Something Better Than Soap!

Shower thoughts. Those random things we think about as we wash away the day’s activities.
- If a tomato is a fruit, is ketchup a smoothie?
- Does a straw have one hole or two?
- We eat pizza from the inside out.
- What if dogs lick us because they know we have bones inside?
Me? My deep thoughts in the shower have to do with the shower.
- How does soap work?
Now you’re wondering about it too. So here goes … but we’ve got to go back to high school chemistry.
When it comes to water, some molecules love water and some don’t. I prefer to call the water-loving molecules “golden retrievers” and the water-hating molecules “cats,” but nerdy scientists went a different route:
- Hydrophilic – Water-loving.
- Hydrophobic – Water-hating
Hydrophilic molecules love water and happily dissolve in water. For example: dust. Wash your hands with nothing but water, and the water-loving dust just dissolves and washes away. But hydrophobic molecules are not so cooperative. They resist the water the same way I resist pickles on a cheeseburger. Bleah. Oil is an example of something that’s hydrophobic, and we all know the old saying: oil and water don’t mix. That’s why a simple hand washing won’t get all that greasy pizza residue off your little fingers.

Enter our friend, that bar of soap. In addition to whatever scent has been added to make your wife sit up and notice, soap is comprised of a complex molecule that includes both water-loving and water-fearing molecules. It’s been described as a very tiny tadpole with the head that is hydrophilic and the tail that is hydrophobic. This combination is what makes a bar of soap so slippery, but that same quality is also what makes it work so well after you’ve finally cleaned out that filthy garage. All that gunk is either water-loving or water-fearing. For example, dust and dead skin cells are hydrophilic and oils are hydrophobic. Since soap has both water-loving and water-fearing properties, it can tackle all that junk and make you clean again. Soap molecules surround the nasty stuff on your body, forming what’s known as a micelle structure. This is like a bubble encasing the hydrophobic bit of debris. The water-loving heads of the soap molecules are on the surface, with the water-fearing tails inside the micelle. This structure traps the dirt, and running water washes it all away. And just like that, the soap makes you clean enough that your wife will let you sit on the furniture. [Source]
There is one thing that soap won’t remove, not even that heavy-duty soap I keep in the garage. When life is crusted with sin, only one agent will do the job: the blood of Jesus. It sounds odd to be washed with blood because we typically try to wash blood off of us. But the blood of Jesus is pure and unblemished, and the shedding of his blood—His death!—makes forgiveness and freedom from sin possible. But don’t take my word for it. Jesus Himself said,
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28).
Repeatedly throughout Scripture, we are reminded of just how powerful His blood is for removing every stain of sin.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7).
“The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
“… Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by his blood” (Rev. 1:5).
Go ahead and keep using your Dove, Irish Spring, or generic bar of soap. (Please!) But if you really want to be clean … so clean it’s a “new life” clean … eternally clean … look to Jesus for cleansing.
God, my life is dirty with sin. I admit there is nothing I can do to remove my sin, but I know Jesus died to take my sin from me. Please forgive me, wash me clean, and give me a new life. I surrender my life to You, and I choose to follow You as my Lord. Thank you.
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