Contemplative Bible Reading

Acts 22:16 (New Living Translation)

16 What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’

In this verse, Paul is retelling the story of how he came to follow Jesus as the Christ. Ananias is talking to Paul. He tells Paul to be immersed in water while calling on God. In that act of submission, Paul’s sins would be washed away.

This story has been told countless times over the centuries. The concept of “washing away sins” has been explained just as many times over just as many years. It is still a timeless and powerful concept.

I am filthy. I cannot approach a ruler in my state. I need to “clean up” first. But I can’t do it. No matter how hard I try, I can’t scrub enough to remove all the filth that is stained on me. I can’t wash away this crud.

God can. God does. “All I have to do” is let God wash me.

Why is it that I struggle to let someone else do something for me that I cannot do for myself? I need God.