The Bottom Line, Ministries Christian News, Articles, & Poetry 
Cleaning a home was quite a task in the old days. Women once used a wringer washer to clean their family’s clothes, spending much time wringing the clothes out through the wringer rolls at the top of the machine. Wet clothes were hung on a backyard line when weather allowed, and in the basement near the furnace when it did not. It could take a day or more for clothing to dry. Dishes were cleaned by hand, pots scoured with steel wool pads, and all were dried by hand with embroidered dishtowels, also sewn by hand. Silver utensils were polished to be set shiny as new on a Sunday dinner table.
Taking care of a home is much easier today than it once was. We have sprays, throw-away wipes, machines to wash dishes, even maid services are available with a phone call. Dryers can have a whole load of laundry dry in less than one hour. Dishwashers do all the work once the “pod” is added and a button pushed.
No matter how easy cleaning becomes, it will never be done. We clean, and then we clean again! When it comes to being cleansed from our sin, we can sometime feel that more is required as well. Asking for and receiving forgiveness with a desire to change our behavior seems as though it is not quite enough to cover the offense. God’s Word has good news for us:
If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]. I John 1:9
Do you need to be encouraged where forgiveness is concerned? It is so easy to remember those past sins, feeling that just a little more must be done in order to really feel forgiven. The bible promises us that God is faithful to forgive when we confess to Him, asking for help to change our behaviors and attitudes. When you feel the urge to wipe away the dirt of sin on your own, that is the time to trust God’s forgiving nature and His promise to you that you can be continually cleansed.
