Covered or Clean?

I’m back.

I haven’t really been anywhere, but we’ve been busy getting our basement back together after the Flood of ’08. (See my Good Hands, My Foot blog below if you missed it). All of our carpet in the basement and the pad underneath was saturated with storm water. The squishing sound of water between your toes is wonderful on the beach, not so good in the basement.

We tried to suck the water out with wet-dry vacs and the Rug Doctor, but while everything looked ok on the surface, underneath the damp pad began to smell. At first it wasn’t very noticeable. Just a damp, musty smell, then a little stronger each day. Finally, we had to take drastic measures.

Everything came out of the basement and up came the carpet. One room was so bad that we threw everything away. The rest of the carpet was salvageable, but the ‘aromatic’ pad had to go. When something is rotten in your house, even if you can’t see it, … even if it’s covered with something that looks okay, eventually, the rotting smell will reveal the hidden filth and decay.

Cindy grabbed the bleach and the mop and went to town. She was going to clean the problem, not just allow it to be covered up. I know how she cleans, and no germ has a chance. We could eat off of that floor now. We could, but we won’t. We had a new pad installed and the carpet re-laid in most of the basement, and new carpet in the one really bad room. Everything is just like new. Just like it never happened.

It’s the same way with our spiritual lives. It never works to try to cover up our sins. Before long, even if everything looks okay on the outside, the stench of sin becomes evident, first to us, then to those around us.

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul lists a number of disgusting sins that are a stench to God. Some in the church in Corinth had past lives that were covered in the filth of these sins. But they hadn’t just been covered, they had been cleansed. Paul encourages them, . . . But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. 6:11

Other ‘clean’ scriptures:

…Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, Eph. 5:25-26

…and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Thank God for the cleansing blood of Jesus. I’d rather have my sin cleaned up than covered up. There’s a major difference in the smell, and I want my life to be a pleasing aroma to God.

Enjoying the Journey,

Pastor David