There’s an old hymn that asks the question, “What can wash my sin away?” The answer? “Nothing but the blood of Jesus”. I sang this song before I was taught what it meant. I was too young to read the lyrics for myself. However, I still stood with an open hymn book resting on the pew in front of me. I would sing alongside my family, “Oh precious is the flow, That makes me white as snow, No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus”.

What can wash my sin away lyrics

Here are the lyrics to the hymn:

What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus

Refrain:
Oh precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

For my pardon, yes I see, nothing but the blood of Jesus
For my cleansing, there’s my plead, nothing but the blood of Jesus

Nothing can for sin a tone, nothing but the blood of Jesus
Not of good that I have done, nothing but the blood of Jesus

This is all my hope and peace, nothing but the blood of Jesus
This is all my righteous mess, nothing but the blood of Jesus

-Robert Lowery

Jesus’ blood is what can wash my sin away

As a child, I pictured bathing in blood, and wondered how red blood could turn me “white as snow”. In the Old Testament, before Jesus came to die for our sins, God told His people to wash before coming to meet with Him. (Exodus 30:20). Likewise, they were told to sacrifice animals. Blood was the necessary payment for their sins. Think of it this way. Sin=death and blood=life.

The Bible is full of physical descriptions that help us understand spiritual concepts. Consequently, people have associated sin with being dirty. Sin makes us unworthy to be with God. Therefore, we need to wash. However, we do not do the “washing”. David is the one who asks God to wash him and make him whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7).

The New Testament speaks of washing our sins away too. Paul is told by Ananias to be baptized and wash away his sins (Acts 22:16). Everyone needs this washing. We all have sin (Romans 3:23). John 1:7 tells us that the blood of Jesus is what washes us from our sin.

Washing your sins away

Just as the potter is an important biblical illustration of God, washing is a meaningful illustration of forgiveness. For this reason, I wanted children to see it in the Tea Pot book. After the vessel admits its selfishness, the potter washes it.

Pruning scripture

This washing occurs when we come to Christ and ask Him to forgive us, believing that His death on the cross is the payment for all our sins, past, present, and future. It only needs to occur once. That is the moment that the Holy Spirit enters our life and makes us vessels that can truly serve Him. With His Spirit living inside us, we are able to grow the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Unfortunately, we don’t always cooperate with the Holy Spirit. We still sin. Therefore, we need to be pruned (John 15:2).

Therefore, in The Tea Pot book, Little Pot has stopped meeting with the potter alongside Tea Pot. It has been selfish too. The fruit must be picked and removed. Just as we grow the love for others, not ourselves. Likewise, we show patience and kindness to others. In other words, the fruit of the Spirit is something we grow, demonstrate, and grow again. Little Pot had been made clean in the first book, The Little Pot. It did not need washing again. However, it still needed to have sin removed. This is what the Bible calls pruning in John 15:2.

Become a fruit-bearing vessel like Little Pot!

Being a fruit-bearing vessel is not as easy as reading a children’s picture book. That is why Little Pot and I have come up with a seven-step process that will allow the potter to grow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control through you. Just put in your first name and email so we can send you those seven steps. Then you’ll get a fruitful Friday email each week with ways to be even more fruitful!

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