Can You Clean With a Mirror?

Ben: “Hey, George, you're lookin' good? Did you get a new mirror?”

George: “No, I found something new!”

Ben: “Something new! What do you mean something new? There's nothing but mirrors, and people have been using mirrors to get clean since the dawn of time.”

George: “Yea, it's true, and that's why we still stink!”

Ben: “Hey, I do not stink!”

George: “Yes you do, and so did I. But I don't anymore because I found something else.”

Ben: “Alright, smart guy. What did you find?”

George: “Blood!”

Ben: “That's disgusting!”

George: “I know, it sounds disgusting, but our stench is also disgusting.”

Ben: “I smell better than I ever have. In fact, this new mirror I've found has changed my life. There's no other mirror like it. I'm cleaner than I have ever been.”

George: “You don't get it do you?”

Ben: “Get what?”

George: “When God gave us mirrors He meant them to reveal how unclean we are, not for us to clean ourselves with them! It took me some time to realize that, but once I finally did take a look in the mirror I couldn't believe how disgusting I was.”

Ben: “Well I have bled a lot in my life, but I've never gotten any cleaner by it, so I don't get why you think blood is going to cure the problem.”

George: “That's just it! You're blood has no power to clean, nor does mine or anyone else's. The only blood that has power to clean is the blood of God's Son. He offered himself as a sacrifice to clean us, and He's the only one who could because He's the only one who isn't filthy like the rest of us.”

Ben: “Yea, I know that Jesus' death was important, but I have to do something! I can't just say, “Jesus clean me with your blood!” and expect him to do everything. We've got to use the mirrors that God has given to us too!”

George: “You still don't get it do you?”

Ben: “Get what!”

George: “The mirrors that God has given us are to show us that we are dirty. The blood that He offers us is to make us clean. They have two different purposes. The purpose of the mirror is not to clean yourself with it, but to realize that you need to get clean. The blood of God's Son is the only thing that can make us clean. Only He can make us clean, and Him alone.”

Ben: “Well I've got to do something! We've all got to do something. It wouldn't be right to just expect God to do everything.”

George: “So what are you going to do? Keep scrapping away with your mirror to get rid of the dirt and make your skin as raw as ever!?”

Ben: “That's what we've always done. And some mirrors are better than others. Like I said, this new mirror – it's revolutionary!”

George: “I hope that some day you will realize the purpose of the mirror.”

Ben: “And I hope you don't tell anyone else about your theories on blood. That's disgusting! If you keep that up, I'm not sure how many friends you will have left. You're lucky that I have stuck around this long. Later George!”

George: “See ya later Ben.”

There is only one way to use a mirror, by looking into it. Other than that you can only have fun breaking a mirror, but that is not the proper way to use a mirror. So it is with God's law. You can look into it and see that it reveals your sin, or you can have fun breaking it, but to try to keep God's law to clean up your life is not a proper use of the law. It's purpose as clearly stated in the Bible is to reveal our sin, not to cleanse us from it through obedience. If you use the law appropriately it will reveal to you that it's impossible to keep it because you're just too sinful.

The purpose of the law is to reveal sin; The purpose of Christ's blood is to cleanse us from it. There is no use in trying to keep the law to cleanse you from sin. The only thing was intended to cleanse us from sin is the blood of Jesus.

“For the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” (Hebrews 7:19)

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law comes the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:19, 20)

“Therefore the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” (Romans 5:20)

“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would have not known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” (Romans 7:7)

According to James 1:21-27 the law is like a mirror, which reveals our sin. James tells us that it if we look in the mirror of God's law and walk away without doing anything about it, it's as though we have forgotten what we have just seen. We need to do something. So, what do we do?

As said before, if we look deeply enough into God's law it reveals that obedience is not possible. Not to mention, even if obedience were possible, our previous stains would still remain. The only option is to use the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from sin.

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

“To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” (Revelation 1:5b)

“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18, 19)

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17:11)

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:14)

The blood of Christ cleanses us from sin when we have faith that God sent His Son to redeem us and that we can do nothing to save ourselves. Have faith and Christ's blood will cleanse you from all sin!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8, 9)