I once watched a guy cleaning a store window while I was studying at Starbuck’s. It was interesting because I thought that the window was already clean before he started. But once he finished spreading the cleaner and scraping it off with artful twirls of the squeegee (or whatever you call it), the window was so clear that it almost looked like there wasn’t any glass. It struck me that the window which seemed fine at first glance had actually been fairly dirty.
Some people wonder why Christians spend so much time discussing sin, repentance, and the law of God. Why must almost every Sunday message dig unmercifully into our personal lives and make us uncomfortable with the status quo by pointing out our depravity before bringing us to Christ’s grace?
Because sometimes we just get used to a cloudy, dirty soul and don’t even notice it anymore. We fall into sinful patterns that are damaging to our faith and the faiths of other Christians who look up to us or non-Christians who examine us to see what Jesus is like. Pride convinces us that those patterns aren’t a big deal or that there are dirtier windows out there or that no one can honestly expect us to be perfectly clean.
But the Word of God shines the light on our dirtiness. It reveals just how cloudy we have let things become in the window of our soul. At the same time, through the gospel, it cleanses our hearts of guilt. It assures us that we are forgiven, that we are washed clean in the purifying Windex of Christ’s blood. It also purifies us, giving us the strength to be new people through whose words and actions God’s love can be seen more clearly.
Is there some cloudiness that you need to confess today? As you bring it before God for cleaning, keep John’s words in mind: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-10 NIV)
