Cleaning Out – Ezekial 18:31a
Cast away from you all your transgressions, which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
“I’m depressed. Possibly, fresh paint will brighten up the place,” the client says as beads of perspiration form on the decorator’s brow. After observing the accumulation of furniture, knickknacks, memorabilia, books, pictures, and outright junk crammed into the house, the professional understands the homeowner’s disquietude over the mess, but hope lives on. The decorator’s experienced eye sees through the clutter to visualize the underlying appeal waiting to surface if the homeowner will agree to clean house.
Once the homeowner yields to the decorator’s wisdom, together they can discard the useless and ill fitting. Treasures emerge from their burial places under the accumulation. As they work to create beauty where disorder reigned, selectively adding new pieces, they transform the home into an inviting haven, which reflects the owner’s style, tastefully brought out by a specialist who knows what adds value and what does not.
This parallels God’s transforming grace in the life of the Christian. We come to God with hearts cluttered by idols, and though the ensuing confusion and darkness oppress us, we hang onto to them, continuing to indulge our flesh and minds in worthless, destructive pursuits.[1] Having been entrenched in our transgressions for so long, we have grown accustomed to their offerings. We cling to the familiar no matter how unbeneficial it may be, and in our distracted states, we are unable to envision the loveliness and tranquility Christ offers.
We, like the possession-laden homeowner, do not let go of our sin without a struggle, but if we want the Master Designer to make our lives into something praiseworthy, we must. We must lay aside the former things, so the Holy Spirit can renew our minds and change our attitudes.[2] We must give the Lord free reign to remove anything impure, allowing Him to transform us into a sanctuary for the Holy Spirit. For, if we will let Him, He will sweep our hearts clean, removing the filth built up by our sin and replacing it with the beauty of holiness.[3]
Sin is ugly and worthless; cast it away. By God’s grace, replace it with the light of Jesus Christ, making your heart a holy dwelling place,[4] where Christ resides and from which the fullness of His glory radiates for the world to see.[5]
Glorious, the life He gave
Mountainous what He forgave
Amazing love that He would save
The one whom sin had made a slave
Beautiful the heart set free
When in grace, He heard the plea
Of a soul who longed to flee
And escape from sin’s debris
Blameless, holy sits the man
To whom at once the Savior ran
In fulfillment of the plan
Laid out before the world began
[1] Ephesians 2:3
[2] Ephesians 4:22-23
[3] Hebrews 10:22
[4] 2 Peter 3:14
[5] 2 Corinthians 2:14-15
