“‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'” — Isaiah 1:18
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If you live in the United States, snow — and lots of it — has been a frequent topic of conversation this winter. All 50 states have seen at least some snow accumulation, and many have seen record snowfalls.
Schools closed for a time, flights were canceled, and electricity systems failed. Even sporting events were affected; travel issues forced the postponement of games in the NBA, while in the NFL, snow blanketed the playing fields for some of the playoff games. Snow is often a headache, and sometimes a danger, for those whose daily lives are disrupted.
But maybe we’re missing something because we’re too worried about our busy schedules. Maybe we need to take a second to remember that God gave us the image of snow in order to tell us a deeper truth about Himself.
I trust that words like “pure” and “clean” come to mind when you think of the color white, and that was true for people in the days of the prophet Isaiah as well. There is nothing whiter than snow, and in the Bible, God uses the image of snow to describe how pure and clean He will make His people. By using a vivid image like snow that you can relate to, rather than a bunch of abstract words and concepts, God is helping you to truly feel in your heart what He’s done for you, if you are in Christ.
You know better than anyone how sinful you are, how you stumble on a daily basis. You know how, when you realize the ugliness of your sin in the sight of God, you feel dirty. But the more you try to cleanse yourself, the dirtier you become. Your sins are like scarlet, but you want to be as white and as pure as snow.
The Good News of the Gospel is that God has cleansed His people when we had no hope of doing it on our own. You and I were nothing but scarlet, enslaved to sin because of the sinful nature all people were born with. Well, not quite everyone. There was One born without a sinful nature — Jesus Christ, 100% God and 100% man, sent from Heaven to save to the uttermost people like you and me who can’t save themselves.
Jesus loves you infinitely more than you know. The image of a mother’s love for her child doesn’t even do it justice. He had compassion on you while you were trapped in sin, and because He desires a relationship with you, He voluntarily took those scarlet sins upon Himself and paid the penalty of death for them on the cross, washing His people as white as snow. Three days later, He rose from the dead, restoring His people so that we can enjoy a relationship with Him for all eternity. Now, if you are in Christ, God looks upon you and does not count your sin against you. Jesus’ death washed all of it away. You have been made pure.
All who declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead will be saved, washed white as snow. Is it true of you? Are you still stained in scarlet, or have you been made as pure as snow by the blood of Christ?
— Kevin Mercer
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