We wash our hands before we eat a meal, even if our hands appear

clean because they're still potentially harmful bacteria on our hands that is

invisible to the naked eye. Today on Truth For Life we'll see that if we're

going to submit to our all-knowing God that requires regular spiritual

cleansing. So how do we do that? Alistair Begg finds the answer in the book of

James chapter 4.

As we come to the second part of verse 8 the part that begins wash your

hands you sinners we gather our thoughts under the heading our actions and

affections must be brought into line or into alignment with God's authority. If

you know the Old Testament at all you will know that very specific

instructions were given to God's people in relationship to cleanliness the

cleanliness of their utensils and indeed of every other thing. This was one of

the simple ways in which mankind was to be reminded of God's absolute purity

and holiness that in the very ritual duty of ceremony or washing on each

occasion the thoughtful participant in washing their hands or feet would be

saying the Lord Yahweh is holy and pure and we wash our hands in recognition

now of God's absolute holiness. As time passed the ceremonial usage came to be

applied figuratively to the cleansing of moral defilement and that's why in the

New Testament you have these pictures of washing which point away from

themselves and forward to the cleansing that the water with the washing with

water signifies and just as our hands get dirty physically so we routinely are

stained by sins defilement. Yes we are and the designation wash your hands you

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