Have you ever had a stain you just can’t get out? Stains can ruin a favorite garment.
They make things feel dirty no matter how much we sanitize them. They draw attention to themselves and see impossible to hide. The other day I noticed an orange stain in our shiny white tub. No amount of cleanser, Magic Eraser or bleach could eliminate it.
Sin is like that. It stains our lives leaving indelible marks that plague us unless we find a way to remove them. Jeremiah 2:22 prophetically declares the futility of human efforts to cleanse the stains of sin, “No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. I still see the stain of your guilt. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” We’re in the same boat. We can’t cleanse ourselves.
But God, in His great love provided a way for the stain of our sin to be removed. First Peter 2:24 declares, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.”
Jesus died on the cross, paying the price for our sin, and now the blood of Jesus can also purify us! Our debt is paid, and we can be cleansed from every trace of sin. First John 1:7 & 9 says, “if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. … But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness (unrighteousness).”
To be purified and cleansed from the stain of sin, we simply accept God’s gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ and confess our sins to Him.
You may know this truth intellectually. But do you live as if you are purified and free from guilt?
Our enemy, the devil, constantly lies to us, sowing seeds of doubt in our mind. He heaps condemnation on us, so we feel the weight of guilt that is no longer ours. But Romans 8:1-2 reminds us, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” If you have put your faith in Jesus and confessed your sins to God, you are no longer guilty. God, the Judge of all, does not condemn you. In fact, He has wiped your record clean!
Ephesians 5:25b-27 explains, “He (Jesus) gave up His life for her (us) to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s Word. He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.” Wow!
Even as Christians, we commit sins. But when we confess those sins to God, they are forgiven, and the stain and guilt purified too.
King David, despite being a grievous sinner, understood this amazing truth. He committed adultery and orchestrated the death of an innocent man, among other things. Yet, when he confessed his sins and sought God’s mercy, David received forgiveness. Scholars believe David wrote Psalm 32 after he had confessed to his affair with Bathsheba and the death of Uriah. Verses 1 and 2 read, “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!”
If David can experience the joy and freedom of complete forgiveness, so can you! Are you living with unconfessed sin? Take it to the Lord now. Confess it to Him and be cleansed!
And if you feel condemnation for something you have already confessed; stand on His word and remind yourself and the devil of Romans 8:1-2, that you no longer live under condemnation. Because you belong to Jesus Christ you are free from the power of sin!
Embrace a guilt-free and stain-free life. Walk in that freedom and share it with others.
Dr. Jodie Chiricosta is vice president of Somebody Cares America/International. She teaches and consults on a variety of Christian living and leadership topics and is a host of the Charisma podcast Her God Story. Visit her website at hergodstory.org.
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