Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

CLEAN SLATE

August 13, 2009

Above reproach. It means that there are no charges that can be brought against you. You have a clean slate.

At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel..."
-Daniel 6:4,5 TNIV

Daniel had his enemies, no fault of his own, and in attempting to "bring him down," they realized that character, integrity, a common political weak spot--it wasn't going to work. Daniel had a clean slate. Two thoughts: This first of all highlights the importance of integrity, that the virtue we hear about is the virtue we live. It was so for Daniel, and it made him a strong force to reckon with. But second, most of us are not Daniel. Most of us are not such models of integrity, honesty, virtue, and so we have weak spots, vulnerability, and we're afraid of being found out. Yet there is good news.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have once again a clean slate. Yet having the slate cleaned, may well mean "going honest," coming clean. No more cover ups. No more attempts to window-dress our iniquity. That's living with a clean slate. And some great leader said, "The truth will set you free."

Joyfully,

Dale Patterson