Several days ago I was sitting in my office, choking on my own stench. I smelled like a chimney! Before you assume I’ve started a 2-pack-a-day habit, (wouldn’t that be great for the asthma?) I’ll tell you what happened. There had been a kitchen incident that morning involving a huge plastic tub filled with hot chocolate mix and a stove burner turned on medium. Once my nose led me to the appropriate area, nasty, thick, white and yellow smoke billowing from the stovetop alerted me to the problem. It took about 15 minutes to get the stove off, move the offensive (and heavy) container and open the windows. I got everything under control, but it didn’t occur to me to change my clothes before heading to work. All morning I found myself apologizing to my church co-workers for the lingering smell, and I couldn’t stand to be around me!
It got me to thinking… the smoke smell I brought to work with me is just like sin. Too often, we Christ-followers forget that confession is part of our cleansing and healing process and instead of admitting our wrongdoing and asking God (and whoever we’ve hurt) to forgive us, we try to clean it up ourselves. Well, you can get rid of the giant burned up plastic tub, but the stench is gonna stick with you for as long as you keep wearing the same clothes.
I John 1:9 is clear. “When we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins AND cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Maybe some of us are capable to power through and change our bad habits or stop a sinful behavior on our own (not me, but maybe somebody). So what? We might be able to stop doing it, but we will never get rid of the fact that it was a part of our life at one time. The smell of our sin will follow us around until we confess our sin. Part of the cleansing God gives us is the actual removal of the sin. In that moment of forgiveness, the Lord sees us as never having sinned at all as He looks at us through the blood of Christ.
We can’t give ourselves forgiveness from God or anyone else. The Lord gave His only Son to suffer and die so that we would have a way to become holy and blameless. Only through Jesus. Nothing we can do or say or suffer can cleanse us and make us right with our Heavenly Father. The only One who can rid us of our own odor is the Lord God, strong and mighty, maker of heaven and earth – through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior, Deliverer and Friend.
Take a bath in the cleansing power of the forgiveness of God. Confess your sin. He is faithful and just. He forgives. He cleans us from the inside out.
Love, Tina Klan
Director of Worship Arts
