I have two categories of clothing. My work clothing gets so stained that I accept those stains as inevitable and become complacent about them.
I prefer to keep stains out of my good clothing. When one appears, it is best to remove it as soon as possible. The longer a stain stays in fabric, the harder it is to get out. Thankfully, often putting the item under running water will remove the stain.
There are many stain removal products on the market. In every case, the instructions state that the fresher the stain, the easier it is to remove.
Sin is the stain that separates us from God. No matter how hard we try, we cannot remove it on our own. Only Jesus, the Living Water, can do that. His sacrificial death on the cross, the shedding of His blood on our behalf, cleanses those who trust in Him. …Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27).
Christ’s blood completely and eternally cleanses His disciples. Christians still need to be diligent about removing anything that interferes with their relationship with God. On this road of life, Jesus said we need to wash our feet. Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you” (John 13:10).
It is possible for a child of God to treat sins – anything displeasing to God – like I do the stains on my work clothes – ignore them and become complacent. Just as I need to continually examine my good clothes for stains, my “sin” laundry needs to be examined as well and dealt with immediately. The longer I wait, the harder it is.
… but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9).
One Focus Ministries 