September 29, Morning

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague." — Leviticus 13:13 · KJV

Strange as this rule appears, there was wisdom in it, for the breaking out of the disease proved the constitution was sound. This morning it may help us to see the typical teaching of so singular a rule. We too are lepers, and may read the law of the leper as applying to ourselves. When a man sees himself utterly lost and ruined, covered all over with the defilement of sin, no part free from pollution — when he disclaims all righteousness of his own and pleads guilty before the Lord — then he is clean through the blood of Jesus and the grace of God. Hidden, unfelt, unconfessed iniquity is the true leprosy; but when sin is seen and felt, it has received its death blow, and the Lord looks with eyes of mercy on the soul afflicted with it. Nothing is more deadly than self-righteousness, or more hopeful than contrition. We must confess that we are "nothing else but sin," for no confession short of this is the whole truth; and if the Holy Spirit is at work in us, convincing us of sin, there will be no difficulty in making such an acknowledgment — it will spring spontaneously from our lips. What comfort the text gives to those under a deep sense of sin! Sin mourned and confessed, however black and foul, shall never shut a man out from the Lord Jesus. Whoever comes to Him, He will in no wise cast out. Though dishonest as the thief, though unchaste as the woman who was a sinner, though fierce as Saul of Tarsus, though cruel as Manasseh, though rebellious as the prodigal, the great heart of love will look on the man who feels he has no soundness in him, and will pronounce him clean when he trusts in Jesus crucified. Come to Him, then, poor heavy-laden sinner — come needy, come guilty, come loathsome and bare; you cannot come too filthy — come just as you are.