Blood stains are notoriously hard to remove. If left to soak into a fabric, a stain of blood may be lightened, but it is nearly impossible to completely eliminate.
In a similar way, the stain of sin leaves an indelible mark that no human effort can erase. The truth is that we are all sinners by nature and by choice. And, to make it worse, we cannot remove the crimson stain of sin through our morality, our good works or even our religion. But, in God’s Word, we find hope for sinners like us!
In Isaiah 1, the Lord God confronts the people of Judah for the many ways they have forsaken Him. His indictment is strong and their sin has run deep, but the Lord, in His gracious mercy, offers hope to His people.
In a picture that points us to the power of the Gospel, God calls the people to “reason” with Him as He offers a way to be cleansed from their sin.
The pivotal moment of Isaiah 1 comes in verses 16-20,
“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”Isaiah 1:16–20
By the time we get here, the prophet has already outlined the Lord’s case against the nation. The people’s hearts are far from the Lord. Isaiah, as directed by the Lord, addresses the reality of Judah’s rebellion, injustice, idolatry and hypocritical worship.
In our passage, Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, calls the people to repentance. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean,” he says. Isaiah is not calling the people to a works based salvation, but to a genuine turning away from sin and towards the Lord- it is a call to repentance.
THE PROMISE OF PURITY
As we read the words of God in Verse 18, we see one of the most powerful promises in all of Scripture. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are crimson, they shall become wool.”
The colors of scarlet and crimson were considered deep, permanent stains – meaning they could not be removed, at least not by human means.
God is saying, in this beautiful metaphor, that He can clean the stain of sin. That is, He can do what is humanly impossible. He alone has the power to turn our sin-stained souls white, to make them pure.
THE PROVISION OF GOD
There is a pattern of God to notice here: He provides for what He commands. He has called the people to repentance and to righteousness – something they cannot achieve. Yet, this passage points us to the cleansing work of Jesus – the One to come who is able to make us clean.
Though this passage was written hundreds of years before the incarnation of Christ, the Lord, even then saved sinful humans by grace through faith. This faith was in His promises, promises that pointed to the future redeeming work of Christ.
And, it’s all by grace, even our repentance is a fruit of His undeserved kindness to us!
THE PARADOX OF PURITY
And this brings us to a paradox: How is it that the red blood of Christ cleanses the red stain of sin?
The Bible teaches us that through faith in Jesus, the One who lived perfectly, died for us, and rose again—we are washed clean and made new. His blood paid our sin debt and clothed us in His righteousness. Because of His loving sacrifice, our guilt is gone, and we stand forgiven and free in Him – white as snow.
Amazing! But there’s even more here for the believer.
THE PATH OF REPENTANCE
Though we have been cleansed by Christ, we still wrestle with sin. And, so the Lord calls us to continue to walk in repentance.
The Apostle Paul describes this battle:
“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Romans 7:19
The stain metaphor helps us here. Stains are far easier to remove before they have set in. In the same way, it is far better for us to deal with our sin quickly – before its stain sets in/ And, the longer we “sit” in our sin, the harder it becomes for us to turn back to the Lord.
You see, the Lord stands ready to forgive and restore our fellowship, but the longer we walk in our sin, the more ingrained it gets in our lives. We can begin to believe we are too far gone. Or worse, we can begin to feel comfortable in our sin, blind and deaf to its power, its devastating destruction and to the distance that it has created between ourselves and the Lord.
Yet, His grace is sufficient and His invitation to turn back to Him is always open to us. So, let us practice daily repentance, keeping short accounts with the Lord and with others, as we abide in Him.
THE PROOF IN PRACTICE
As the passage closes, we see the other side of God’s conditional outcome.
But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 1:20
God’s Word teaches that true repentance brings salvation and a righteousness gifted by God, revealed in a life marked by obedience. But judgment will come for those who refuse the Lord’s offer and continue in a life of rebellion.
Romans 6:23 puts it like this.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The penalty for the stain of our sin, apart from Christ, is death – eternal separation from a perfectly holy, just and sovereign God. And, in His righteous judgement, He has determined that each one of us should, one day, stand before Him. We will either be declared innocent and righteous because we are covered by the gracious blood of Christ or we will receive the eternal judgment that we deserve.
THE POSTURE OF REPENTANT HEARTS
In closing, I pray that we know that the Lord still extends His generous and gracious invitation, “Come now, let us reason together…..”
The truth declared by the Lord, through Isaiah, still remains: He alone can make our scarlet sins as white as snow. His cleansing is not rooted in our striving, but in His free gift of grace purchased by the blood of Christ.
He has proven His victory over sin and death. He beckons the lost sinner to come, to receive His cleansing and to walk in security and freedom.
And, for those in Christ, He calls us to a life that abides in Him, practicing repentance and walking in fellowship with Him daily. We know that, in Him, every sin is washed away. The stain is removed and our debt is paid. May we walk each day resting in the cleansing power of Christ’s blood and, as we abide in Him, may our lives reflect His grace and bear the fruit that comes from hearts made clean by Him.
Reflection; How do the Lord’s words, “Come now” shape your attitude and willingness to draw near to God when you feel the shame and unworthiness of your sin?
Song: His Mercy is More