Tag Archives: clean

Don’t call unclean what God calls clean

 

What God says is what matters

 
When God calls you, rescues you from the pit of sin, He doesn’t leave you filthy and in chains. He doesn’t free you and then turn His back. You are wanted. You are loved. God tenderly takes you just as you are, and wipes away the dirt and the shame. You are priceless to Him. You are worth Him becoming your sin so you could become His righteousness. He paid your debt, in full. God clothes you in His finest robes and puts gold rings on your fingers. You are His treasure.

God redeems all your wrongs. He makes good from your failures and brings about His dreams for your life, according to His purposes. He isn’t embarrassed to be seen with You. What He says is what matters most. He chooses to no longer remember what you have confessed and humbly asked to be forgiven. He sets you on His path. He promises to never leave you, and He is true to His word.

So, don’t call what is clean to be unclean. You are restored. You are not who you were. You don’t have to live that way anymore. Your Father has given you a new life. Live in His calling. You are beautiful. You are filled with His Holy Spirit. You have purpose.

You are His.

The lukewarm mess

As I drove to church yesterday morning through the mess of our driveway and lane, I got an up close view of these verses in Revelations 3.

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth.
– Revelations 3:15-16

The private road to my house

On one side of the lane, the side with an abundance of shade from the surrounding woods, snow remained from a storm that cancelled school most of last week. The other side of the lane, warmed by the sun, was finally clear with grass showing. In between was the mud and ice pit drive that we had to slosh and swerve through to get to the county road.

It’s the middle, lukewarm path that’s often the biggest mess.

God says that He wishes we were hot or cold, but not in-between. Looking at my road, that makes sense.

God wants us to make our choice, not fake our choice. He longs for us to decide to follow Him with our whole hearts, with all that we are. He wants our full commitment, no matter what. He doesn’t want us to pretend we are His, and then skip out on what’s important to Him because it’s not convenient. God doesn’t give us His Son’s name so we can act like it’s a secret or it doesn’t matter. It does. He does. Splashing in the lukewarm water may be fun for a time, until our souls are caked in mud and our shoes are stuck in the slushy, filthy potholes of life.

Thankfully God knew our propensity to be drawn into the mud puddles, and He sent us the Light of the World and the Living Water. When we look to His Son for rescue and healing, His light dries up the soggy ruts in our hearts, and then He power washes us clean.

Be gracious to me, God,
according to Your faithful love;
according to Your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.
Wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
– Psalm 51:1-2, 10

As for my driveway, I’m looking forward to the sun drying out the mess so I can get a car wash.