Come and Be Clean

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 4, 1913

Come and Be Clean

COME now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: tho your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; tho they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Never were there more gracious words. They express man’s need as well as God’s loving care, condescension, willingness, and power. “Come,” He invites, and His invitation is to the very lowest, to the most sinful. “Come now,” before the day of mercy is past, and your heart is so hardened that it can not be reached.

“Let us reason together.” You can not do this work of reforming in your own strength; the Lord would say, Trust Me. Look on the reasonable side.

And then His power! Tho your sins be as scarlet, as crimson—why these colors? Why should not black be used to represent sin?—Because the simile would not be true. The art of man can bleach to perfect whiteness the deepest-dyed black, but no art can thoroly remove the well-dyed scarlet or crimson. And such is sin. “Nor vows, nor promises, nor tears, can e’er for sin atone.” Man can not justify himself; he can not cleanse the heart; but God can. The scarlet iniquity will be washed away, the crimson heart will be cleansed, the soul will be made pure. Sinner, this invitation is to thee. The Lord says, Come now.