White as Snow

"'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'"
Isaiah 1:18

Every once in a while, we need to have a reminder of the truth. So many Christians still labor under the guilt and shame associated with sin. You know already that I believe in striving for holiness. I believe we can live without sin, but it is a lifetime challenge. We should not continue to sin. But, we have an assurance from God himself that we have been forgiven. The scripture above is an Old Testament reference to the work that Jesus did at the cross.
    You see, before Jesus came, mankind had blood on their hands. In fact, all those who have not yet believed in Jesus and given their lives to him, still have blood on their hands. They remain with the scarlet, crimson stains of sin embedded in their lives. But once the decision to follow Jesus has been made, these sins are literally blotted out. The blood guilt is no longer ours to bear. Jesus took our sins and bore them at the cross. Because of that, the blood that was once on our hands is no longer there. Jesus took that as well. He is the one with the nail scarred hands and pierced side, not us. He bore those scars to prove to all of us that he took the weight of sin and the blood stains that came with it. And now, you and I are white as snow. Our sins are no more and in the sight of God, we are white as snow. We are clean.
    Today, understand that you have been made completely clean and free from sin. Instead of blood stains, you are viewed as pure white by God. I realize that we know this principle, but sometimes we forget. We find ourselves thinking that God cannot or will not bless us because of sin. He loves us in spite of our sin. He does not excuse it, but he has paid the ultimate price so that we may be free. Meditate on this truth. God does not condemn us, only the enemy does. Make sure that you are not agreeing with the enemy. Instead agree with God and the truth of his Word. You are white as snow!