A Word from God's Word

“Who can say, ‘I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin’?”

Proverbs 20:9

A RHETORICAL QUESTION is intended to make a point, rather than solicit an answer; no one needs to answer the question because the answer is so obvious. And the answer to the question in Proverbs 20:9 (above) is truly obvious: “No one”. No one can say, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin.”

We know this to be the case for two reasons. Scripture tells us so, as does our own experience and self-reflection. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Likewise, I John 1:8 notes, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”. And honest self-examination tells us the same. We all must admit that we have fallen short, that we sin.

However, our typical response to that self-admission is also problematic. We tend to respond by saying, “Well, nobody’s perfect” or  “I’m just as good as the next guy”. Unfortunately, God does not grade on a curve, and despite our best efforts to deceive ourselves, we come under His condemnation.

One final point makes matters even worse.  Proverbs 20:9 makes clear that not only is my heart impure, but there’s nothing I can do about it. But there is One who can. For Christ, through His death on the cross, brings cleansing and forgiveness to all who look to Him by faith. I cannot “make my heart clean”, but praise be to God, Christ can!

Pastor Craig publishes  "A Word from God's Word" weekly in the "Kootenay News Advertiser".