Cleaning Up the Pollution of Our Sin

The history of Ohio, the state where I live and serve as a pastor, contains the account of the Cuyahoga River Fire of 1969, which is one of the most significant fires in history. On the morning of June 22, 1969, an oil slick on the river caught fire. Though it burned for only half an hour, the blaze caught the nation’s attention. The following year, Time magazine featured the fire in its cover article, which sparked an ecological conversation that resulted in the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Another article employs vivid language to describe the condition of the river at that time: “The water was nearly always covered in oil slicks, and it bubbled like a deadly stew. Sometimes rats

floated by, their corpses so bloated they were practically the size of dogs.”¹ The author of the article says this was “disturbing,”—yet much more disturbing than environmental contamination is the pollution that sin brings to our hearts.

How can we, as pastors, deal with the pollution of our sin? And how can we help our church members experience the cleansing mercy of God in a real, life-changing way? Psalm 51 serves as an effective guide.

Repent and Confess

In Psalm 51, we hear the expression of a deeply troubled conscience. Here, as King David comes to grips with his sin and its toxic consequences, he begs God for a deep cleaning: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10). In his excellent book on the dynamics of the human heart, Craig Troxel explains that this psalm “addresses the pollution of iniquity as David seeks forgiveness for his adultery with Bathsheba. One striking feature of the psalm is how much David speaks regarding his need to be washed clean. He feels the pollution of his sin.”²

• “Blot out my transgressions” (v. 1)

• “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity” (v. 2)

• “Cleanse me from my sin” (v. 2)

• “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean” (v. 7)

• “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (v. 7)

King David truly felt polluted, as he should have. He had misused his authority, stolen another man’s wife, and committed murder. She was pregnant with his son out of wedlock. Her husband was dead, and the blood was on his hands—and the entire kingdom knew it (see 2 Sam. 11). His sin was “ever before” him (Ps. 51:3), and feelings of regret and uncleanness had the potential to haunt him forever. But did it have to be this way? Or was there a way for him to cleanse his heart fully? Thankfully, yes. David turned to the One who can clean the most polluted heart.

Rest in God’s Abundant Mercy

It’s worth noting that David’s repeated plea for cleansing is rooted in his awareness of God’s gracious character: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions” (Ps. 51:1). David based his plea on God’s “abundant mercy,” not any sense of the entitlement he may have felt when he sinned. The pollution of sin casts a dark shadow over our souls, which dampens our joy. Therefore, having received the cleansing God promises to the repentant sinner, David sings, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (v. 12).

The Cuyahoga River fire took place more than fifty years ago, but some toxicity remains in its waters to this day. Some doubt the river will ever be fully clean. Perhaps you doubt that you can ever be fully clean as well. Though the toxicity of sin remains in our hearts, God’s cleansing of our sin-pollution is infinitely more thorough than any environmental cleanup.

TALK TO YOURSELF. Consider this thought from Craig Troxel: “Iniquity not only condemns us and makes us feel guilty, it pollutes us and makes us feel dirty.” How have you felt the dirtiness of sin, either of your sins or sins committed against you?

TALK TO GOD. Pray through Psalm 51. Be honest before God about the ways you feel polluted. Ask him to wash you thoroughly. Ask him to help you believe his promise to cleanse you. Ask him to restore to you the joy of your salvation.

TALK TO OTHERS. In Psalm 51:13, David determines to use his experience of the cleansing grace of God to teach others the way of repentance and restoration: “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.” Is there someone in your church or family who is overcome by the pollution of their sin? Reach out to them. Be a hope dispenser by telling them your story of God’s triumphant grace. Teach them how to repent, confess, and lean on God’s mercy by talking to God, others, and themselves in order to fight the discouragement of sin.

©2024 Paul Tautges. Used with permission.

1. Lorraine Boissoneault, “The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire at Least a Dozen Times, but No One Cared until 1969,” Smithsonian, June 19, 2019, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/cuyahoga-river-caught-fire-least-dozen-times-no-one-cared-until-1969-180972444/. ↩︎
2. A. Craig Troxel, With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will toward Christ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 84. ↩︎