“Jesus said to him, 'He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.'” John 13:10
 
I was encouraged so much by the fact that Jesus called the 11 disciples “clean”.  Despite all their flaws (Thomas was severely lacking in faith, James and John wanted to be elevated to honor, they all fought over who was the greatest, Peter denied Him, they all abandoned Jesus in Gethsemane…) Jesus called them 'clean'.
 
I've noticed that Jesus often encouraged the disciples (to the ones who were truly disciples) by reassuring them - giving them assurance in God; challenging them not to doubt but to take refuge and joy in the fact that they had an eternal security, and I believe that's His Word He wants us to always be comforted in too:
 
Luke 12:32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom."  (This is the single verse that put all my own personal doubts about my own salvation to rest!)
 
Luke 10:20   "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."
 
The disciples weren’t filled with the Holy Spirit yet, and so they were so defeated, but Jesus was still happy to call them clean, and to reassure them they belonged to the Father, and to heaven.  He said, “You’re clean, you just need to wash your feet every day now.”
 
What an encouragement and word that is for us too.
 
It seems (what I see in this picture) is that there are 2 types of cleanings (which I understand are 2 types of repentance):
  • First, the full cleaning (the first time we come to the Lord and genuinely repent of all our sins and turn to Him completely away from sin, trusting His mercy, deciding to be completely devoted to Jesus as our first love now).
  • Second, the daily cleaning of our feet (the judging ourself of the sins we see every day which we need to continually repent of).
I was encouraged that God calls me clean, as long as I have an intention to go the way of the cross, despite all my failures.
 
It must have been a great encouragement to the disciples to hear “don’t worry - you’re clean.” I believe God wants us to hear that clearly and never, ever doubt it, and always be encouraged by it (1 Jn 5:13 - "that you may know that you have eternal life"), as long as we have had that first genuine washing by Him of a genuine repentance and intend to keep going that way.
 
It was like God was reassuring me personally, “you’re clean - you just need to keep washing your feet every day (i.e., cooperating with the Holy Spirit - surrendering, sitting still and holding our feet out for Jesus to clean my feet every day).”
 
And when Satan comes and tempts us to discouragement, telling us that maybe we don’t belong to God, that maybe we aren’t clean - we can turn to the Lord’s mercy who calls us clean. And God wants us to be completely secure in that work that He's done.  If we don't leave Him, He won't leave us!
 
We sing "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!", and God's will is definitely that we always mean what we sing, and have that 'blessed assurance' in us!
 
"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" 1 Jn 5:13.  Praise God.