Modern washing machines offer more wash cycles than the average homeowner will ever utilize. From bulky loads, to whites only, to steam cycles designed to remove wrinkles and freshen lightly-worn garments, modern appliances aim to please…as well as make our lives more convenient and enjoyable.
It is the heavy-duty cycle that often comes in most handy. We use it for sturdy fabrics (think jeans and towels) or heavily soiled items (Junior’s athletic gear). Why? Nothing else will get these items clean.
There are three ways the heavy-duty cycle on our machine helps get the soil out of our clothes:
Way #1 – The longer wash cycle gives the detergent time to work.
Way #2 – High-speed agitation breaks loose embedded soil.
Way #3 – An equally high-speed spin removes as much moisture as possible.
That same process is applicable for us in our Christian walk. Sometimes we come back to Jesus, and all he needs is to put us through the steam cycle. We are his children, now lightly soiled, and when we cede the error of our ways, our wrinkles quickly fade, and we are freshened with his cleansing power.
Other times we need the heavy-duty cycle.
Take, for example, the leper in Leviticus 14. God required the heavy-duty cycle before the man could be considered clean. Verse 11 tells us that the priest who makes him clean shall present the man and his clothes before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
The leper had to endure a triple cleansing, by blood, by water, and by oil. These three cleansings restored him to his family, to his people, and to the Lord.
One, two, three.
Here’s how it worked:
Cleansing #1 – The blood represented the foretold death of Jesus and his resurrection. (Verses 6-7)
Cleansing #2 – The water represented the leper’s desire to change from the old man into the new. (Verse 8)
Cleansing #3 – The oil represented giving of the leper’s best to the Lord. (verse 10)
One, two, three. Give the detergent time to work, break loose the embedded soil, and remove the excess moisture. It is completed by the Blood of Christ, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit.
One, two, three.
Heavy-duty cleansing for heavy-duty sin. When sin is deeply embedded, sometimes only the heavy-duty cycle will do the trick. God must choose the uncomfortable wash cycle, even though it hurts.
Thank God for his risen Son, the Christ, the Redeemer of mankind, and our salvation forever.
When sin encrusts us, God will do whatever it takes to wash it away.
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