Dross and Dilution | The Institute for Creation Research

Dross and Dilution

The first of seven great signs of Jesus’ deity recorded in John’s gospel is the wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11). By the time Jesus arrived with His disciples, the consumption of wine had exhausted the supply—a matter of great social embarrassment to the hosts. Then Jesus stepped forward and, to the amazement of the servants and His disciples, revealed His miraculous creative powers by transmuting simple water into complex wine. The Lord Jesus saved the day by transforming the ordinary and mundane into the extraordinary and delightful.

Centuries earlier, the people of ancient Jerusalem had done exactly the opposite. The prophet Isaiah records that they had been “nourished and brought up” like precious children by God (Isaiah 1:2), a “faithful city” that was “full of justice” and “righteousness” (v. 21). But their rebellion corrupted what had started out as pure. “Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water” (v. 22). Morally and spiritually, the people of Jerusalem were no longer what they used to be. They had grown morally impure and spiritually diluted.

As the Old Testament Scriptures show, it didn’t happen all at once. The historical books of Judges and 1 and 2 Kings depict a pattern of increasing spiritual decay and apostasy, punctuated at times by national revivals under the leadership of godly prophets, priests, and kings. By Isaiah’s day, the slow erosion of godly standards had reached its peak: leadership became rebellious, thievery and bribery were lauded and rewarded, and care for needy orphans and widows was forgotten (Isaiah 1:21-23). It started at the top and worked its way down. Eventually the whole culture was polluted and diluted.

God finally chose to act. He announced through Isaiah that He would deal with the corruption personally: “I will rid Myself of My adversaries, and take vengeance on My enemies. I will turn My hand against you, and thoroughly purge away your dross” (Isaiah 1:24-25).The verses that follow make it clear His discipline was not vindictive but restorative: “I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city” (v. 26). While these promises will be ultimately fulfilled in the coming kingdom age, God’s purpose—the same then as it is today—is to transform His people to a state of godly purity.

The similarities between ancient Jerusalem and our culture today are unmistakable. Now is the time for Christians to stand up and shine the light of our Creator and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, into an increasingly dark world. Our Adversary is “roaring” like never before, and an entire generation is growing up in a world corrupted by dross and dilution that disparage the gospel of Christ and the evidence that affirms His perfect Word.

ICR has the ability and biblical commitment to combat these threats, but not without help from God’s people to fully develop our current initiatives. If there was ever a time to help ICR with a gift of significance, now is that time. Pray for us, and please help if you are able.

* Mr. Morris is Director of Donor Relations at the Institute for Creation Research.

Cite this article: Henry M. Morris IV. 2021. Dross and Dilution. Acts & Facts. 50 (3).

The Latest
NEWS
May 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans...

NEWS
Acoustic Communication in Animals
We are all familiar with vocalizations in the animal world. For example, dogs bark, birds sing, frogs croak, and whales send forth their own distinct...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Crystals!
by Michael Stamp and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

APOLOGETICS
Playing Chess with Little Furry Critters
God’s multifarious and marvelous designs for basic creature needs are so innovatively clever and providentially purposeful that Christ’s...

ACTS & FACTS
Credit Only Our Creator
History was my favorite subject as a young kid. But it always puzzled me when my teachers said, “We study history so that we don’t repeat...

ACTS & FACTS
Genomic Tandem Repeats: Where Repetition Is Purposely Adaptive
Tandem repeats (TRs) are short sequences of DNA repeated over and over again like the DNA letter sequence TACTACTAC, which is a repetition of TAC three...

ACTS & FACTS
Dinosaur National Monument: Fossil Graveyard of the Flood
Straddling the border of Utah and Colorado, Dinosaur National Monument (DNM) is one of the richest exposures of dinosaur fossils in the world.1...

ACTS & FACTS
The Transforming Influence of Genesis: Worker Dignity and Safety
When Pharisees questioned the Lord Jesus about marriage, He answered by quoting Genesis 1:27: “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made...

NEWS
Giant ''Meg'' Shark: Longer and Leaner?
Fossil remains of the giant shark Otodus megalodon have been found in Miocene1 and Pliocene2 rock layers, which ICR scientists...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Searching for Truth Across the Globe | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How can we bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of creation to others outside our small spheres of influence?   Host...