1 John 1:1-9
"'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'"
(ISAIAH 1:18)
I found my large orange cat snuggled against a white pillow for his morning nap. The soft towel on the bed where he usually sleeps must have lost its appeal. I love him, but I dislike the stain left by the oil in his hair where he settles regularly. Removing the mark is a challenge, no matter what the stain removers are on my laundry shelves.
Everyone who has tackled a bit of laundry knows that the right remover used before the mark is too set can bring great results. But no stain remover comes with an unconditional guarantee. Our Father's does! What an unimaginable price He paid for it. He sacrificed the precious life-blood of His only Son, Jesus Christ, the only One whose life was not once marred or tainted by sin, so that all who come to Him will have their sins forgiven.
Many of the stains we've tried ourselves to remove - from the laundry or from our lives - still leave a trace of the dirt or evil. The blood of Christ, however, cleanses from all unrighteousness, leaving us white as snow.
INSIGHT
HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS FOR THE CLEANSING POW'R?
ARE YOU WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB?
(ELISHA A. HOFFMANN, 1878)
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Genesis 10-11
Psalm 5
Matthew 8-9
1 John 1:1-9
New International Version (NIV)
The Incarnation of the Word of Life
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our[a] joy complete.
Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Footnotes:
a. 1 John 1:4 Some manuscripts your
b. 1 John 1:7 Or every
THE BIBLE IN 90 DAYS
with Ted Cooper
Many Christians have been disappointed for the same reason - they have never read the Bible from cover to cover. One way to fix this is to commit to the challenge of reading the Bible in 90 days.
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