It’s important to be clean on the outside. That’s what people around you see. But it’s far more important to be clean on the inside. That’s where the Lord looks. The Lord told the prophet Samuel, “The Lord [sees] not as man [sees]; for man [looks] on the outward appearance, but the Lord [looks] on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:77But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)). The following story that happened to me may help explain this point.
A front-end loader is a machine that is really helpful when heavy loads must be lifted and carried to new locations. I worked at a company that built front-end loaders. Several years ago, we were running some tests on the hydraulic system of one of these loaders. Another employee was in the driver’s seat operating the controls, while I was on the ground reading the oil pressure gauges and writing down the information. The pressure gauges were temporarily in place, using extra hoses that we had found in the test lab. We didn’t know it, but the hose ends had not been installed correctly on the hoses. This was a serious problem.
Our lives are sometimes like that. We may have a physical illness that we don’t know about. With an illness, it is important to find out what it is as soon as possible, and then a remedy will be more helpful. Besides physical health, you and I also have spiritual health, and God’s Word faithfully warns us that each of us has the disease called sin. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)).
How serious is this disease called sin? Is there a remedy for it? The Bible tells us that sin is very serious! It also tells us that there is a wonderful remedy for it that will not cost us anything! “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). Perhaps you have never thought about how serious sin is, just as I didn’t realize those hose connections on the hydraulic system were a serious problem.
You may guess what happened next. As I was reading the gauges, the pressure inside those hoses was becoming greater and greater, until suddenly that bad hose connection blew apart and sprayed oil right in my face! The oil was being pumped at a rate of thirty gallons per minute—that’s the same as a gallon of oil every two seconds! It took me several seconds to realize my danger, and I ended up being soaked with hydraulic oil from head to foot.
At home you may keep a supply of clean rags for emergencies. My helper quickly handed me a large supply of rags so that I could try to get cleaned up. I was thankful for this help, and I was able to wipe off much of the oil, but I was not anywhere close to being fully clean. The rags became filthy with oil, so I needed something better to get cleaned up from my bath of oil.
Let us remember what God tells us about our sin condition. “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)). This verse tells us that we cannot clean ourselves from sin. We must have God’s remedy: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). He invites you right now to trust in Him as your very own Saviour and be fully clean on the inside.
My story had a happy ending. I was able to go home and take a shower with soap and hot water and get clean on the outside. My clothes, however, were beyond help—they had to be thrown away.
There may be things in your life that should be “thrown away”—those sins that are an offense to God. Our message today is that there can be a happy ending to your story as well. The Lord Jesus is calling you! Will you accept His offer of cleansing? Be like the blind man, who when the Lord called him, “casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus” (Mark 10:5050And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. (Mark 10:50)).
ML-11/16/2008