Completely Clean

“…and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin…” 1 John 1:7

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.” Song of Solomon 4:7

As a mother of a very small child, I spend a lot of time cleaning. Forget the house; I have settled in my heart that it will be somewhat of a wreck until all of my children are in college. It’s enough of a chore to wash down my toddler before letting him run off to touch everything three feet or lower. I don’t even bother with a washcloth. I usually get an entire bath towel wet and attack the grime smearing his face and fingers. I always think he is clean by the time I let him go. And yet no matter how thoroughly I think I have cleaned him, it is usually not until we are out and about somewhere in public that I see the remains of his lunch still smeared somewhere on his body and clothes.

This happened again on Friday afternoon. As I was buckling my child into his car seat, in a rush to get somewhere, I saw a smudge of previously invisible peanut butter on his cheek and in his hair; the same cheek and hair that I was sure I had just scrubbed!

Immediately, I had this simple thought: I am so very glad that when my Heavenly Father washed me clean, He didn’t miss a spot. The blood of Jesus is the most powerful, far-reaching cleaning agent. “’Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool’” (Isaiah 1:18).

If we have given our lives to Christ, trusting His perfect sacrifice as our only hope of salvation, then we are clean. Our life is now hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3.) So let us not hang our heads under the weight of shame and guilt. Our God is not a negligent parent with vision problems who somehow misses a spot here and there.  We need not hang our heads under the perceived weight of sin smudges and guilt grime. What God says is clean, is clean. “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

Dear heavenly Father, we thank You this day that when You saved us, You redeemed us, and we were made clean by the blood of Jesus. Thank You that this cleansing was thorough. Thank You that You do not miss a spot. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.