“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
But you were washed,
The word “but” is a strong adversative in Greek. Paul uses this term three times in this verse to contrast the Christian from the non-Christian lifestyle.
“Washed” speaks of spiritual cleansing, regeneration. Note the word “wash” conveys the idea of complete washing away of sins. The phrase “but you were washed” can be translated as “you had yourselves washed.” They did not do the washing, but they allowed this washing to take place by the Lord. They did not remove sin, for only the Lord could do that.
PRINCIPLE:
Regeneration washes away all sin for all time.
APPLICATION:
Generation is one thing, but regeneration is something more. All of us have been born once, but only some have been born twice (spiritually, John 3:3-8). Regeneration completely washes away all sin for all time.
Titus 3:5, …not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
1 John 1:7, But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Revelation 1:5, …and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood…
