Written by Bridge Church Elder Dave Norbeck
I have noticed something lately, well really all my life, but much more of late. There are sins that all believers struggle with. Those not saved by grace often throw them in our face as evidence that God is not real or is not powerful enough to change His people. As I read about statistics on how much believers’ lives resemble non-believers, in their deeds and even in their beliefs, I am struck and ask how can this be?
The wonder of the Gospel is the often-dramatic change that occurs in peoples lives when they put their faith in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit enters their lives. It is powerful and unique in the life-change that can and does occur.
But then we have these stains. Stains that we hide. Stains that we actually enjoy and derive some earthly pleasure from. We wear them on the inside, and often we are not even aware of how many there are. Others sometimes see them and stand aghast, and sometimes those stains can cause us to lose a lot, not so much because they are there, but because we refuse to show them the light, to allow them to be cleaned. We don’t acknowledge them, so they stay within our reach, to take out from time to time to look at and sniff the degradation. The shame these stains cause can keep us from walking closer to the only One who can remove them, the One who longs to make us clean, who loves us tenderly and desires wholeness for our lives. He is so patient, and gently prods us and opens our jacket and point to just one of many, and says, “Let’s work on this one now.”
“Oh no Lord, I like that one. It’s dirty and smelly, and I like it. It’s mine.”
In His love, He allows it to grow smellier and dirtier, until at some point we are overcome with the fact that we can’t ignore it any longer. He longs to make us clean. But He wants us to desire Him more than the stain.
And when we do, when we really get on our knees and ask Him to remove that stain, He smiles and draws us close, and begins to cleanse us. How does that happen? Can it really happen? Can that stain you have held onto for so long really be removed? The answer is yes! Oh yes! Gradually, the Holy Spirit begins to change your affections. Gradually the Spirit removes the scales from your eyes so you can see the stain for what it is. You have been fooled for so long that it was something that brought pleasure, but really it only kept you from a deeper and fuller walk with your Savior. Over time as you submit, God removes the pleasure and allows you to see it for what it is, and you no longer find it attractive, you want it washed away, even cut out! And He Does. Completely. It is gone.
Ponder these words from the Psalmist King David in Psalm 103:
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s… The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love… He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
This Hebrew King knew firsthand the stains that can trip us up, that can blind us and keep us from seeing, that can keep us from a closer walk with God. He captures the picture perfectly, calling God a Father and us His children. Think of the little child who holds onto his teddy bear and won’t let go. It gets dirtier and dirtier and starts to smell and fall apart. Eventually even the child realizes something is amiss, how it needs to be cleaned, and hands it to their mom and dad to be washed and cleaned and repaired. You say, “Well sure, I see the analogy, but the child feels no shame in that toy, and I feel great shame with my stains.” Ah but the picture to grab hold of is not on the child; it is the love of the parent for that child. The dirty teddy bear does not in the slightest diminish the parents’ love for that child. They just want what is best for them. So God’s love for His children. His great desire is to draw you close and tenderly say, “Let’s wash that so you can enjoy life more fully.”
Take your stain to your Father. Let your Redeemer remove it far away, never to return.
Dave Norbeck