Hebrews 10:19-25.19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
What happens when someone is finally set free from their evil conscience?
You might be thinking that no one fits this description. No one is free from their condemning conscience. No one is living from a guilt free heart.
But in Christ this is our new reality. We are cleansed. We are washed. We have confidently entered the Holiest Place, the very presence of God himself, without anything in our hands. No payment for unsettled debts. No gift of appeasement. No offering of recompense. Just a full assurance of faith and a confident confession of hope in our faithful God.
So now what?
What do you do once all the striving to gain a clear conscience is removed from the equation? How do you live once all the ritualistic, repetitive, religious “cleansing” is over? If I’m not appeasing God anymore, then what on earth am I supposed to be doing as a Christian?
Let us.
Here are three answers to our question –
- Let us draw near to God in full assurance of faith.
- Let us hold fast to our hope in Christ.
- Let us consider how to stir up love and good works in one another.
In the Old Covenant, the sin offering was followed by a peace offering. Once the sin offering had been made it was then time for a sacrifice to God of thanksgiving, praise, and worship. A hope filled rejoicing with the high priest to celebrate our atonement.
In Christ, we now live in an unending, joyous state of “peace offering” to God. Constantly drawing near to him as a confident community of grace. Holding fast to our confession of new covenant hope. Our confident hope of the cleansed heart. Our confident hope in the Day drawing near.
And once we have feasted on our faith and hope in Christ, we can now move forward in his love – not neglecting to meet together. The received love of Christ expressed as shared love for one another – let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. Assured faith and confident hope in our faithful God expressed as encouragement for one another – encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
How do you live when your conscience is finally clear? Faith, hope, and love. Unwavering hope in eternal life earned for us by Christ, and given to us in Christ. Fully assured faith ever drawing us toward our faithful God with all confidence. And thoughtful love that purposefully moves us toward each other in courage and kindness. This is the guilt free life. This is Christ’s church. This is “to live is Christ.”
You
Are you living from a clear conscience?
You in Christ
How does your union with Christ make your life a peace offering instead of a sin offering?
Christ in you
How can you stir up fellow church members to love and good deeds this week?
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Playlist: Let Us.
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To Live is Christ 