A couple of weeks ago Dave and I went thrifting with friends. We really like treasure hunting at the thrift stores. In the last store, we found this dirty, rusty, cast iron dutch oven.
Yesterday I got the steel wool and scrubbed it clean. Washed it and then rubbed shortening all over and put it in the oven to season. One hour at 450 degrees. When it finally cooled down and could be removed from the oven, it looked remarkable. Clean and ready to be used.
It made me think of the cleansing that we go through when we come to Christ.
“Then He said, “I have come to do what You want Me to do.” And this is what He did when He died on a cross. God did away with the Old Way of Worship and made a New Way of Worship. 10 Our sins are washed away and we are made clean because Christ gave His own body as a gift to God. He did this once for all time.” Hebrews 10:9-11 NLV
So many times we allow our past sins and mistakes to penetrate our thinking and work on our consciences; leaving in its path rusty feelings of guilt and unworthiness. Instead of running away from God in times like that we need to run to Him, it’s there we find freedom from guilt.
“ We have a great Religious Leader over the house of God. 22 And so let us come near to God with a true heart full of faith. Our hearts must be made clean from guilty feelings and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the hope we say we have and not be changed. We can trust God that He will do what He promised.” Hebrews 10: 21-22
Jesus told his disciples that it’s His word that makes us clean. Paul repeated that in his writing to the Christians at Ephesus, remember?
“Christ did this so He could set the church apart for Himself. He made it clean by the washing of water with the Word. ” Ephesians 5:26 NLV
Because of what Christ has done – dying for our sins and taking the punishment – we are clean and God, the Father, removes our sins and guilty conscience from us.
“I will show loving-kindness to them and forgive their sins. I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12 NLV
“He forgives all my sins. He heals all my diseases. 4 He saves my life from the grave. He crowns me with loving-kindness and pity. 5 He fills my years with good things and I am made young again like the eagle…8 The Lord is full of loving-pity and kindness. He is slow to anger and has much loving-kindness…11 For His loving-kindness for those who fear Him is as great as the heavens are high above the earth. 12 He has taken our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. ” Psalm 103:3-12 NLV (Just go ahead and read the whole chapter)
I love these verses!! It doesn’t matter that we are going through…really. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ and the love of your heavenly Father.
He washes us clean from all our sins and restores us to right relationship. We’ve been made clean!
