Which glass of water would you choose to drink – the glass on the left with the pure water or the glass on the right with cloudy water? The clouded water is polluted as a result of pesticides washed from grapes. The water became visibly impure. Even if someone is oblivious to healthy eating and drinking, he or she would not choose to drink the cloudy, impure water, but rather would dump it out.
The impure and tainted water is much like us; we are impure and tainted. The water – because of pesticides; us – because of sin. The water is destined to be thrown out; sinners are destined for destruction.
Anyone who claims never to sin is a liar as 1 John 1:8 points out, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” In other words, we would be liars and “…all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Revelation 21:8).
Moms Always Say:
What do moms always say to their kids when they come in from play? Yup. “Wash your hands!” Why? Because dirty hands are full of germs. In a similar fashion, if our hearts are not cleansed, they are covered in sin, and no sinner can enter heaven and stand before a holy God. It’s easy to wash our hands, but, what can wash our hearts?
The glass of pure water went through a process to remove all its impurities much like people need to be cleansed from the impurities of sin. Proverbs 20:19 asks the question, “Who can say, ‘I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin?'” 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Who or what is so pure, so holy, so capable to cleanse us, to wash away our sins? 1 John 1:7 gives us the answer: “…and the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son cleanses us from all sin.” ” …and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22).
Polluted water is putrid. Pure water is a pleasure to drink!
Unforgiven sinners are to be pitied. Sinners made pure are a delight to know!