Made Clean

When attending First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, SC, Dr. Sinclair B Ferguson made a statement that shook me and has stuck with me. "In order to clean something, something that is clean must become dirty." When you dust your furniture or wash your car, the rag or the water you use becomes dirty. In the same way, Jesus had to become dirty in order for me to become clean. My sin poluted Jesus, the Son of God who was absolutely polution free. I imagine a clean white rag becoming stained with dust. I imagine clean, clear water becoming muddy. What was once inviting to touch or to drink and pour over my body is now repulsive. This is how it was with Jesus. What the Father once held dear to Himself became repulsive to the point of turning away from His only Son, Jesus (until Jesus' resurrection, of course, when He defeated death and sin). This is a startling thought and should make me think twice about giving myself to sinful desires. Jesus took my dirt and made me clean. Why do I so often want to take it back?