I am taking the first step. I am ready to admit that I have a problem. I, Troy Rogers, am addicted… to Germ-X. I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but the last 4-5 years of my life have heavily involved Germ-X. I started small, just a drop here and there for the really tough jobs, then, it escalated. I have a bottle of Germ-X in my house, my office, and both of my cars, so that it is there wherever I go.

When my wife and I had our interview process with the last congregation we worked with, on our drive home, she was asking me what I thought. At some point soon after her asking this question, I told her I loved the fact that they kept HUGE economy size bottles of Germ-X all throughout their building. (As I said, I have a problem.)

When our daughter was born, I was prepared. Not for parenting, but for germ fighting. We had at least 5 big bottles of Germ-X lining our fireplace in our home. Anytime someone came over to hold our little girl (even if it was grandma) they had to wash their hands. Even if they had held her 10 minutes earlier, they had to do it again.

I became obsessed with this idea that one could possibly be “Germ-free.” I loved the thought of being clean and having no fear of germs. Some of you are thinking “He is a city boy!” I must tell you, I am nowhere close to being a city boy, like I said, this just happened to me.

Isaiah 51 tells us that sins separate us from God. Romans 3:23 reminds us that every one of us have sinned. In other words we are dirty. We are stained, in need of cleansing.  As stated earlier, I love Germ-X, but I have to break the news. It doesn’t matter how much or how often you use Germ-X, it can never get you clean from the filth of sin which you and I struggle with routinely.

Jeremiah 2:22- Though you wash yourself with much lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is ever before me, declares the Lord.

No amount of soap, Germ-X, or bathing can take away our guilt. However, coming into contact with the blood of Christ through baptism is our Sin-X. It is much more powerful than Germ-X. It does not eliminate 99.9 percent of our sin, but guarantees to eliminate 100 percent.

While I am thankful for Germ-X, I am much more thankful for our Savior who provided the only way for us to truly be clean.