Clean House Clean Heart

Clean House Clean Heart

The Personal Testimony of Dwight Smith

Saturday was always the day that my family cleaned house. This was a particularly sunny day in the spring of 1978. We had finished most of the job and had stopped for a break when Mom and I had a heart to heart talk. Little did I know the lasting impact and deep cleansing that would result from our conversation.

A lot of questions had been running through my mind, and I was curious enough to ask them. We talked about heaven and hell. We discussed the matter of sin. We examined the fact of Christ’s bloody death and powerful resurrection. All of these matters had been questions in my own heart, and my mother was careful to guide me to the Bible for each and every answer.

It wasn’t long before I began to understand what God said about my sin. “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not” Ecclesiastes 7:20. “Your sins have separated between you and your God…” Isaiah 59:2a. “There is none righteous, no not one” Romans 3:10. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23.

I was lost in my sin, and no amount of good deeds I could accomplish could cleanse my dirty heart. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” Ephesians 2:8-9. I realized then that even though I had been reared in a moral home, this fact could not wash away my sin. I was a “pretty good kid,” but my goodness did not cancel out my sinfulness. “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” Isaiah 64:6.

After I saw the fact of sin, Mom showed me sin’s penalty. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” Ezekiel 18:4. “The wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23. “Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” James 1:15. It became very clear that no matter what I did or could do, death was an imminent and certain appointment. “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment” Hebrews 9:27.

It was made very plain through the Bible that if I had died without Christ, I would have spent an eternity in a place called hell and the lake of fire. “The wicked shall be turned into hell” Psalm 9:17. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” Revelation 20:15. This was certainly not what I wanted, but it was exactly what I deserved.

Just then my Mother showed me a powerful truth! She explained that Jesus Christ came to this earth about two thousand years ago for one purpose: “to seek and to save that which was lost” Luke 19:10. His life was an absolutely perfect life. “In him is no sin” I John 3:5. Yet He went to the cross to pay the penalty of sin and die for me, a guilty sinner. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” Romans 5:6. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8. My Mom made it clear that the blood that Jesus shed and the death that Jesus died was for meHe died for the whole world, but He died for me!

She continued to explain that it did not end at the cross. In fact, after Jesus died, He bodily rose again from the grave! “He is risen from the dead” Matthew 28:7. “It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again” Romans 8:34. “He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” I Corinthians 15:3.

This proved that Jesus Christ is God, and through Him alone I could be saved.

Though I had heard it before and would hear it again, this is all I needed to know. I was a sinner who deserved God’s judgment in hell. Yet God loved me so much, He sent His only Son, Jesus, to bleed and die in my place. On the third day God raised Him from the dead. What a life-changing story! You may wonder how I know it life-changing. Because on that day, I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior!

Mom and I got down on our knees right next to the kitchen cupboards, I repented of my sins and believed in my heart that Jesus died and rose again for me! When I did, He came to live inside me and truly cleansed my heart from all of my sins – past, present, and future. On that Saturday, we not only had a clean house, but I had a clean heart!

Several years have passed since then, and I can say with absolute certainty, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” I John 1:7.

God’s grace is sufficient to save, and His blood is enough to purity the deepest of stains. Now I travel around the country every week as an evangelist preaching this amazing message! If Christ can forgive me, and He did, He can forgive anyone!

The wonderful truth is that this same eternal cleansing is available to you. Without it your access to heaven will be denied and your entrance to hell will be assured. Will you come to Jesus right now, admit your sinfulness, and receive Him as your Savior? “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” Isaiah 1:18.

If you recognize that your heart is dirty and in need of Christ’s cleansing blood, just bow before Him right now, repent of your sins, and believe on Him alone to save you. He will do just that! You may pray something like this:

Lord Jesus, I admit that my heart is dirty and sinful, and nothing I do can wash it clean. I believe you died, shed your blood, and rose again to save me. Right now, I trust you alone to wash me, forgive me, and give me a home in heaven. Please come into my heart and save me. Thank you, Jesus!

Did you sincerely call upon the name of the Lord? If so God had to save you. He said “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Romans 10:13.

This is a wonderful day! It is a moment you should mark down and never forget. Then tell everyone about the day God cleansed your heart forever! Please contact us and tell us of your choice to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Dwight M. Smith

Gospel Tract

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