The Impact Of ScriptureSample

Scripture refines us.

God’s standard of holiness is impossible to attain without the power of His grace. All through the Old Testament, God’s people attempted to follow the rigorous rules about washing and maintaining cleanliness. It’s hard to imagine how much work went in to just staying clean in those ancient cultures, and how futile their efforts must have sometimes seemed.

To see pure, white laundry with no stains or wrinkles must have been rare indeed. But in today’s passage, we see all of that labor and effort transferred from us to Christ. It’s Jesus and His work for us on the cross that can achieve that kind of perfection. And it’s through the constant flow of God’s words of truth and grace washing over our hearts that helps us learn to rely on His cleaning work. Jesus loves us so much. The cross makes that clear. But that’s not the end of His work in our lives.

Just like a husband’s care and support must continue beyond the wedding, the continued work of Christ’s love in our hearts continues on a daily basis. His Word reveals our sin to us. His Word can show us what He wants us to do with our lives. In response to His love, and out of a healthy reverence for Him, and because I love Him back, I can choose to do what’s right.

Talk to God: Lord Jesus, I thank You so much for Your work for me on the cross that washed my heart clean from the stains of sin. I commit to continue to stay under the cleansing power of Your Word. I want to present myself to You without any trace of sin left in me. Wash me with the water of Your Word as I commit to read the Bible daily. In Your name I pray, amen.