January 7th, 2025
Psalm 51:7 - Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
In the Cincinnati Tri-state area this week, we had record-breaking snowfall. When I woke up this morning, snow had accumulated more than I’ve seen in years. The road in front of my house is covered, without even a tire track. It’s stunningly white and completely untouched. This snow won’t be melting anytime soon, as temperatures are dropping to nearly 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the next couple of days. However, even though it won’t be melting, it will be looking very different.
As plows come through and push the snow to the side and cars begin to brave the roads, the snow will turn an unpleasant grey color. People will venture into their yards with their dogs and children will build snowmen. The flat, white, untouched snow will become much less serene and much less white. Mud and grass will be churned up by happy feet, changing parts of the snow to a brown color. Other colors will be mixed into our yards for less pleasant reasons. The white purity of the snow will be short lived.
In the Bible verse above, the writer of Psalms compares the purification of his heart to snow. The blood of Jesus washes our hearts and makes them as pure as snow. This truth is echoed in Isaiah 1:18 which says,
‘“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.’
The gospel is the truth that when we accept the salvation Jesus purchases by His blood, we are completely cleansed. It’s not as if we are blanketed with fresh snow, covering the dirt, sin, and darkness of our past. Our hearts and lives are made completely new in Jesus– as white as fresh snow, with nothing concealed. 1 John 1:7 says the blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sin.
Hebrews 9:14 says,
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
The blood of Jesus is the cleansing power of God. What the blood of Jesus touches becomes clean! Considering this truth, we must still understand that it is our responsibility to remain unstained by the world. James 1:27 says,
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
It is our sin, disobedience to God, that defiles the white robes Jesus has given us (Revelation 7:13-14). It is only sin that can stain us. Speaking of those who deliberately continue in sin, Hebrews 10:29 says,
“How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”
Deliberate sin, after experiencing the purification of the blood of Jesus, is an outrage to the spirit of grace. It’s as if we are trampling His very blood under our feet. Sin is serious.
Just as snow can be defiled, so can our hearts. However, the Lord reminded me this week that the purifying power of the blood of Jesus is much more powerful than the defiling power of sin. The healing power of the blood of Jesus is much more powerful than the destruction of sickness. The delivering power of the blood of Jesus is much more powerful than the torment of darkness.
Jesus was purity Himself walking the earth. He was the perfect lamb of God, without even the slightest hint of sin or darkness. However, He was not afraid to touch the world. He did not shy away from the broken for fear of being defiled. It is sin that stains, not humanity.
There is an example of this in the word of God. In Jesus’ time, leprosy, a horrific skin disease that was extremely contagious and visually horrific, was common. It was painful and would eventually cause death. If someone contracted leprosy, they would be cut off from society to protect others from catching the disease. They were culturally and ceremonially unclean. No one in Jesus’ time would have dared go near a leper. Jesus, however, had something in Him that was more contagious than leprosy. Luke 5:12-15 tells the story:
‘While [Jesus] was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And He charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But now even more the report about Him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear Him and to be healed of their infirmities.”
Jesus touched him. I don’t think that detail is included accidentally. It was culturally significant that Jesus reached out to touch a man who was untouchable by society. Anyone Jesus touched was impacted by the purity He carried.
Jesus never compromised and never sinned, but He loved and sat with those who would be considered untouchable. He Himself is the cleansing the world needs and now, as His church, we are carriers of that same power. When we are washed in the blood of Jesus and we walk in the power of heaven, we carry that same purity to the world around us. That’s when conviction comes and brings freedom. That’s when healing comes and brings wholeness. That’s when He comes and sets the captive free. We are carriers of the same power that Jesus walked in. He washes us as white as snow and as we walk with Him, we don’t have to fear being stained. We are His hands and feet. We are His church. He is waiting for us to walk in the power and authority of heaven to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the truth of the purifying power of the blood of Jesus – to every corner of the world! There is not a human being in the world that God doesn’t love. There isn’t a person in the world God didn’t create for Himself. There is no one He doesn’t long to touch!
