Why does the Bible say God will make us white as snow?
Over two thousand years ago, the world did not have much color. If one saw brilliant color, they saw it in nature through landscapes or colorful birds. But all the colors were hidden when covered with a thick blanket of snow.
The prophet Isaiah used the whiteness of snow to share a truth about God. Isaiah said God will make us white as snow as opposed to scarlet. He used this contrast to describe how we miss the mark of life – loving God and loving others – leaving us scarlet. He used white to describe how God remakes us as He takes away the marks of where we have fallen short of His commandments. Our shortcomings make us scarlet. God makes us white as snow.
It can be hard to leave this transformation to God because we live in a world that tells us all things happen through us. We grow up from infancy being taught to become independent. We learn the world cannot function without us taking action to care for our human needs and the needs of others. Our desire to perform is almost automatic and it makes sense to us. It is so necessary for us to succeed in life.
The world around us embraces top performers. But God comes to the world in Jesus Christ and tells us our human performance is not what makes us good. Our good works do not make us white as snow. Life, from God’s perspective, is about what He gives us. If we receive the whiteness of forgiveness, we can take no credit for doing the right thing. We have been made white purely by the grace of God.
