A Lesson From the Kitchen Sink

I'd like to share a brief life lesson from yesterday morning at the kitchen sink....

Early yesterday morning, as I was rinsing out my coffee pot, I noticed that as I refilled it with water, the water appeared brown.  Knowing that from time to time in the past we've had issues such as this (brown water), I checked the water in a clean glass only to find out that the water clarity was fine.  As it turned out, the pot has simply stained over time by the coffee.  Needless to say, no matter how many times I rinsed it, the water still appeared stained as it filled the pot...good water, but stained glass.  The glass needs a good cleansing.

It was during these moments that I was reminded of a great truth from the Bible.  Regardless of how good we think we are, or how good we think our works are, we are all stained by sin.  Let's consider what God thinks about our good works outside of a relationship with Christ.  In Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees, He exclaimed “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness." (Matt. 23:27).  Furthermore, we learn in Isaiah 64:6 that our righteousness is like "filthy rags" or "a polluted garment" (depending on translation).  Jesus' prescription to the Pharisees was that they should
"First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean." (Matt 23:26).

The point of knowing the aforementioned verses is to lead us/me to the all-important truth that the only way we can be cleansed is by Jesus...no other way.  We need the supernatural cleansing that only Jesus' blood offers first, then we can produce the good works that we were created to do.  Scripture confirms this truth in 1 John 1:5-10 and Ephesians 2: 8-10:

"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:5-10 (scripture quoted from biblehub.com) ."

⁸ "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."  Ephesians 2: 8-10 (scripture quoted from biblegateway.com)

In closing, I'm reminded by an old song that we all probably know:

Nothing but the Blood

Robert Lowry

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 

Refrain:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

(copied from the Timeless Truths.org website)