Hebrews 1:3

Sin is a dirty business. Sin makes our life filthy, both in the inside and on the outside. Sin does more than just cover us in external dirt. Disobedience of God will corrupt our heart, mind and spirit. Sin places within our memory images and emotions that can become life destroying. Sin is deadly; it kills our dreams, destroys our innocence, smothers our hopes and aspirations, destroys compassion and the ability to love and the list goes on and on. Sin when it has fully grown often results in actual physical death.

Christ provided purification/cleansing for sins. Translations of this verse are about evenly split between purification and cleansing. I think an appropriate translation would include both English words. They are very similar in meaning, but have enough difference I believe both are necessary to capture the full understanding of what Christ has provided.

Cleansing is something we do to remove build up, layered on grim and filth. It is possible, in self-righteousness to attempt to cleanse oneself. Jesus accused the Pharisees of being whitewashed tombs. They had worked to cleanse the outward appearance, but the stink of death still filled their hearts. The cleansing that Christ provides works on all parts of our lives, both inside and out. 1 John 1:9 tells us “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” When Christ cleans us up, he cleans our speech, he cleans our outward appearance, he cleans our dirty thoughts and he cleans our filthy habits. He forgives us in an instant. I would like to say he cleans us in an instant, but experience has shown that some cleansing requires time and effort.

Christ also provided purification. Purification removes foreign substances from within an item. Fire purifies gold. Dialysis purifies blood. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit purifies the human heart. Humanity is born with a sinful nature. The Holy Spirit changes our very nature.

Christ did not just provide for our sins to be covered. He provided to wash our sins away.