July 21, 2024

Passage Read: Zechariah 3-6
Meditation Verses: 3:5-7

Thought

Joshua was given clean garments; his filthy garments were replaced with these clean garments, symbolizing his cleansing from sin. Then the Lord admonished him, saying that if he walked in the Lord's ways and performed the Lord's service, he would govern the Lord's house and have free access to it. He was made clean, but he had to walk in the ways of the Lord to gain rulership and free access to the Lord's house. The same is true for us: Our cleansing from sin is just the beginning. It is the thing that allows our deeds to have meaning. Before we are made righteous and cleansed from sin, all our righteous acts are like filthy rags, but once we are made righteous and cleansed from sin, now if we walk in the Lord's ways it accrues to our benefit, possibly even to ruling over a portion of the Lord's possessions and gaining free access to the presence of God.

Application

Believing in Jesus for forgiveness of sins is not the end of my spiritual journey, but the beginning. Having been cleansed from sin and granted righteousness, I must choose to walk in the Lord's righteousness. If I do walk in His ways and perform His service, He will grant me greater responsibility in His kingdom and allow me free access to His presence. But if I choose to walk in my old ways or in the ways of the world, I am trampling underfoot the work that Christ did to set me free from sin. I am dragging my new garments through the mud! That is offensive to God, who gave His only Son for my cleansing. In that case, I should not be surprised to find myself on the wrong end of God's wrath. I was cleansed in order to walk in His ways, so in His ways and in His service I must walk.