, symbolising our reconciliation with God and the surrender of our old self, made new through Jesus’ sacrifice.
To be baptised is to be made clean - God’s offering through baptism is for us to let go of the old - our sinful self - and to be made new, filled with His Holy Spirit, cleansed from the inside out - all stains removed. As we rise out of the waters of baptism, God sees us in the righteousness of Jesus, the perfect sacrifice and atonement for all our sin and shame.
What a gift! Yet I wonder how many of us put it off? I know I did. I think it’s often quite a challenge growing up in a Christian family, it can be difficult to know where the journey begins, no thunder bolt moment or dramatic 180 degree turn. Simply doing your best to walk with God. I felt like I was always waiting for that Damascus Road moment, where Paul saw the light and heard the voice of Jesus. I felt I was missing something, no big story, just a life lived with God present. Ups and downs, sometimes closely following, other times distant and rebellious, but no radical conversion. Yet then again, isn’t that the reality of life with God? Maybe it’s just me, and everyone else is walking firmly on the straight and narrow path, but don’t we wander off course sometimes? Doesn’t life throw us curveballs and we lose our way a little? Am I the only one that occasionally questions why?
Then there’s the issue of comparison. I’ve heard Christians say they haven’t yet been baptised as they don’t feel ready, they feel they don’t measure up - “I still lose my temper and shout at my children.” “I make mistakes everyday.” “It’s been a while since I picked up my Bible.” One thing baptism is not, is a miracle cure for the human condition. No one is perfect, and even after we surrender our old selves to Jesus, the transformation is a journey. One small step of faith at a time, we lay ourselves down before God and seek His forgiveness, His healing, His power to shape and mold us into His likeness, minute by minute, hour by hour.
But what does the Bible actually say? In various accounts of baptism found across the New Testament, individuals heard the good news of Jesus, believed and were baptised.
A significant example is found in Acts 2, where Peter addresses the crowd following the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
Following his explanation of all that had happened to Jesus and their part in it, the Israelites were deeply convicted - they recognised their sin and wanted to change. For those who believed, the response appears pretty immediate - they accepted the message of Christ and were baptised. Not only was their baptism an acceptance of Jesus, but Peter also instructed them to first repent. This is in-keeping with the baptisms delivered by John the Baptist - he preached on the importance of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As we come to be baptised, we recognise our sinful nature and ask God to take what’s passed, all the marks and the stains and help us to live according to His will.
The Example of Christ
The most significant baptism in the New Testament is found in Matthew 3 where we witness the baptism of Jesus.
Jesus was God incarnate - He bore no sin, yet He chose to be baptised as an act of obedience to God the Father to “fulfill all righteousness” - to accomplish God’s mission. As Jesus was baptised, God made His identity clear, affirming Jesus as His own son, with whom He was ‘well pleased’. As we are baptised, God also affirms us as His children, born into His royal family, each commissioned to advance the Kingdom of Heaven.
It’s worth noting that this doesn’t come without opposition. The enemy does not enjoy the believer’s baptism. I remember my own experience last year, almost backing out at the last minute as I didn’t feel qualified - I felt I should be further along or feel some sense of readiness before I took that step. Not to mention after the event - there was an initial high, then the lowest of lows with a significant attack of the mind I was unprepared for. Looking back, I could have seen it coming. It's only struck me now as I find myself studying the topic further that it was immediately after Jesus’ baptism that He was led by the spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. His identity was challenged, yet He remained without sin.
Cleansing and Filling
For those of us already baptised, aren’t we well aware of the struggle? The question over our identity as we face daily challenges. The barrage of lies that bring doubt to our salvation. It’s not an easy ride. Whilst baptism is an outward symbol of our commitment to Christ, it must be accompanied by an inner change of attitude which will lead to a transformed life. This isn’t something that we can strive for or achieve on our own, it is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit. When considering this idea, the parable of the empty house found in Matthew 12:43-45 comes to mind. The house symbolises our lives, we can do our best to clean up our act, be rid of bad habits, yet if we put so much emphasis on the sweeping out and do not replace what is gone by practising new habits with God, we are at risk of leaving a vacant space for the enemy to return. Whilst the context of this text refers to impure spirits, it challenges the idea of striving for moral purity - outward cleansing versus the need to be filled on the inside. Christian teaching pairs cleansing with filling. Baptism doesn’t just wash away the old and leave us empty. We are spiritually reborn, becoming actively occupied by the Holy Spirit.
In my experience, I could feel the temptation to need to go back to the baptism pool day after day! How glad I am to know that I don’t walk this road alone - it is a daily prayer to invite the Holy Spirit in to strengthen and guide us each step of the way.
So where does this all leave us on baptism?
Across the New Testament, from the Ethiopian Eunuch hearing Philip unpacking the prophetic scriptures (Acts 8) to the jailer introduced to Jesus by the imprisoned Paul and Silas (Acts 16), each heard, received and were immediately baptised. So perhaps that’s food for thought for you today. I wonder, if not yet baptised, where does it sit with you? Is God calling you to His cleansing waters today?
Baptised already? Be encouraged by the promise - You Are Clean. Washed and renewed, yesterday, today and forever. The Holy Spirit is within you, simply ask Him to show you the way. He won’t let you down. `