In 2015 a city decided it was time to clean up something that was attracting unwanted visitors. So a maintenance crew began the tedious work of removing more than one million pieces of gum—weighing more than a ton—stuck to the iconic “Gum Wall.” What began twenty years before, when patrons began sticking gum on the wall while waiting in line for the local theater, had turned into a popular tourist attraction. Unfortunately, the wall was also popular with the local rat population!
More than 2,000 years ago, God also took action against another disgusting reality—the ugly sum of all our sins. Before people believe in Jesus, they’re controlled by sinful thoughts and behavior: “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things” (Romans 8:5). But through faith in Jesus people are made clean and can be given a fresh start.
As we read Hebrews 9:12-14, we see how it moves from the lesser to the greater. If the blood of animals can provide external cleaning, how much more effective is the cleansing of Christ’s blood (Hebrews 9:12). Unlike the blood of animals, Jesus’ blood is capable of cleansing the sin in our hearts. He removes the “dead” works of our conscience so we can serve and “worship the living God” (Hebrews 9:14).
Animal sacrifice and good works can’t remove sin from our lives, only the blood of Jesus can (Hebrews 9:23). His cleansing of our sins should lead us to a life of perseverance and gratitude. Today, by His strength, may we hold to our faith and give thanks to God the Father, who loved us and sent Jesus to die for us. Let’s also thank Him for the Holy Spirit who convicts us of disobedience and energizes us to serve the living God (Romans 8:6).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Daniel 2:25-49
More:
Read 1 John 1:7 and Revelation 1:5. What does the blood of Jesus do for those who place their trust in Him?
Next:
What does it mean for you to experience the cleansing that only Jesus provides? How does the Holy Spirit convict us of our need for this deep cleaning?
godlove on May 30, 2017 at 4:08 am
Thank you, Marvin. In the light of Scripture, the blood of Jesus cleanses and purifies us from our sins, making us pure and blameless as we come before GOD our Father. Thank GOD for the blood of His Son shed for our sins, which in addition to cleansing, altogether frees from sin all those who believe in Christ Jesus. By God’s loving grace we are made pure once and for all. And we rejoice in His deep redemptive cleaning, as in Romans 3:7-8 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.”
sandy229 on May 30, 2017 at 10:44 am
What a joy in deed godlove, thanks for sharing this today.
godlove on May 31, 2017 at 5:57 am
Sorry, the verse I quoted is instead Romans 4:7-8
marvin williams on May 31, 2017 at 6:41 am
godlove, I am grateful for his forgiveness as well. Moreover, I am thankful for the Holy Spirit, through whom we experience intimacy with the Father. Thanks for adding your voice here.
Gary Shultz on May 30, 2017 at 5:45 am
Hi Marvin: Your devotional ties in very well with the ODB reading. As once again I read the Hebrews portion I understand that I don’t fully understand the complete work of Jesus, God, and the Spirit, with all it represents. I fall back on the mercy of God’s grace to the full work of Jesus for our sin, for our acceptance. With all of this, the offer to become children of this exacting God, who planned for us to be able to join Him. Jesus broke through the law and offered us grace by His blood, which proved the price was paid for our sin – death. Death no longer masters our destiny, because Jesus surpassed it. As Jesus spoke, a helper, as well as convicting us, would give us heavenly guidance. Deep cleaning, I suppose is the word, we can’t live before this Holy God dragging the sin that cost the life of His Son. And once again God has planned for our restoration by confession, acknowledging His complete provision in Christ. Thanks Marvin
marvin williams on May 31, 2017 at 6:45 am
Gary, the gospel humbles us. We cannot bring anything to God, but our sins. When we humbly do this, Jesus provides himself as the perfect and efficacious sacrifice to forgive us. This is the joy of the good news.
Tom Felten on May 30, 2017 at 8:22 am
Marvin, as Gary mentioned and you also pointed out in your devo, praise God for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Without the power of the Spirit, we wouldn’t be compelled to turn from our sin and we wouldn’t have the power to do so. May we lean into the Spirit’s power and guidance today as we serve “the living God.”
sandy229 on May 30, 2017 at 10:38 am
Amen!
marvin williams on May 31, 2017 at 6:49 am
Tom, you are spot on. Our understanding of the Holy Spirit is very important. For, His work is most prominent in the lives of believers today. Our relationship with him is paramount to our transformation.
remembered on May 30, 2017 at 9:22 am
…the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Leviticus 17:11
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh… Hebrews 10: 19, 20
“It was to save sinners that Christ left His home in heaven and came to earth to suffer and to die. For this He toiled and agonized and prayed, until, heartbroken and deserted by those He came to save, He poured out His life on Calvary. “ The Sanctified Life 82
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Romans 5:10
Christ must dwell in (your) heart, just as the blood must be in the body and circulate there as a vitalizing power. I can not on this subject be too urgent. I can not press it home to you too strongly, that you shall not trust in self.—Letter 7, 1886 (April 26, 1886, to J. H. Kellogg).
…Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD…keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout (your) generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and (thee)…for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. Exodus 31:13-17
AFTER recreation of the heavens and the earth, the Sabbath remains as reminder for mankind to worship the Creator:
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. Isaiah 66:22, 23
…commit the keeping of (your) soul.. to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4:19
He is without doubt “the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” Hebrews 5:9
Emperor Constantine of Rome from AD 306 to 337 created the earliest Sunday law known to history in AD 321. He was a sun worshiper. It reads: “On the venerable Day of the sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits: because it often happens that another Day is not so suitable for grain sowing or for vine planting: lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost. “
Chamber’s Encyclopedia says this:
Unquestionably the first law, either ecclesiastical or civil, by which the Sabbatical observance of that Day is known to have been ordained, is the edict of Constantine, 321 A.D.
Following this initial legislation, both emperors and Popes in succeeding centuries added other laws to strengthen Sunday observance. What began as a pagan ordinance ended as a Christian regulation. Close on the heels of the Edict of Constantine followed the Catholic Church Council of Laodicea (circa 364 AD): “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday (Sabbath), but shall work on that Day: but the Lord’s Day, they shall especially honour; and as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ.”
Monica Brands on May 30, 2017 at 2:31 pm
Thanks, Marvin. Your piece reminds me of how easily our lives can become weighed down/burdened by our own “mess” when we lose sight of the daily cleansing and restoration we can find in Christ. It’s pretty easy to see the consequences for negligence with a “gum wall,” 🙂 but we often forget our need for Him in day-to-day life. Thanks for pointing us back to the one who makes us new.
marvin williams on May 31, 2017 at 6:53 am
Monica, thanks for your words of encouragement. I need to be reminded of this truth daily. I am glad Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit, who convicts us of sin, challenges our agenda, and conforms us to the image of Jesus. Thanks for adding your voice here.