Left alone, they would have died. To be saved they had to be cleansed. They had to rely on a greater power, a superior means of rescue. The oil in the Gulf was a severe threat, not only to the wildlife, but also to the entire region. And the devastation it caused was extremely costly. But there is a pollution that is far worse. It is the pollution of sin that results in our separation from God.

According to the Bible, the world in which we live is contaminated by sin. The pollution of sin affects everyone born into the world. David noted this in Psalm 51:5: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” The Bible also tells us that “just as through one man (Adam, the first man) sin entered into the world, and death through sin ... so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12).

As the wildlife of the Gulf coast was in danger because of the oil, so we are in danger because of our sin: “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). If we die in our sins, we will face the judgment of God and be eternally separated from Him (Heb. 9:27).

To escape God’s judgment, we must be cleansed of our sins. This cleansing is something we cannot do ourselves, no matter how hard we try. In fact, “all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment” (Isa. 64:6). Like those poor animals in the Gulf who were covered with oil, we must rely on a greater power for our cleansing. We need a superior means of rescue, one that can only come through Jesus, the Son of God. The Bible says that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16).

Jesus died on the cross of Calvary and shed His precious blood in order to cleanse us from our sins. He arose from the dead and is alive forevermore. All who trust in Him will be rescued from their sins and receive His free gift of everlasting life. “Of Him (Jesus) all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43).

Have you trusted Him? Have you asked Him to cleanse you of your sins, and to remove the pollution from your life? Please invite Him into your life and let Him wash you clean. When you come to Him in simple faith, you can experience this promise: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool” (Isa. 1:18). We can tell you more.

By Roscoe Barnes III