In the Cincinnati Tri-state area this week, we had record-breaking snowfall. When I woke up this morning, snow had accumulated more than I’ve seen in years. The road in front of my house is covered, without even a tire track. It’s stunningly white and completely untouched. This snow won’t be melting anytime soon, as temperatures are dropping to nearly 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the next couple of days. However, even though it won’t be melting, it will be looking very different.
As plows come through and push the snow to the side and cars begin to brave the roads, the snow will turn an unpleasant grey color. People will venture into their yards with their dogs and children will build snowmen. The flat, white, untouched snow will become much less serene and much less white. Mud and grass will be churned up by happy feet, changing parts of the snow to a brown color. Other colors will be mixed into our yards for less pleasant reasons. The white purity of the snow will be short lived.
In the Bible verse above, the writer of Psalms compares the purification of his heart to snow. The blood of Jesus washes our hearts and makes them as pure as snow. This truth is echoed in Isaiah 1:18 which says,
‘“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.’
The gospel is the truth that when we accept the salvation Jesus purchases by His blood, we are completely cleansed. It’s not as if we are blanketed with fresh snow, covering the dirt, sin, and darkness of our past. Our hearts and lives are made completely new in Jesus– as white as fresh snow, with nothing concealed. 1 John 1:7 says the blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sin.
Hebrews 9:14 says,
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
The blood of Jesus is the cleansing power of God. What the blood of Jesus touches becomes clean! Considering this truth, we must still understand that it is our responsibility to remain unstained by the world. James 1:27 says,
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
It is our sin, disobedience to God, that defiles the white robes Jesus has given us (Revelation 7:13-14). It is only sin that can stain us. Speaking of those who deliberately continue in sin, Hebrews 10:29 says,
“How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”
Deliberate sin, after experiencing the purification of the blood of Jesus, is an outrage to the spirit of grace. It’s as if we are trampling His very blood under our feet. Sin is serious.
Just as snow can be defiled, so can our hearts. However, the Lord reminded me this week that the purifying power of the blood of Jesus is much more powerful than the defiling power of sin. The healing power of the blood of Jesus is much more powerful than the destruction of sickness. The delivering power of the blood of Jesus is much more powerful than the torment of darkness.
Jesus was purity Himself walking the earth. He was the perfect lamb of God, without even the slightest hint of sin or darkness. However, He was not afraid to touch the world. He did not shy away from the broken for fear of being defiled. It is sin that stains, not humanity.
There is an example of this in the word of God. In Jesus’ time, leprosy, a horrific skin disease that was extremely contagious and visually horrific, was common. It was painful and would eventually cause death. If someone contracted leprosy, they would be cut off from society to protect others from catching the disease. They were culturally and ceremonially unclean. No one in Jesus’ time would have dared go near a leper. Jesus, however, had something in Him that was more contagious than leprosy. Luke 5:12-15 tells the story:
‘While [Jesus] was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And He charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But now even more the report about Him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear Him and to be healed of their infirmities.”
Jesus touched him. I don’t think that detail is included accidentally. It was culturally significant that Jesus reached out to touch a man who was untouchable by society. Anyone Jesus touched was impacted by the purity He carried.
Jesus never compromised and never sinned, but He loved and sat with those who would be considered untouchable. He Himself is the cleansing the world needs and now, as His church, we are carriers of that same power. When we are washed in the blood of Jesus and we walk in the power of heaven, we carry that same purity to the world around us. That’s when conviction comes and brings freedom. That’s when healing comes and brings wholeness. That’s when He comes and sets the captive free. We are carriers of the same power that Jesus walked in. He washes us as white as snow and as we walk with Him, we don’t have to fear being stained. We are His hands and feet. We are His church. He is waiting for us to walk in the power and authority of heaven to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the truth of the purifying power of the blood of Jesus – to every corner of the world! There is not a human being in the world that God doesn’t love. There isn’t a person in the world God didn’t create for Himself. There is no one He doesn’t long to touch!
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