Romans 3:20-2820Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:20‑28); Psalm 51:77Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7); 1 John 1:6-86If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:6‑8)
I said to my little family, one morning, a few weeks before the Chicago fire, “I am coming home this afternoon to give you a ride.”
My little boy clapped his hands. “Oh, papa, will you take me to see the bears in Lincoln Park?”
“Yes.”
I had not been gone long when my little boy said, “Mamma, I wish you would get me ready.”
“Oh,” she said, “it will be a long time before papa comes.”
“But I want to get ready, mamma.”
At last he was ready to have the ride, face washed, and clothes all nice and clean.
“Now, you must take good care, and not get yourself dirty again,” said mamma.
Of course, he was going to take care; he wasn’t going to get dirty! So off he ran to watch for me. However, it was a long time yet until the afternoon, and after a little he began to play. When I got home, I found him outside, with his face all covered with dirt.
“I can’t take you to the park that way, Willie.”
“Why, papa? you said you would take me.”
“Ah, but I can’t; you’re all over mud. I couldn’t be seen with such a dirty little boy.”
“Why, I’se clean, papa; mamma washed me.”
“Well, you’ve got dirty again.”
But he began to cry, and I could not convince him that he was dirty.
“I’se clean; mamma washed me!” he cried.
Do you think I argued with him? No. I just took him up in my arms, and carried him into the house, and showed him his face in the mirror. He had not a word to say. He would not take my word for it; but one look at the mirror was enough; he saw it for himself. He didn’t say he wasn’t dirty after that!
Now, the mirror showed him that his face was dirty — but I did not take the mirror to wash it; of course not. Yet that is just what thousands of people do. The Law is the mirror to see ourselves in, to show us how vile and worthless we are in the sight of God; but they take the Law and try to wash themselves with it, instead of being washed in the blood of the Lamb.