Whiter Than Snow

The Rocky Mountains were a beautiful setting for summer youth camp. Peacefully nestled in evergreen forests and surrounded by tall mountain peaks, it also proved to be a perfect place for God to speak to me. No, I didn’t hear a voice from heaven, but I did hear God’s word preached in a powerful way every night. I began to become very bothered that I didn’t really know God.

You might think that my being a missionary daughter (my parents are Baptist missionaries in Prague, Czech Republic), I would automatically know God. But I needed to be “saved” like anyone else. I knew about these things because of my upbringing, but it wasn’t until that summer at youth camp, that I began to be seriously concerned about my real spiritual condition. After returning to Prague with my parents, I thought a lot about my life and about God. I was uneasy and unhappy. Something was wrong. I spoke many times with my Mom and did Bible studies with my Dad. Everyday I listened to a radio program we access by internet from the states called, “Unshackled”. I listened intently to the true stories of people whose lives were changed by the Lord when they got saved. But the changed lives of the members of our little Czech church and their genuine love for the Lord impressed me even more. They had something that I didn’t have. Here I was, the missionary daughter, and it was me that was lost! At one point, I was so upset I cried as I talked to my mom. She prayed with me to be saved, but nothing changed. I did this once with my dad too and again with a pastor’s wife from Germany. But nothing was ever different. I knew I was not saved and my parents knew it as well. So what was my problem?

... I declare unto you the gospel
...how that Christ died for our sins
...And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4

As I look back now, I know that I simply didn’t consider myself a sinner. Sure, if you asked me if I was a sinner, I would say, “Yes”. But my answer was nothing more than the correct answer to a quiz question. I did not sense the seriousness of my sin. After all, I had Christian parents and had been attending church all of my life. I knew nothing of the party lifestyle of my Mom nor of the hippy lifestyle of my Dad before they got saved. Certainly, I was not like the unreligous Czech people, who didn’t even believe in God. So what was my sin.and why was it so bad?

One Sunday, my Dad preached about the hope that accompanies true faith, something I didn’t have. After church, I didn’t speak to anyone. All afternoon, I just wanted to be alone. Sensing something was wrong, my Mom asked me if I wanted to talk. (She already knew what was bothering me!) We sat on the couch by the window and for the next couple of hours reviewed many verses from the Bible.

For ALL have sinned
and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23

For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

The things we read and talked about were all familiar but God had a surprise for me when we came to the following verse:

For whosoever shall keep the whole law,
and yet offend in one point,
he is guilty of all.

James 2:10

.

I had heard this verse before also , but the impact suddenly was very different. “Who me? Guilty of ALL?!” ... murder, idolatry, adultery, lying, stealing, etc?!” I finally saw that it wasn’t a question of how much wrong I had done but whether I had broken God’s law. My little sins were just as much against God’s law as big sins. God, who is holy and righteous, could not allow me, a sinner, into heaven. I was guilty. I was lost.

The amazing thing about feeling truly guilty is that, what had been so difficult before - faith - became very easy. I found that I could believe God because I needed God. He really did love me. He really would save me - if I called upon Him. He saved me, just like He promised.

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

...Unto him that loved us,
and washed us from our sins
in his own blood,
Revelation 1:5

Because of Jesus Christ and the blood He shed for my sins,
I am now, truly, whiter than snow!