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The coal-mining area where I grew up in Fayette County of West Virginia was scattered with a range of coal mines. I can remember as if it was yesterday, when my father took my older brother and I to one of these coal mines not too far from where we lived. Arriving at the coal mine we noticed a few people had gathered in one of the storage areas and was watching a rather amusing show. A duckling was taking a bath in a bucket. As he bobbed its head and body into the water to get clean the dirtier he was getting, because the water was full of coal dust. Finally, the duckling overturned the bucket and hurried under a pile of wood, black all over, from all his efforts to get clean. This may seem funny to us when a duckling tries to wash with dirty water. However, when a person tries to wash away their sin, the result is also very tragic. God has provided His own cleansing method for sin; however, many try to substitute the water of their own good works, and through religious activities, these people go through the motions of spiritual bathing, only to find that even their very best deeds cannot make them presentable to a Holy and righteous God. From all of our efforts the stain of our sin hasn’t been removed.
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Closing thoughts:
So, where can sin-defiled men, women and children find cleansing? My friend, it’s found only in the blood of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for all sin. To try some other way, to depend on good works or moral behavior, is like washing in a coal mine bucket. By faith, accept the cleansing that God has provided through the death of His Son. In the book of Acts the apostle Peter told a group of unbelievers about Jesus and encouraged them to turn from their sin and trust Him. My friend, Peter’s words should speak to us today as well. If you haven’t accepted Christ’s free gift of forgiveness, pray to Him and ask Him to save you. It’s the only way to get clean. To trust Christ to save you is to come into the warm and loving family of God (John 1:12). To hope in Him is to look forward to a heavenly home that will last forever. I was reminded of the rich young ruler found in Luke 18. He was outwardly religious and morally upright; however, Jesus showed him of his basic inner selfishness. He too needed forgiveness of his sin. He too needed a new birth and the gift of the Holy Spirit. So, let’s not deceive ourselves. No matter how bad or how good we may be, the bottom line is … we all need Jesus Christ and we all need to be cleansed by His precious blood! So, the question remains:
(1) Have you been cleansed from your sin by the blood of Christ? or
(2) Are you relying on the efforts of your own good works and religious activities?
Whether the sins are great or small, Jesus Christ is able to forgive them all
