And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11

Have you ever thought about what Jesus has done for you?

Of course, you have. Even so, sometimes it doesn't hurt to spend a few moments thinking of what Jesus has accomplished with His life of sacrifice here on earth. To do that, please allow me to share a thought which was shared with me a few years ago. My pastor friend told me, "Years ago, when families were big and water had to be carried from an outside well to the house, Saturday night, the night before church, was family bath night. In order to save themselves repeated trips, in those days it was not unusual for a number of children to share the same bath water.

Sharing bath water? Yup. Think about that for a minute or two.

If you're like me, the idea of sharing bath water sounds gross, doesn't it? Let me make it more gross. How do you feel about sharing someone else's bathwater who is not a member of your family? How do you feel about stepping into a tub that holds the same water in which a total stranger has bathed?

See, I told you it was going to get nasty.

You would retreat from such an idea, but Jesus didn't. On the contrary, He went forward. The day Jesus was born in Bethlehem He stepped into the dirty waters of this world, the dirty waters of sin and transgression.

Although Jesus began and always remained perfect, He was immersed in some of the worst qualities humanity had produced.

* As a young child, He escaped the mad jealousy of King Herod.

* As an adult, He resisted the temptations Satan laid before Him.

* In His home community, He walked through the crowd which was determined to murder Him.

* He endured name-calling, physical abuse, misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

* He used God's revealed truth to counter the lies and false laws of the Pharisees.

* His religion's leaders plotted against Him, and His government knowingly sentenced an innocent man to death.

Amazingly, Jesus wasn't soiled or stained by the filth that was all around Him. On the contrary, He changed the world. In our Savior the sick found healing, and the troubled were given peace. Those who were burdened by sin were shown forgiveness, and Holy Spirit-given faith changed the believer's eternal home from hell to heaven.

Yes, Jesus immersed Himself in the filth of this world. And when He was done, the world, at least for many of us -- for all of us who believe on Him as Savior -- was changed for the better.

It was changed infinitely, ultimately, totally and completely.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I give thanks You have changed me. Your sacrifice and glorious resurrection have granted me forgiveness, hope and eternal life. I give thanks that my soul which was once made scarlet has been transformed and now is white as snow. In Your Name I give thanks. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Ezekiel 3-4    1 Timothy 3

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