Whiter Than Snow (Yes, You, Black Sheep!)

“‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.’”

Isaiah 1:18

Within many abusive dynamics, there is the emphasis of having family roles securely entrenched.

There is no such thing as an individual person.

Instead, there are roles to be fulfilled and played out.

One of those roles is that of “The Black Sheep.”

“The Black Sheep” is the role of the undesirable person.

This individual is usually saddled with all the blame and wrongdoing.

Issues, like addiction, abuse, poor relationships, financial woes, or anything else that is deemed to be painful, difficult, shameful, forbidden, or unpleasant, is often heaped onto “The Black Sheep.”

It’s decided that it is their fault.

And that poor soul is often shunned, bullied, and rejected; there is often no support for this individual. Cast as the role of “The Black Sheep,” he or she often must figure out life by themselves.

Many times, fully ostracized by toxic family system dynamics, this person leaves the family. Perhaps, he or she tried repeatedly for years, or decades, to “hang in there,” but, eventually, there is a breaking point.

Therefore, this person flees. They need to leave. They often do not want to leave.

Safety, health issues, and the demoralizing “unwanted” messages received by “The Black Sheep” become unbearable, and even dangerous.

“The Black Sheep” role is the lie for that individual.

Don’t get me wrong. The hellish, painful experiences are real; that is not the lie.

But the very role, one of constraint, agenda, and manipulation, IS.

Inherently, no human being is to be cast in “The Black Sheep.”

Each person, inherently, is a unique individual, created and loved by The Most High.

“The Lie” is assigned to “The Black Sheep,” with the negative connotations, as being tainted, dirty, undesirable, defective, unwanted, always at fault, and wrong.

Shame is usually attached to those assigned associations.

And, unfortunately, for “The Black Sheep,” it can eventually play out as a self-fulfilling prophesy. Poor behaviors and choices can result, due to negative self-esteem.

Unfortunately, a person can “live down” to other peoples’ negative view of them.

“The Black Sheep” believes the lie of who they were told they were.

And they act, in distorted agreement OF that lie.

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

1 John 1:7

There are significant reasons why Our Savior is regarded as “the spotless Lamb” (1 Peter 1:19).

“but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

 

“The next day John saw (Yahshua) Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of (YAH) God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”

John 1:29

He is “spotless,” responding to our sullied condition, no matter how real or perceived it may be.

Yahshua loves all sheep, both black and white. He wants them all.

And He wants all of us, in the fold, to view and experience ourselves as clean, new, wanted, and loved.

He wants us to believe the Truth, not the lie.

“How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to (YAH) God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living (YAH) God!”

Hebrews 9:14

“Scarlet sins” speak to each of us. Each of us, desperate for a Savior, is a “Black Sheep.”

“‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.’”

Isaiah 1:18

Like wool.

Sounds like the Sheep He sees us as all along.

We can be redeemed. We can be given our new identity.

“Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

Psalm 51:7

Have you endured a “Black Sheep” lie in your life and circumstances?

Do you feel blemished? Stained? Defective? Wrong?

You and I are meant to be so much more that how life lied to us.

We are meant to live Truth.

Let’s pray, Fellow Black Sheep.

You are not “too lost.” You are not “too far gone.”

Abba Father-

We come to You in The Name of Your Sinless Son, Yahshua.

We ask that, from this point on, He be in complete control of our lives.

We accept that He paid the price for us, in all our shame-filled secret sins.

Forgive us.

Help us.

Thank You, however, that You, through the Redemptive Blood of Your Son, Yahshua Ha-Mashiach, have bought us back from death.

We receive it, in His Name, right now,

Amen.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Sheryle Cruse