What does it mean that our sins are washed away?

Answer

When the Bible mentions our sins being washed away, it signifies that we are forgiven. Our sins, which had defiled us, are now gone. Through the grace of God in Christ, we are no longer spiritually corrupt; we stand justified before God.

The idea of having our sins washed away is initially introduced in the Old Testament. When God provided instructions for consecrating the Levites, He said, “Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves” «And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. », (Numbers 8:7). Isaiah 1:16 commands the rebellious people to “wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil.” God often used physical illustrations to help us understand spiritual truths. We comprehend that washing with water makes us physically clean, so the Bible takes that concept and applies it to our spiritual state.

Throughout the Old Testament, God instructed people to purify themselves by following strict guidelines regarding sacrifices, ritualistic bathing, and types of clothing to wear (Exodus 30:20;Numbers 19:21;Joel 1:13). Since ancient times, God’s people understood that sin makes us unclean, and unclean individuals are unworthy to enter the presence of the Lord. Many of the laws in the Old Testament were provided to highlight God’s holiness in contrast to man’s unholiness.

David expressed his need to have his sins washed away. After his sin with Bathsheba was revealed by Nathan the prophet, David sought God’s forgiveness and cleansing.In the story of David’s repentance (2 Samuel 11), he expressed deep sorrow. In his prayer for forgiveness, he said, “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” «Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. », (Psalm 51:7). Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about the necessity of having sins cleansed: “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” «Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. », (John 3:5). Throughout history, humans have sought ways to have their sins washed away.

The New Testament carries on the theme of cleansing sins. Ananias instructed Paul to “be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name” «And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. », (Acts 22:16). The Law had shown that humans cannot purify themselves; only God can. Therefore, when Ananias directed Paul to be baptized for the forgiveness of his sins, Paul realized that, despite his esteemed position as a Pharisee, he was as sinful as the lowest tax collector (1 Timothy 1:15-16).

The Bible emphasizes that every person is born a sinner «for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; », (Romans 3:23). This sin renders us ceremonially impure and unable to approach God. It is the blood of Christ that cleanses us from sin 1 John 1:7; 1 Peter 1:19. Hebrews 9 contrasts the old methods of cleansing with the new covenant that came through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth to establish a new way of being made right with God. Hebrews 9:13–14 says, “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

When we, through faith, apply the blood of Jesus to our unclean souls, God pronounces us clean Titus 2:14; Titus 3:5. He washes our sins away, as it were; He places our sin debt upon His own Son and declares us righteous in His sight Colossians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21. God chooses to forget our sin and remove it far from Him “As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”, Psalm 103:12. We are still sinners in practice, but righteous in position. An adopted child becomes a son the moment the judge declares him so, even though he may not know the parents well, understand their house rules, or be deserving of their love in any way. Over time, he grows to know and love them, assimilating into their family life, and becoming in practice what he was already declared to be in position.

So it is with us. Our sins are washed away the moment we place our faith and trust in the saving work of Jesus on our behalf “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”, Acts 2:21

ts 2:21). Over time, we grow to know and love our Father, assimilate into our Christian family, and become in practice what we have already been declared to be in position (2 Peter 3:18; 1 John 3:3). The joy of the Christian life is that, even though we are not perfect, we can live every moment with the confidence that our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus and we have been pronounced “clean” by the final Judge see Genesis 18:25 and Romans 8:33.