Yesterday, while washing my hands before eating at a restaurant, a thought came into my mind. As I looked down at my hands, I thought about the work my hands have done throughout my life.
I have not always lived for Jesus. I remembered how my hands were used in my sin nature. No matter how often I washed my hands, the sin nature would always be there. I could not make myself clean.
Then I thought of Pontius Pilate and how he washed his hands after condemning Jesus to be crucified on the cross. See Matthew 27:24, “So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”
The fact is Pilate was not innocent as he had no authority to wash his own sins away. Symbolically, he thought he was innocent, but he was the one to order the death of Christ Jesus, and there was nothing to take that stain of sin off his hands.
The same is with us. Without true faith in Christ Jesus, all the sins we have committed are on our own hands. Our dirty rotten sin nature is caused from an evil heart, which is full of vile thoughts and sin.
In order for the heart to be cleansed, and to be made righteous through Christ Jesus, one must turn from their evil ways, believe on the name of the Lord Jesus, and they will be saved. Belief without true life changing works is dead. If one truly comes to the saving grace of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will come into our lives as promised by Jesus. The Holy Spirit will teach us and convict us when we sin again.
If one says they believe, but there is no change in their life, and they continue sinning like the way they have always sinned, then I would say that they are not following Jesus, because when one truly comes into the saving grace of Jesus, there will be evidence that their life is starting to change. They will not desire to continue sinning.
Look at James 2:14-26, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Issac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
Once the heart is cleansed through Christ Jesus, then the Holy Spirit seals you. Your heart is cleansed from sin and now your hands are cleaned. You have been washed clean through the blood of Jesus. He died on the cross to save you and me of our sins.
The gift of everlasting life is yours to take as long as you believe in Him. Jesus said in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Look at Romans 10:9-11, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Now look at Revelation 1:5b, “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” It is only through Christ Jesus that all of our sins can be completely washed away. Jesus took all our sin on the cross with Him. In His death, our sins were forgiven. In His resurrection, we have life and have it more abundantly.
If you want clean hands, you must start with a heart cleaning. Faith in Christ Jesus and repentance from your sins will cleanse your heart and then you will have clean hands. You will be washed in the blood of the lamb. I pray that you will turn over your heart and your life to Him today.
Written by Joseph T Lee for Marketplace Evangelism Ministries Inc. Copyright September 20, 2023. All rights reserved. Usage is allowed only if copyright and ownership is included.
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