God’s Cleansing Power
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9
I am not sure exactly when my home was first invaded by tiny sugar ants, but it was either late spring or
early summer. So, I began implementing my usual remedy of sugary syrup mixed with ant poison, which they really seemed to relish. First I put out dots,
then puddles, which they surrounded and lapped up. I fully expected them to disappear. However, weeks and then months went by, and I finally had to
buy a new bottle of ant poison because I had used up the old one.
The ants certainly hampered my cooking efforts in the kitchen. I had to be super careful to keep food off the counters. If I left one tiny crumb, the ants
would find it. I faithfully wiped each countertop with soapy water, but this really did not make much difference. Twice I thought I was rid of those
pests and put the poison bottle away, only to have them return with a vengeance the next day!
By midsummer, I finally gave up trying to get rid of them on my own. I apparently did not have what it took. I broke down and called the exterminator.
His strategy was more meticulous than mine had been. He sprayed under the sink counters, around all the baseboards, and then went outside and sprayed
the perimeter of the house and under the eaves. He also spread ant repellent under the house. He did a thorough job and got rid of the ants. I was
thrilled!
The situation reminded me of people who try on their own to eliminate the sins in their lives. They might get rid of them for a while, but the desire for
sin is still there, and they are not able to eliminate that on their own. Sooner or later, there will be another outbreak.
The only way to get rid of sin is to contact the One who can eradicate sin from a person’s life—Jesus. Salvation is the first application of His
blood, which removes all sin. Sanctification is the second application, and it cleanses the heart of the sin nature, taking away the natural propensity
toward sin. That is a much more thorough job than we could ever do on our own! And when Jesus does the work, we will be thrilled with the results!