White As Snow

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”

Isaiah 1:18

IF YOU SPEND a lot of time doing laundry, you know that some substances are especially difficult to wash out of clothes—particularly from white or lightly colored clothes. For example, the juice of fruits such as pomegranates, cherries, and strawberries is difficult to clean. The same is true for grease stains and marks caused by certain kinds of ink.

But few stains are more difficult to wash away than those caused by blood. For most launderers, white fabric stained with blood is a nightmare not even worth tackling.

Of course, a few secret tips and tricks have been handed down throughout the generations. Some people recommend washing the clothes in cold water. Others rely on different combinations of salt, ammonia, and baking soda. Still others use meat tenderizers to break down the proteins in blood and allow for easier cleaning.

Our all-powerful God doesn’t need special techniques when it comes to cleaning. The Creator of the universe can make something look new just as easily as he made it in the first place. Fortunately for us, God is more interested in cleaning our souls than washing our fabrics. He works to clean away the stains of our sins rather than our more mundane stains.

Ironically, God’s own blood is the agent through which our sins can be cleansed. Jesus’ death on the cross opened the way for our forgiveness. His blood removes the stain of our rebellion against him and makes us clean.