Wash Me

 Last Saturday, I was standing on someone’s porch, waiting for them to answer the door, when I happened to glance up. A ledge near the top of the door had a thick layer of dust on it—and two small smudges. I looked to either side of the door, where the same ledge ran across the top of two windows.

Dusty.

Of course, the only reason I noticed the dust at all had been because of the smudges where the dust had been swiped away by two careless fingertips.  It wasn’t the dust that caught my attention, so much as the small spots of clean wood that exposed just how dusty the ledge really was.

Sometimes it’s that way with us and sin. We don’t notice the thick layers of sin enshrouding us until we are presented with a glimpse of holiness. It might be through the example of a godly friend or acquaintance, or the Holy Spirit’s quiet conviction in our hearts. Whatever it is, we are presented with the holiness of God in some way and just like the smudges on that dusty door ledge, it makes our sin instantly recognizable.

A brush with God’s holiness causes one of two reactions: pride or humility.  

If we are irked by someone’s goodness or offended when they hold to a higher standard than we have chosen (which silently—or not so silently—implies that ours is wrong) you can be sure: pride is at work. Satan loves to use our natural desire to be right to drive wedges and build walls between believers. He also wants to feed our pride so we don’t admit our sin to our holy yet forgiving God.

Pride is a serious thing. James 4:6 tells us,

“But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

While I typically think of this verse as one of encouragement, it also holds a warning. God does resist the proud, so when we react in pride rather than humility, we are treading on dangerous ground.

King Nebuchadnezzar is probably one of the top examples of someone who reacted in pride. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego stood up (literally!) for righteousness, and instead of recognizing the righteousness of their actions, Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and lost two soldiers to the flame of the superheated furnace.

And there was also that episode right after the fiery furnace incident, where God allowed the prideful king to lose his mind and live like an animal for a set period of time. God certainly did resist him in his pride, but mercifully restored the kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar when he gave God the glory He was rightfully due. Notice what Nebuchadnezzar says about God:

“Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgement: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase.” (Daniel 4:37)

This passage reminds me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:12:

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Pride has no place in the heart or life of a Christian. So what does it look like to respond in humility? Isaiah is a great example of this:

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” (6:1-5)

Isaiah responded to the holiness of God by confessing his own sinfulness. If you were to read on, you would find that God cleansed Isaiah, as 1 John 1:9 tells us God is faithful to do:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Just as those smudges drew my attention to the dusty condition of that door ledge, a glimpse of God’s holiness is a call to recognize and humbly confess our sin, so He can forgive and cleanse us.

How dusty has your heart gotten? Is the Holy Spirit prompting you to confess anything to Him today?

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18