WASHING YOUR HANDS

 

WASHING YOUR HANDS

Matt. 27:24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot. I am innocent of the blood of this man. The responsibility is yours!” NLT

Pilate was the man who would decide whether Jesus would live or be crucified. He knew that Jesus was innocent, but he was being pressured by a mob of people led by the chief priests who wanted Him crucified. Pilate tried to persuade them to change their minds, but to no avail. He washed his hands before them and tried to put the accountability for their actions on them. He tried to avoid any accountability for his decision. But, you cannot wash your hands and make your sin go away.

Cleaning up your act won’t get rid of your sin problem. You can change your behavior, but you can’t change your heart. Salvation is more than a list of things we do or don’t do. In order to get rid of your sin problem, you must do what God says. Notice what King David did when he was confronted with his sins in Psalm 51. You must humble yourself before Him (1-5), you must seek God (10-12), you must turn from your wicked ways (13-17). It is against God that we sin, and we must submit to God’s way if we are going to get rid of sins. Acts 4:12; John 3:16, 14:6; etc. Just cleaning up your act and living a “good” life will never save your soul. Matt. 7:21-23

Clinging to your past professions of faith will not get rid of your sin problem. I tried that as a young child. Every week I went to the altar to get right with God because I did not live up to my profession. It wasn’t until I gave the Lord all of me that I found the peace of God I was looking for. It was then that I gained victory over my sinful living.

Past confessions need present applications. I John 1:8-10 Words spoken are not enough. We must let Jesus change us. We must determine with His help to not return to our sinful ways. Salvation is lived in the present, not the past.

Past baptisms need present applications. Just because you were baptized at some time in your past does not mean you are now a part of the family of God. Being baptized does not save you, Jesus does. There will be a lot of baptized people in hell.

Salvation is living in the righteousness and holiness of Christ. It is separating ourselves from a life of sin. It is letting Jesus be Lord of our living.