Emphasis for March 2022: “Dealing With Our Dirt” (Paul Alberts)

March 2022 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Dealing With Our Dirt

Sweeping a floor recently, I wondered, “How did so much dirt accumulate there so quickly?” It was under a pallet of literature, in the dark and out of sight. Sure, floors that are well lighted get dirty too, but they tend to be cleaned more often because the dirt is quickly seen. The mess might be an embarrassment to the person responsible for that area of the floor and could even be a hazard.

Sin has many of the same characteristics as dirt. It may appear anywhere. Often it gets confessed and addressed when seen in the light of God’s Word and with a Spirit-stirred conscience. Yet often the sins we might find a pleasure or a fleshly benefit in repeating seem to be left in the dark and out of sight. How many things that we think about or do are kept under the bed, in the closet or behind the bookcase of our lives? While others may see us in a good way, we know what often lurks in our hearts or minds, as Satan tempts our old natures to sin and bring dishonor to the Lord.

When I was young I remember listening to the “Unshackled” radio program, produced by Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, Illinois. Many of you may have heard it, too, as it is still broadcast in a number of languages around the world. The 30-minute true stories often involve an addiction, whether to drugs, alcohol or some kind of behavior. In every case, of course, the Lord is able to deliver individuals from the sin in which they are being held so tightly.

Recently, I listened to the testimony of one of our writers, in which he spoke of his addiction to drugs, beginning at the age of 15 or 16. This led to his involvement in other activities as well. As he told about his life, his key verse was Acts 26:18. It says,

“To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (NKJV).

As is told in the video, this change from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God is exactly what the Lord had done for him. The Lord can do that for every one of us, too. Let Him open your eyes!