April 6

The Blessedness Of The Cleansed Soul

Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. — Ps 51:2 BSB

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. — Rev 22:14 BSB

In the last chapter of Revelation, there's a fascinating difference between the Authorized Version (A.V.) and the Revised Version (R.V.), which highlights an important truth. The A.V. says: "Blessed are they that keep His commandments, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life." The R.V. says: "Blessed are they that wash their robes." We can be thankful for this, because if the condition was the perfect keeping of God's commandments, it could lead us into legalism and self-righteousness. Though we are daily aware of our sin, we can wash our robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb, and so have the right to the Tree of Life.

There are two other references to the Tree of Life in this chapter. Revelation 22:2 tells us that it bears fruit every month, and Revelation 22:19 says that each of us has a unique part in that tree. Its leaves bring healing, and its fruit is perfectly suited to every phase of human experience. The Tree of Life was first planted in Paradise, alongside the Tree of Knowledge (Genesis 2:9). While the Tree of Knowledge fed the mind of our first parents with an understanding of good and evil, the Tree of Life symbolized the spirit, fed by God’s Spirit.

When we read that the Tree of Life bears fruit each month, we’re reminded that no matter what season of life we are in, God’s provision is always there. Whether it’s January’s fresh resolve, February’s storms, May’s blossoms of hope, June’s warmth, September’s harvest, or December’s cold—God’s grace is sufficient for every season. Each experience reveals new aspects of our Savior’s character and resources, which we would not have known otherwise.

Prayer

Give us grace, O Lord, to come to You for daily cleansing and for all our needs in the various circumstances we face, that by living holy lives we may glorify You in everything we do. Amen.