Foulest to Faultless

He breaks the power of cancell’d sin,
  He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
  His blood avail’d for me.

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
By: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

Listen as you read.  This version is by Kaleb Brasse.

The foulest?  Really?

Yep

The prisoner on the cross beside Him is a great example.  Can you see the reflection of Jesus in that drop of blood?  And how about that prisoner of the cross to the right?  Do you recall the story?  Jesus was crucified between two criminals.

You can read the entire account in Luke 23:32-42, but let me draw your attention to the one who rebuked the other for taunting Jesus.  He acknowledged he was being punished justly, getting back what he deserved for the things he had done, while Jesus was innocent.  Then He pleads for mercy, an important concept to grasp when we think about His blood, because it is what keeps us from getting what we deserve.

He requests mercy simply by asking,  “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.”  Luke 11:42  After the other criminal ridicules Him for appearing to be powerless to help Himself, the other acknowledges His kingly authority.  He may have been among the foulest, but Jesus promises to make Him flawless by saying, “…today you will be with me in paradise.”

Doesn’t seem fair does it?  A criminal about to die asks for mercy and receives it.  He has no opportunity to earn it, or somehow improve his standing.  It is offered without merit, and solely based on confidence in the One he is asking.

For Comparison

When it comes to our salvation, that seems more fair, right?  I mean, I am not a criminal, and even if you have broken a few laws, you are certainly not guilty of doing anything that would justify being crucified – a terrible, agonizingly slow death, done publicly for the purpose of humiliation.  Maybe you do have a long list of misdemeanors, to go along with your felonies, but at least you are not Adolf Hitler or Charles Manson, right?

There is a problem with this comparison game though.  It simply does not work.  Why? There are no gradients of imperfection.  Anything that is not perfect is equally as imperfect as every other imperfect thing.  So we are all in the same position.  Imperfect, longing to be perfect.  Foul, and needing to be clean.  But this is no news to Jesus.

Good News

Knowing full well none of us possessed the capacity to get clean, Jesus came to provide a way.  As He sat and shared the last meal with His disciples before His crucifixion, Jesus said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”  Matthew 26:28 Remission is the cancellation of a debt, charge, or penalty.  Jesus knew He was about to shed His blood so the power of sin could be cancelled and we could be set free. 

When even the foulest among us acknowledges the power of His blood to cleanse us, everything changes.  We are forgiven.  Made clean.  Wesley declares “His blood avail’d for me”, which simply means it helped or benefitted me.  Though that is accurate, it seems like a gross understatement.  At the same time, it is a fact.  His blood did help me, and everyone else who ever asked, or will.

It makes me think of this powerful quote of Corrie Ten Boom.  “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.”  You can not be so foul that you get beyond God’s ability to make you clean.  Think about it.  He cancels sin and its power.  He set the prisoner free.  His blood cleanses the Foulest among us, which is really good news because not one of us is very far off from that moniker.  In its place He gives us a new title, Faultless.  Thanks be to God for His deep, deep love.

Jesus, when I think of Your blood shed for me, I am humbled.  I did not deserve it yet You freely gave it.  Aware of how unworthy I am, there have been moments when I have struggled to believe Your blood could help me.  Forgive me Lord for ever doubting that You could make me clean.  I do believe, and that believe leads me to praise You again today, for my new standing and my new title.  Thank you Jesus!

Joyful Thinking!

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Subscribers enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Podcast 3.3 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

He breaks the power of cancell’d sin,

Hebrews 2:17 ESV

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Propitiation is to atone.  He atoned for sins, making us at one with God, having formerly been separated by our sin.  Jesus did this when He willingly laid down his perfect life. Praise Jesus for breaking the power of sin.

  He sets the prisoner free;

Isaiah 61:1 ESV

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Jesus read these words in the synagogue as He began His ministry, and pronounced they were fulfilled.  Do you see yourself in this list: Poor, brokenhearted, captive, imprisoned? Thank Jesus that He was anointed to change our circumstances.

His blood can make the foulest clean,

Ephesians 2:13 ESV 

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Jesus taught he who has been forgiven much, loves much.  Paul called himself the foremost among sinners. Do you remember how “far off” you were?  Ponder that for a moment, and then thank Jesus for cleansing you with His blood so you could be brought near.

  His blood avail’d for me.

Romans 5:9 ESV

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Availed means to help or benefit.  What an understatement in describing what Jesus’ blood did for us.  Justification has been explained as being made “just-as-if” you had never sinned.  I needed a lot of help to look like that, and you did too. Thank Jesus.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

He breaks the power of cancell’d sin,
  He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
  His blood avail’d for me.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.