White as Snow

April 3, 2018

Happy Easter! Here in central Illinois, we had snow on Easter. It started about 2 and kept on snowing into the night. That evening, my husband were sitting on the porch watching the snow glittering in the light as it fell. There was a peaceful feel all around as the snow blanketed the landscape with pure glistening white. We marveled at the birds singing as if it were a bright spring morning, instead of a snow storm.

Later, I read Isaiah 1:18-"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." From <http://biblehub.com/isaiah/1-18.htm>

A visual reminder

On this Easter day, God gave us a visual reminder, Jesus settled the matter on the first Easter. No matter how bright or dark our sins are, when we have accepted what Jesus did for us and ask forgiveness, they are now white as snow. Those sins are not merely covered up with a blanket of white snow that melts and leaves us with those sins exposed once again. In His eyes, those scarlet sins have been made white as snow, all He sees is the white. They haven't been bleached over, leaving a mark where He can tell the scarlet was. They haven't been erased, leaving a dark smudge as a reminder that we didn't get it right the first time. Those scarlet and crimson marks of sin have been transformed into white, leaving no trace of what was there before.

Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord.

As humans, we can't comprehend how our sins are no longer seen my God, when sometime all we can see is our failure. But God is telling us here, let's settle the matter, once and for all. In the commentaries I read, they said this was written in court room language. It is a judge making a decree that this case has been settled in the highest court there is. At the very second we ask for forgiveness, we are found innocent of all charges! Once we have been forgiven, the enemy has no case, all evidence is inadmissible now. The case is dismissed on lack of evidence and we are free to go!

So, why aren't we walking out free? It is not enough for the court to decide in our favor. We must accept the decision of the court, that though our sins are like scarlet, they are now white as snow. If we continue to view ourselves through the lens of past sin, we will never see ourselves as God sees us, never accomplish what He has for us, and never enter into the fullness of the blessing He has for us. Our loving Father wants us to walk into our now future without the burden of past sins tainting our view and holding us back.

Case dismissed!

Are there past sins in your life you keep seeing as scarlet, even after you have asked forgiveness? Are you allowing past sin to hold you back from all the Lord has for you? I know I have some of those. That snow fall on Easter was such a beautiful sign from the Lord. I believe the Lord was asking me to view my past sins as white as snow. If you are reading this, then He is asking the same of you.

Picture yourself standing in the highest court, the court of heaven, before the supreme judge, God. Hear His ruling, there is no evidence of that sin, the matter is settled. I see no scarlet, no crimson, just white, white as snow. Case dismissed!

[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. Hebrews 12:2 AMP

We honor what Jesus did, by looking into our future without the stains of the past distracting us. We participate in His joy when we see our sins white as snow. The matter is settled in heaven, it is up to us to settle it on earth, in our own minds.

The snow is all gone now, it melted away quickly, as spring snows do. But I'm left with the joy of knowing He sent snow on Easter, confirming His word to me, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;" Don't you love it when He does stuff like that?!

I'd love to hear how God is speaking to you in this season. Comment or e-mail me so we can celebrate hearing his voice together!