Soap and Sin

I John 3:5 ... He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. (NAS)

Objective: To illustrate “pure” and “sinless”

Materials: Bar of Ivory soap

Hold up bar of Ivory soap. What is this? Do you know what is special about this soap? It is the only soap that claims to be 99 44/100% pure. What do you think that means? What does pure mean?

Pure means clean or free from dirt...not mixed with anything else...having no fault (sinless)...complete.

Let’s take a look at this soap and see it if looks pure. (open package) What would you do with this soap?

The label says that it is 99 44/100% pure. Do you know what that means? When something is 100% pure, it means all of it is clean, free from dirt, not mixed with anything else....so 100% means ALL, not only part of. 99 44/100% mean ALMOST ALL, BUT NOT QUITE. Even though this is white, even though it works to wash things, it has some “dirt” in it. We can’t see the little bit of dirt in the soap, but it’s there.

What do you think this soap has to do with Jesus?

The Bible tells us in I John 3:5 that Jesus is 100% pure. It says, “...In Him there is no sin.” The dictionary says that one of the meanings of “pure” is “having no fault—without sin”. Jesus isn’t just 99 44/100% pure, like Ivory soap—He is 100% pure—ALL PURE, ALL SINLESS. He has never disobeyed God the Father; He has never broken any of God’s laws. There is no sin in Him, and there never was.

Ivory soap is advertised as being “naturally clean”, but it’s not perfect, not 100% pure. And it can’t wash out all the dirt, even though it can wash out a lot of it.

Jesus is 100% perfect. He’s the only One who can wash out all the sin from our lives so that we can stand before God some day—clean and perfect just as He is.

If you want to wash out dirt, use soap. If you want to wash out sin, trust Jesus. He’s 100% pure.

I John 3:5 ... He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

Snowflakes, Sin and Salvation

Riddle for the children: (cut a paper snowflake as you ask the question)
What makes no noise when it falls? You have to work hard to get rid of it, but it runs away when it sees the sun. It is born cold and dies warm. (answer: a snowflake)

Did you enjoy the snow this week? Newly-fallen snow looks clean and white, and everything it covers looks clean and white, too (even if it is just a garbage can!) Does snow have any light in itself? How does snow look when the sun shines on it? It sparkles like little diamonds when it reflects the light of the sun.

Can you think of any other things we can find out about snow?
It is made of water
It is cold
It comes from above
Job 37:6a "For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth…"
Job 38:22a "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?…."
Only God has the power to create the snow and make it fall to the earth!

Would you like to take a bath in snow? Why not?
How do you feel after you take a bath in warm water?
Why do we take baths?
Can you be clean on the outside and still "dirty" on the inside?
What makes you feel dirty inside? Sin does.

The Bible says we are all sinners…dirty inside because we disobey God.
Taking a bath doesn't clean us inside…even being baptized doesn't make us any cleaner. Only the blood of Jesus can make us really clean enough to stand before God in heaven. Psalm 51:2,7b "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin…..wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

When we believe that Jesus died for us and trust Him to take away our sin, the Bible says that we become "saved", and then we are called believers or Christians.

But…even believers often still disobey God after they have trusted Jesus' blood to save them. That doesn't mean they are no longer Christians…but they have hurt God's Holy Spirit and should tell Him that they have disobeyed.
I John 1:8-9 says " If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Snowflakes remind me of 1. God wonderful power to create 2. God's wonderful power to save me from my sin 3. God's wonderful power to forgive me and keep me clean even when I still sin and disobey Him.

Give each child a snowflake and piece of paper to draw a snow scene showing God's power to create and His power to save and forgive.