The knock at the door came late at night. Mr. and Mrs. Albert had gone to South America to tell the good news of God’s salvation to lost sinners. They also wanted to help the little groups of Christian believers in the area.
Mr. Albert opened the door to find three of the Christians, Freddy, Juan and David, standing there. Something was troubling them.
“Come in,” said Mr. Albert. “How may I help you?”
Freddy, the uncle of the two teenagers, asked, “Do you know how to tell if a ring is really made of gold?”
“Well, I’m not sure,” answered Mr. Albert.
Freddy and his nephews went on to explain that David had been left to look after his father’s store that afternoon. A stranger had come in with an urgent need to travel to another city but had no money. He showed David two rings that he had and told him that if he would give him money to make the trip, he would not only repay him when he returned, but he would also buy him a soccer ball. He would leave the two rings with David to assure him that he would return. “They are real gold rings,” the stranger had said.
David believed the man and gave him the money he needed. But that night he began to have doubts. Were they really gold rings? Maybe they were only made of brass and had little value. Since David’s father was away, Uncle Freddy and Juan went with him to Mr. Albert’s house. Could Mr. Albert tell if they were really gold?
Mr. Albert knew that his wife had a gold wedding ring, so he compared the two rings with Mrs. Albert’s wedding ring. All three were shiny. All three looked like gold.
“There’s only one test that I know of to make sure if something is made of gold or just brass,” Mr. Albert told them. “A drop of acid is the way to test. If the object is brass, the acid will leave a stain, but pure gold will not stain. But I don’t know if I have an acid that is strong enough to make the test.”
Then he remembered the jeep. “That’s it!” he said. “We can get some acid out of the battery in the jeep.” So they got a straw and went out to the jeep to get a drop of acid from the battery. Back inside the house in good light they made the test. Were the rings gold or brass? Soon a brown spot on each of the two rings told them the truth. Brass! The rings were not gold at all. A sad, but wiser, David left Mr. Albert’s home that night. He knew then that the stranger would never come back for his nearly worthless rings. He would never repay the money; David had been tricked.
Now I have not told you this story just to tell you about David’s mistake or that you might know how to test gold rings. No, I have told you because if you and I are honest, we must admit that we are like those brass rings. We have been “tested” by many temptations, and many times we have proven that we are sinners. Every lie, every proud look, every unkind thought or word has left a stain of sin on our hearts. If we are honest, we must admit that God’s Word, the Bible, is true when it says, “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)). “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:2,32The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Psalm 14:2‑3)).
But our God is a loving God, and He has not left us without a way of salvation. Just as we can be sure that all have sinned, we can be sure that all sins can be cleansed. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (John 1:7)). “Through this man [the Lord Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:38,3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39)). Come to the Lord Jesus today and have those sin stains washed away in His precious blood. Not one stain will remain.
David’s two rings were only brass. But not all rings are made of brass; some are made of gold. There was one Man who lived on this earth who was like a pure-gold ring. The Lord Jesus never sinned. He was tempted by Satan just like you and I are, and He lived in this same evil world that we live in, but He lived a perfect life. God also looked down from heaven upon the Lord Jesus and said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:1717And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)). “Christ ... who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously: who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:21-24).
Think of that wonderful love! The Lord Jesus had no sins of His own, but He took my sins upon Himself when He was on the cross. “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)). He suffered for you too that you might be saved from that punishment. Have you received His wonderful salvation? Is it possible that you will turn away from such great love?
There is one last warning in the Bible about those stains of sin. If they are not removed before you leave this world, you will carry them with you forever. God’s Word tells us of the end of those who turn away from the salvation that He offers. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still” (Revelation 22:1111He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. (Revelation 22:11)).
Won’t you come to the Lord Jesus and be washed from your sins today?