A Way to Wash Our Sins Away

In the article, "Washing Our Sins Away -- Literally?" ABC News reported on the linkage between moral guilt and the felt need to wash.

"Showering — a simple everyday activity — is linked to morality in a way we never knew," said study co-author Katie Liljenquist of Northwestern University.

Liljenquist and her colleagues asked a group of 60 college students to concentrate on either something ethical or unethical that they had done in the past. The researchers discovered that students who remembered their own unethical behavior were more likely to act as if they felt unclean.

For example, the students were given the word "W_ _ S" and asked to complete the letters. Students who reflected on an unethical memorywere more likely to say that the unfinished word was "WASH" instead of "WISH."

Again, when given the word "S _ _ P" they completed the letters as "SOAP" instead of "SOUP" or "STEP."

In another similar experiment, after students were asked to remember some ethical or unethical action from their past, each student was given a choice of two free gifts: a pencil or an antiseptic wipe. Sixty-six percent of the students who said they had recalled an unethical memory took the antiseptic wipe. It was as if they wanted to wipe themselves clean of the recollection.

It's a common impulse, universal across the cultures. "Wash away all my iniquity," King David called out to God in confession of his adultery, "and cleanse me from my sin" (Psalm 51:2). It's good to know God responds to that kind of heart cry.

In the New Testament, baptism symbolizes the cleansing power of Christ's sacrifice. After Ananias explained the gospel to Paul, he said, "And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name" (Acts 22:16). It reminds me of a story of old Sam Houston. At 61, he became a believer and submitted to baptism in Rickey Creek. Cynical friends asked the dripping-wet Texas hero if he felt his sins had now been washed away. "Yes," said Houston, "and God help the fish down below!"

It' s been my privilege to officiate at this cleansing ceremony called baptism for numerous people across the years. If you live in the Austin area, let's talk about scheduling your baptism.