Ultimate Stain Remover

Author: Vince Gilbert

 

The other day, I was ironing one of my favorite shirts when I found a stain just below the pocket.  It was more of a faint circle similar to a water-mark, hardly noticeable – maybe not even noticeable to others at all.  Still, it bothered me.  I couldn’t figure out what the stain was or how it got there.  I pondered the situation.  Since it was cool, I would be wearing a jacket, but I just couldn’t bring myself to wear it.  It was stained, and I knew it was stained, even if it was not noticeable to others.

I would not feel good until the stain was gone!  I immediately went into the laundry room to see what type of stain removers we had.  I found one bottle, sprayed it on the stain, started the washing machine, tossed the shirt in, and closed the lid.  When I returned home from work, I checked the shirt, and sadly discovered the stain was still there.  What to do?  It was my favorite shirt after all.  I went into town and spent a fair amount of money on stain removers – probably enough to buy a new shirt – and none of them worked.  The shirt was getting worn out just washing it so much, and I was disappointed!

As a last resort, I went to the Internet and found a possible solution.  I sprayed the stain with WD40 and poured laundry detergent directly onto the stain, rubbed it in a little, and threw it into the washer.  When the washer was finished, I pulled the shirt out, and THE STAIN WAS GONE!  I couldn’t believe it!  To get a stain out of a shirt, spray it with oil?  That was ridiculous!  However, it did work, so the stain must have been of an oily nature.  I wore that shirt the very next day!  It would have been nice to know how to get the stain out before trying so many things.  Just goes to prove that we can’t always do things on our own.

That shirt is similar to our souls.  We get stained with sin, often not even remembering what made that particular stain.  Others may not know the stain is there, but we know, and it bothers us.  We may invest years trying to remove the stain from ourselves on our own to no avail.  We may try to cover the stains up, so no one knows they are there.  We may rely on our friends without accomplishing anything.

Then, one day, after we have suffered too long and tried everything we can think of without removing the stain or feeling better, we go to the ONE, sure-fire stain remover – Jesus Christ.  He, alone, can remove our stains when we repent and ask for forgiveness.  There is no need to try any other method to remove our stains from within, because they will not work!  Going to Jesus Christ FIRST will save a lot of frustration, pain, and suffering.  For Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Stain Remover.  He died for our sins, so that we may be free of stains.

The Ultimate Stain Remover is there for the taking – all we have to do is ask.

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.