The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
SCRUBBING CLEAN By Rev. Jack Mulholland, Flin Flon Alliance Church When I was a boy, I used to like to wash my hands at my grandpaÕs house. That probably seems to be a rather strange comment when you consider how popular washing of any kind is with boys as they are growing up. But at GrandpaÕs house was a particular bar of soap that contained pumice stone. The soap was quite abrasive and had a nice clean smell to it. Grandpa worked for a coal company and would get extremely dirty. When called for supper, there was a bucket of water on the back step and we would scrub our hands really clean. We probably wore a layer of skin off our hands with every washing. It seems to be there wasnÕt anything that gritty soap could not wash off. As we grow up, we come to understand that the dirt of sin of living has corrupted more than just our hands. We also realize that we ourselves are powerless to effect any kind of restoration or cleaning on our own. But God can do what we cannot do. The Bible says, ÒIf we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnessÓ (1 John 1:9). So, much like GrandpaÕs soap could clean anything from my hands, so God can clean anything from our soul. I would never admit to Grandpa that the pumice soap often hurt. But it did feel good to be clean afterward. Sometimes confessing our sin hurts too, but again it does feel good to be clean. ÒHave mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2).
