“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Romans 7:18
I tried EVERYTHING!!! I had given it time… then waited… A LOT! I prayed in faith… BELIEVING… then did it again! I worried about it, inspected it, sought advice about it, tried numerous ‘fix it’ solutions and even secretly wished on a star!!! I had worn out EVERY possibility I could think of to remedy my situation…except the only one that could! But unfortunately, my sewer pipe remained clogged!
It isn’t hard to know when a sewer pipe has failed. Before you see it… you can smell it! Only an owner will be serious enough to follow the smell to SEE what the problem is. The rest will skedaddle in the opposite direction saying, “not MY problem!” Until it is! Then, due to cost, time, denial or wishful thinking, there comes a point that something HAS to be DONE. So I called “SEWERMAN!”
My PLAN was to wait until the weather cooled down, then dig it up and replace it myself. It never got cool and my back hasn’t been cooperating in EASIER things. Calling in my expert cost me in cash, but saved me in sweat, agony and pain. Not really a bad trade off, huh? Now he’s not ‘officially’ “THE SEWERMAN,” but rather my plumber. But I can say that, since he is working on MY sewer pipe! And get this!!!! My ‘SEWERMAN’ is not going to FIX ANYTHING… he is going to REPLACE!! Just like Jesus!
If Jesus took care of my SIN… can’t I call Him ‘SINMAN?’ I know, I know… some of you are offended! So sad, too! I know PASTORS who REFUSE to admit that Jesus BECAME ‘SINMAN’ for me on the cross! They think He only carried my sin there, spiritually maintaining His perfect appearance. But the ‘stink’ proved otherwise. Even His Father had to tun away!
Rusted, corroded, clogged old pipes cannot be repaired any more than than my flesh can. ‘SEWERMAN’ dug it up, replaced it with NEW, and buried the old… NEVER to be seen again! It is just what ‘SINMAN’ JESUS did with MY old stinky flesh! If ever I DO catch a whiff of that old familiar smell and begin to worry, I need to rest assured that it is NOT!
If I call my plumber every week and beg him to go out there and recheck that new line, how many times do you think he will take my call? Right! NONE! He DID it… it is DONE! And when it comes to the stink of sin, that guilt and shame you feel is SUPPOSED to lead you to the TRUSTing JOY that YOUR SAVIOR already DID a good job. It is NOT there to make you feel bad all over again. The message of the Cross is… “YOU CAN’T – HE CAN!” And He DID!
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate my plumber. I brag about him and share his phone # with anyone who has a problem. I do the same thing with Jesus!
What do YOU smell… and who will YOU call?
