More Than Dirty Shoes

Good News – February 2009 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Removing The Muck Forever
More Than Dirty Shoes

“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness ... He has appeared once for all to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Hebrews 9:22,26

Shoes get dirty as we walk around every day. Dust, mud and sticky rubbish cling to them. Because we walk the streets, our shoes need to be cleaned regularly.

Our lives also get “dirty” as we walk in this world. We rub shoulders with people at work, and we keep on hearing their bad language. Sometimes we even use it ourselves, although we know we shouldn’t.

Some friends in Khartoum make an illegal home brew called marissa. We are offered some when we celebrate with them. We drink it and break the law of Sudan, even though we know that God tells us to honor those in authority.

The pressure for sex before marriage is intense. We feel we cannot wait with the one we love. It seems so right and so natural. We sin, and our lives gradually become more and more dirty.

You can probably think of many other ways your life is contaminated, made dirty, by things you have done. I certainly can in my life – not only my actions, but my thoughts and my bad attitudes as well.

The cross of Jesus is not for clean people! Meeting Jesus at His cross is meeting the only One who can properly clean up a dirty sinner. The cross is the place to visit when you come to realize just how dirty you are, and that you cannot wash all that dirt away by yourself. Washing your body does not get the muck off your soul!

A shoe-shine boy can help you clean your dirty shoes. But only the Savior Jesus can help you with a messed up life. Would you like to ask for His help? We can tell you how.

By Colin Salter