A song I learned as a child in Vacation Bible School: “I wish I had a little white box to put my spirit in. I’d take it out and” :::kiss kiss kiss::: “and I’d put it back again. I wish I had a little red box to put my Jesus in. I’d take Him out and” :::kiss kiss kiss::: “and I’d put Him back again. I wish I had a little black box to put the devil in. I’d take him out and” :::clap clap clap::: “and I’d put him back again.”
If you thought about sin as being a solid, something you could put in a little box like the children’s song, what color do you think it would be? Black? Gray? Multicolored? Of course, we use black for the devil. It is only natural since the Lord is LIGHT and anything outside the Lord is DARKNESS. My personal first instinct was to think sin would be black (darkness).
Now, I suppose this is one of many reasons the scriptures tell us that God’s thoughts are much higher than ours. He’s sure smarter than anyone I know! And He sure knows how to make sin disappear, even when LIGHT is shed on it... though, it isn’t darkness or black after all. Isaiah 1:18 says “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.” Notice that He doesn’t call sin black. He calls it scarlet and crimson -- red!
Imagine that you are painting a sun catcher. You decide to paint the glass through both sides, intensifying the color. You are painting a dove. Of course, you’d paint the dove white. But on the other side, you paint it black. When the sun shines through the sun catcher, what color will the dove appear? Or imagine that you are looking at a black ball through clear-blue water. What color does the ball appear to be? Have you ever searched for something green in the grass or something that is clear on any other color? It’s rather difficult to see green on green or clear with another color behind it.
And that’s how it is with our sins. They are crimson. One day, Satan will attempt to judge us based upon our sins. And when he does, the Lord God will look at us and see red. But the red He will see will not be our sin. He will say to that old devil “I see only red -- the blood of My only Begotten, who covers the sins of man. I am not ignorant in that I do not know the sins of men. Rather, I have chosen to forget them, to toss them into the sea of forgetfulness. I cannot look upon sin. But I can look upon man, even on the once very sinful man, as long as his sins are covered in the sacrificial blood of My Son.”
Dear Treava... My heart is too full...the words won't come out! Please know you've touched me deeply and given me a very special 'gift'. You understand... Love, Peggy
I have to agree with the other fellow faithwriters who expressed their joy in reading your article . It touched my heart and I pray this piece will be a blessing to many . Julie Pisacane
This really touched my heart....and taught me! I loved how you drew me along and showed me the lesson here....gently taught, but taken to heart! Thanks so much for sharing this!
A very good article. When I first began to read it, I was reminded of a song my children used to sing in Sunday School...."The devil is a sly old fox, I'd like to catch him and throw him in a box...lock the lid and throw away the key, for all the mean tricks he's played on me!" But like you said, we are without excuse.
Joyce, this was one of the best articles I have had the honor to read! My first thought was…gray! Gray is white (light) and black (darkness) mixed together to get a perverted view or concept of what is right or wrong! That is the color of this present age (Laodicean age). But, you are so correct to bring us back to the Word of God that places the crimson blood of Christ in it’s proper prospective. Bless you for your insight! Much love, Lucian
A very interesting and thought provoking article Joyce. Do you suppose that is why the devil, in cartoons is always potrayed as red? "though your(sins) be RED like crimson" This opens up a whole new avenue of thought regarding these issues. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. Love, Sharin
