“To love another person is to see the face of God.” Jean Valjean – “Les Miserables”

A gentle constant rain has covered our city overnight.  Each drop washes away the dirt which has settled outside and over the house.  It should be clean and ready for the new owners and yet there remains the engrained soil which has collected over the years.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could power wash our souls and make them clean?

If only  we could wash away the ugliness within us – the evil thoughts, the anger that infests our soul – the fears and anxieties of the unknown – the moments of uneasiness when confronted with disease or illness.  If only it were that simple.

But, it is.  All of God’s people have been washed and renewed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He alone can cleanse us from the sin that assails us daily.  He paid the ultimate price when He sacrificed His sinless Son to take our place – to wash the scum of sin from darkly soiled hearts – to redeem us as a chosen people – to give us new life.

When we forget the cost of our redemption, we are crucifying the Son of God over and over again.  There is no other way to salvation than through Christ.  Our works cannot take the place of the blood of the Lamb. He is the only One who can wash us clean.

“It is a mistake to imagine that man can exhaust his destiny, or can reach the bottom of anything whatever. Alas! what are all these destinies thus driven pell-mell? whither go they? why are they so? He who knows that, sees all the shadow. He is alone. His name is God.” Victor Hugo