By Robert Wilkerson
“Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal in a dream because of Him” (Matthew 27:19).
Pilate was the Roman governor who tried Jesus and sentenced him to death by crucifixion. Pilate’s wife was warned in a dream that he should have nothing to do with Jesus, but he chose not to listen. It was not unusual that God warned Pilate. All through history, God has warned us of the danger of sin and its consequences. Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death.” It is a great mercy to be warned, and these warnings reveal the true nature of God. He loves us and wants the best for us.
Most of us will not be warned through a dream ours or anyone else’s. However, God still warns us. He warns us through the Bible, prophets and preachers, the Holy Spirit, conscience, and sometimes through reason.
There was a man who faithfully attended church every Sunday morning with his family for years, but he never publicly professed faith in Jesus. One Sunday morning, he shocked everyone when he got up from the back row pew, came forward, and accepted Jesus, and asked to be baptized. When the pastor asked him why he had decided to make this decision after so many years, he answered, “Well, pastor, it dawned on me that I’m not getting any younger, and I didn’t want to run out of time.”
The real questions are have we heard any warnings, and have we done anything about them?
Dr. Robert Wilkerson is a minister, writer, and founder of People for the Christian Way, an organization whose mission is to encourage all people to practice Christian principles in business, politics, and every area of life.