This is hymn 28 of the Open Heavens daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
Hymn 28: WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY STAIN
1. What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Refrain:
O precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know;
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
2. For my pardon this I see:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]
3. Nothing can for sin atone:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]
4. This is all my hope and peace:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]
WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY STAIN HYMN COMMENTARY
Beloved in Christ, this hymn, “What Can Wash Away My Sin,” stands as a stark, powerful, and non-negotiable declaration of the very core of our faith. In an age that often seeks complex answers and multiple paths, this hymn brings us back to the one, exclusive, and all-sufficient remedy for the human condition: the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is a hymn of radical exclusion and glorious inclusion, leaving no room for human merit and every room for divine mercy.
Why Sing This Hymn
We sing this hymn to protect the purity of the Gospel and to anchor our souls in the only foundation that can bear the weight of our sin and guilt. It destroys pride, silences the accuser, and floods the heart with gratitude for the “precious flow” that alone makes us clean.
1. It is a Hymn of Profound Questions and Exclusive Answers (Verse 1)
The hymn begins with the two most important questions a soul can ask: one about removal (“What can wash away my sin?”) and one about restoration (“What can make me whole again?”). The answer to both is identical, emphatic, and exclusive: “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” This immediately rules out every other proposed cure—moral reform, religious ritual, personal philosophy, or good intentions. The cleansing and healing of the soul has a single source.
2. It is a Hymn of Legal Pardon and Personal Cleansing (Verse 2)
This verse distinguishes two vital works of the blood. First, it secures our “pardon”—a legal declaration before God that our guilt is forgiven and the penalty is paid. Second, it affects our “cleansing”—an internal, transformative work that washes the stain of sin from our conscience and nature (1 John 1:7). One is judicial; the other is experiential. Both are received by faith, as our “plea” before God.
3. It is a Hymn of the End of Self-Atonement (Verse 3)
Here, the hymn drives the final nail into the coffin of human effort. “Nothing can for sin atone”—no act, no offering, no pain of ours can satisfy the righteous demands of a holy God against sin. It forcefully states, “Naught of good that I have done” can contribute to this atoning work. Our highest virtues are but “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) when placed next to the absolute holiness required. Salvation is by the blood alone, received by faith alone.
4. It is a Hymn of Complete Hope and Imputed Righteousness (Verse 4)
The final verse shows the result of this exclusive trust. The blood is not just our past pardon; it is our present “hope and peace.” It is also our standing before God: “This is all my righteousness.”We stand before the Father not clothed in our own deeds, but robed in the perfect righteousness of Christ, applied to us through His blood (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our entire confidence for life and eternity rests on this single truth.
The Refrain: The Soul’s Adoring Confession
The refrain is the worshipful response of a cleansed heart. “O precious is the flow”—it is of infinite value. “That makes me white as snow”—it achieves a purity that is complete and dazzling (Isaiah 1:18). “No other fount I know”—the soul, once having drunk here, recognizes there is no other source of life. Every line circles back to the triumphant, exclusive conclusion: “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
A Word for Your Spirit Today
Are you haunted by a sense of guilt? Are you striving to make yourself acceptable to God through your own efforts? Are you trusting in a blend of Christ’s work and your own goodness?
This hymn calls you to cease your striving and look solely to the cross. See the blood that was shed for you. Let it be your only plea. Confess that nothing else—not your tears, your resolutions, or your religious acts—can wash away a single stain. Then, receive the full, free, and finished cleansing that flows from Calvary.
Today, let your heart sing this truth. Let it be your defense against condemnation and your song of everlasting peace. You are clean, you are pardoned, you are righteous—not because of who you are, but because of the precious blood of Jesus. There is no other fount.
To the Lamb who was slain, and who by His blood has redeemed us for God, be all praise and glory. Amen.
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