Walk-on Wednesday - Washing Away Guilt - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

So he (Pilate) sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.” Matthew 27:24 NLT

He’s only an animal, but some of his looks show he’s feeling human emotions.

I once owned a Chihuahua out of necessity. I’ve owned quite a few by choice as I was growing up. This one belonged to my daughter, who moved into an apartment that didn’t allow animals. She bought him while in college. She attended classes almost daily, so she never had time to housetrain him fully. And since you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, we never managed to housetrain him completely. Occasionally when I got up in the morning or came home after work, I would find surprises I shouldn’t on the floor. As I stared at him with my hands on my hips, he peered back with downcast eyes—as if the look would alleviate his guilt.

Pilate thought washing his hands would remove his guilt. As the one the Jews brought Jesus to for conviction, he knew their motive: jealousy. He finally gave in to their demands, but he reminded them the guilt would rest on them, not him. To prove it, he washed his hands.

But we can wash away guilt with water. Nor can it be scoured away by sacrificing an animal on an altar. The Jews discovered that after thousands of years of trying.

When we feel honest guilt over sins we’ve committed against God, only one solution avails itself: take our sins to the throne of Jesus, confess and repent of them, and then walk away.

The forgiveness God dispenses is based on what Jesus did on the cross. Repressing it, talking about it, reading about it, ignoring it, and denying it won’t make it go away. 

Guilt is God’s reminder we’ve sinned. Only he can cleanse us from a guilty conscience so we can serve him in freedom.

Try confession when you’re tempted to try and soothe your guilt in some other way.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the guilt-free living we can experience through Jesus Christ. 

Tweetable: How do you deal with guilt? 

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