c r i m s o n • a n d • w h i t e

Many old, whitewashed cottages and sheds in this part of the world have red doors. Its some sort of tradition. When I see that particular colour combination, it makes me think of this Bible verse:

 

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)

 

I'm not sure why sin is depicted as red in colour. Perhaps it's a reference to the ultimate penalty for sin: "...without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon/deliverance/forgiveness]" (Hebrews 9:22). All through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we see that truth reiterated. It explains why God became a man, shed His blood and died, in order to pay the penalty for our sin.

 

Of course, for many in our society today, sin is not a cause for concern. Few these days would acknowledge the presence of sin in their lives, nor for one second entertain the idea that they are "sinners" awaiting divine judgement and in need of saving. Conversely, many today take pride in their sin and see it as a virtue to be celebrated.

 

But, before you think I'm moralising and pointing the finger, I hasten to add that I am, most assuredly, a sinner. But I know you are too, because the Bible says "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And I thank God every day for making me understand that fact. When I realised that sin is abhorrent to God and that I am a sinner, only then did I appreciate what Christ had done for me on the cross:

 

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. (1st Peter 3:18)

Done