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  CLEANSING MEANS EMPOWERING
  by Daniel Steele
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Summary: The speaker argues that the traditional definition of
'cleansing' is misleading and proposes a new definition of 'empowering'
as a more accurate translation of the biblical concept.

Topics: "Biblical Interpretation", "Doctrinal Integrity"
Scripture References: Romans 6:6, Ephesians 5:26, Colossians 2:11, James 4:8, 1 John 1:7

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DESCRIPTION
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Daniel Steele discusses the dangers of redefining biblical terms to fit
modern ideologies, using the example of changing 'cleansing' to
'empowering' to avoid the true meaning of sin removal through Jesus
Christ. By altering key biblical concepts, Steele highlights the risk of
misleading interpretations and the importance of preserving the original
intent of Scripture to avoid doctrinal errors and confusion.

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CONTENT
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ANOTHER evil effect of letting the dust gather on his dictionary is
found in his invention of an unheard-of definition of the word
"cleansing." He says: "We would suggest that 'empowering' is a much
better term to use, and one less liable to mislead." He says it
translates into modern thought the Jewish meaning of cleansing.

Let us read the new definition or translation in a few passages: "The
blood of Jesus Christ empowers us from all sin;" "Let us empower
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit;" "Empower your
hands, ye sinners;" "That he might sanctify and empower it [the Church]
with the washing of water;" "Empower first that which is within the
cup;" "Heal the sick, empower lepers;" "Immediately his leprosy was
empowered."

Having denied that there was "something brought into or added to man's
nature at the fall of Adam which divine grace can instantaneously
remove," and having said that depravity "is a disarrangement, that is
all -- a change in the relative order of strength," he was forced to
invent this absurd definition.

But he should have gone on and read some new meaning into "destroy,"
that the body of sin might be destroyed; into "crucify," that the old
man is crucified; into "mortify" or kill, when applied to uncleanness
and covetousness ; and into "circumcise" in its spiritual meaning, in
putting off (and laying aside) "the body of the flesh" by the
circumcision of [procured by] Christ." You see that this opens a large
field for a writer's powers of invention.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/daniel-steele/cleansing-means-empowering/
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