This Bible study came from a dream I had on 6/26/2016 that I was teaching someone about sanctification: Conversion and living a holy life.
John 13:8-11
8 “You will never wash my feet—ever!” Peter said. Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 “One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him. This is why He said, “You are not all clean.”
These verses above have a twofold meaning, a physical and spiritual one but the one I will stress on will be the spiritual. A person who has bathed referring to salvation doesn’t need to bathe again. Here Jesus teaches one doesn’t lose their salvation as also found in John 10:28. What a person needs to do everyday is wash their feet and feet here represents daily treading in obedience to God’s Word. In other words, Jesus is teaching that sanctification (salvation sense) occurs only once when faith and trust is put in Jesus Christ so that a person is made clean (sins has been forgiven) through bathing which is seen in Ezekiel 36:25-26 that says, “25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
In another sense, sanctification is a daily lifestyle of righteousness when we break God’s Word we need to be cleansed by asking Jesus for forgiveness. Jesus is saying that once we believe in Him, we have been bathed but our daily walk in this life will also need to be washed everyday meaning that we will constantly sin and by washing our feet is confessing our sins to the Lord and being sanctified (right standing in the Lord). Whoever doesn’t wash their feet by confessing their sins to the Lord has no part in Jesus and would be evident that the person didn’t take a bath or has truly put their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. An example of this would be Judas Iscariot who Jesus said wasn’t clean.
Sanctification in Greek is hagiasmos (hag-ee-as-mos’) meaning the process of making or becoming holy, set apart, sanctification, holiness, consecration.
2 Timothy 2:21
So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
If we do not confess our sins to Jesus (wash our feet being sanctified) then we won’t be used by the Lord to do His will. God will only use those in obedience who are walking in sanctification not according to the sinfulness of the flesh. God’s will for us is to live in sanctification and not according to our sinful nature which goes against the Spirit of God who resides in us.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
3 For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, 4 so that each of you knows how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, 5 not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don’t know God.
Spiritual Minefield 
Do you think that dirty feet are our dealings with the world that we need cleansed of? Jesus told the
disciples were already clean because of the word that he had spoken to them
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Sanctification is to be made holy or in other words in right standing with God. When Peter told Jesus not to wash only his feet but also his hands and his head. Jesus replied those who are clean only need to wash their feet. In the time of Jesus all they wore were sandals and after bathing and walking to someones house the only thing that would need washing again was their feet. Jesus also stated that not all are clean referring to Judas who would betray Him. In that context it was a spiritual meaning that as Christians when we get saved we are sanctify but that doesn’t mean that we won’t sin so we need to always repent after we have sinned for we can get in right standing with the Lord.
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Im aware of the meaning if sanctification. I was asking for your view on foot washing and how you were relating it to sin in one’s life
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Since the meaning in the context of being made clean was spiritual than Jesus was alluding too that they who were with Him were clean meaning saved. But, that the only thing they would have to do in their Christian walk was that after they sin to make sure to repent. The illustration fits like a clove because when you get saved Jesus keeps you according 1 Peter 1:5. But, just like someone walking around after they have bathed would still get their feet dirty and needed to be washed. As Christians we don’t need to get saved again after we sin but to repent to be right in God’s eyes.
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That was the lesson of the dream.
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But they were encouraged by the Lord to wash on another’s feet.
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Yes I know that’s why it has a twofold meaning a spiritual one and a physical. The physical was to be humble and serve your brothers needs or help them with whatever they need. Some churches take it literal like washing members feet but if one reads the full context it will be clear.
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