Lessons from the Snow

I woke up this morning to an inch or two of new snow. It's decorating the evergreens around our house and blanketing over the old grey stuff that had been slowly melting since December. But beyond the surprise of another layer of winter, the new snow reminded me of some of the most precious thoughts that the Scriptures give to Christians walking through a fallen world.

The problem with walking through a fallen world is that the dirt and grime of it tends to rub off on us. No matter how much we seek to insulate ourselves, we all are generally affected by the attitudes and values of ungodly people and influences around us. Add to that picture the challenge of keeping our own corrupt hearts in line (hearts which Scripture says are "deceitfully wicked") and it is no surprise that Christians struggle with a certain level of "soul pollution", something that can build up over time. There is a "whole body" cleaning that goes on when a person trusts Christ as his Savior, but Jesus told his disciples that even those whose bodies have been cleaned must wash their feet (John 13:10). By this, I believe that Jesus meant that the sins which fasten themselves to us as we walk through this filthy world, must be confessed and renounced. They are not to be ignored or minimized, but brought to God for fresh cleansing.(1 John 1:8-9)

And this is where the illustration of snow comes in. Snow is used at least 2 times in scripture to picture the grace of God in cleansing sin.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.(Ps 51:7)

But what is it about snow that makes it such an apt picture of forgiveness? Well, here are a few thoughts to consider:

1. Snow covers up junk
After our area received over 80 inches of snow in December, there was absolutely no evidence that I had a scrap wood pile behind my shed. And the wheelbarrow that had been out by the driveway was no longer even visible. So it is when God's grace cleans our souls. God's forgiveness never denies the truth that we have sinned, it simply treats us as if we did not —all because of Jesus. (2 Cor 5:21) Isn't it amazing that God offers this kindness to ones as unworthy as ourselves. Amazing Grace indeed!

2. Snow is beautiful.
Fresh snow covering every stump and weed (and wheelbarrow) not only hides their ugliness, but clothes them with beauty. There are few scenes as stunningly beautiful as forest meadow immediately after a heavy snowfall. The ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the mundane becomes magnificent. Such is the grace of God in granting forgiveness of our sin. Even Jesus' disciples marveled at the heartfelt expression of worship that the sinful woman performed on Jesus when she washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Jesus commended her and explained that the beauty of her devotion was the direct outcome of God's forgiveness of her many sins. Grace does that.

3. Snow brings peace.
Just as there are few things as beautiful as the landscape after a snowstorm, there are few things that are more peaceful than a quiet place after heavy snow. Even as a child, I remember plopping down to make a snow angel then just laying there enjoying the quietness and peace that the new snow brought to my little world. Road noise was muffled, everything was still. Taking a walk in the woods after a snow is even more striking as all the hubbub of life seems to settle down and melt into the fluffy powder that surrounds me. Similarly, the grace of God in forgiving sin brings peace. The condemning cries of Satan and gentle appeals of conscience are both stilled in the atmosphere of tenderness and reassurance from God. All is forgiven, all is well. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."(Romans 5:1)

So if the grace of God in forgiving sin is so wonderful, why do we so often carry around the deadening baggage of unconfessed sin? There are probably many factors, but part of it is that Christians today have somehow adopted a very casual attitude toward sin. We call it a mistake, or poor judgment or maybe a character flaw or a personal weakness, but hesitate to call it what it really is--a transgression of God's holy law. The truth is that sin is offensive to God. It is rebellion against the One who created us and it sent His Son to an agonizing death on the cross. Sometimes the problem is not that we are minimizing our sin, but that we haven't even stopped long enough to consider our ways. Have I failed God in any way? Are there any "pet sins" that I'm trying to hide or justify? Have I neglected Him or His word? Have my attitudes been right? Is my heart soft toward God and others? When we are finished examining ourselves, the prayer that David prayed can often bring even more light -- light that we desperately need, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

I think that when we quietly cover our sin or try to live as if it's ok with God, we not only disappoint our heavenly Father whose name is Holy, we also show that we have forgotten the tremendous blessings that He gives when we unload the burden at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging our failure and asking for forgiveness and the power to change. Our resistance to the Spirit's nudges ultimately only hurts ourselves. God's precious promise that if we will return to the Lord, "he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7) Those who ignore this call not only consign themselves to burdened-down lives, but miss out on the most blessed kind of snowstorm.