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An Evil Conscience

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A Heart Sprinkled From an Evil Conscience

Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

An Evil Conscience.

An evil conscience is a conscience that continues to feel the guilt of sin. An evil conscience is a conscience still burdened. An evil conscience is a troubled conscience; an evil conscience is a conscience diseased by guilt. Guilt is heavy, it is oppressive, and by its very nature suffocates the soul. Guilt is inward and deeply affects the heart and mind, even to our spirit.

The Burden of Guilt

Guilt will not allow one to be emotionally or spiritually healthy. We can live under the burden of guilt but if we cannot resolve guilt then our living will be painful, burdened, empty. Chronic guilt is a thief who steals the the fullness of one's life. The guilty soul is a joyless soul. Guilt, like a strong man, holds the soul captive and will not yield to arguments of denial; real guilt is cast in steel. It allows nothing to break it's power. It rules over our mind, our emotions, and our heart. Ultimately, our entire personality is deeply affected for guilt brings its presence to our daily life.  

Real Guilt Ultimately Destroys the Conscience

Guilt is like a slow growing virus that works silently and invisibly but all the while destroying, (one cell at a time), its host. One can attempt to deny guilt, but denying real guilt is unwise for the denial of real guilt eventually cripples the conscience. Ultimately, guilt or a healthy conscience survives, but not both. A good conscience leads the way to a healthy life, while chronic guilt leads only to emptiness, pain and emotional fatigue.

There is One Who Frees from Evil

Jesus is the only one who is able to break the bond of guilt; He completely frees one from the guilt of every sin; there is no such thing as partial forgiveness. He died for all sins and He frees from the guilt of every sin; little sins, big sins, and the unspeakable. When we accept and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our life, He then takes all our sins, and every one is placed on His bloody back. He becomes our sin offering, the Lamb of God. As people of faith, we accept that our punishment for sin was borne by Jesus. He is our Savior because He bore the guilt and penalty of our sins. If we have sinned then we turn from our sins and ask forgiveness for He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.

Draw Near to God

Heb 10:22 tells us to draw near to God with a true heart "in full assurance of faith". We draw near to God by believing what He says. He gives His Word and our responsibility is to possess, not just an awareness of what He says, but the substance. We are to possess real forgiveness. We, by faith, are to receive the atoning work of Christ. We are to reckon it so, we are to verbally confess the work of Christ. He died for us and we are to possess the reality of it! Christ is God's answer for our guilt. There is no other answer for our guilt. The Lord takes all our sins and all our guilt and places it all on Christ. Once placed on Christ, we are no longer guilty. We have been redeemed and pardoned. We have been loosed, the doors of the jail are opened and we are set free. This is why we can rid ourselves of a guilty conscience.

We Tell Ourselves the Truth

Our mind can resists the work of Christ and emotionally we may not relate to forgiveness. But God assures us that the death of Christ makes a full and sufficient atonement for our sins. Therefore, when we by faith accept and verbally confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are on solid ground. The Scripture tells us to receive the Person and work of Christ as the only complete and full payment for all sins. Jesus Himself becomes our sin offering and thereby takes all our guilt. He, by His blood, has purchased our freedom.

Words of Truth

We speak this truth to our mind and over our life. We speak to our mind. We renew our mind with words of truth. We speak the truth of God's Word over our life to make a formal declaration of Christ’s full work on our behalf. We speak our faith. We are driving a stake in the ground! We, once and for all, settle the question of our guilt. We draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith!

Our Heart "Sprinkled" From and Evil Conscience

The "sprinkling"refers to the Old Testament rite of the sprinkling of blood to make atonement for sin. The meaning is clear. We are to look to the blood of Christ as the full payment for our sins. His broken body - His slaughter is the "sprinkling of blood" that cleanses from sin. Christ’s death has fulfilled God’s demand for justice, and by His stripes, we are healed. Through Christ we are adopted into the family of God and enjoy the benefits of a covenant relationship with God.

Benefits of a Clear Conscience

Real forgiveness restores the soul. It unburdens the heart. A life set free from guilt is a life free to live in the fullness of joy! A clear heart, and a clear conscience un-clutters the mind. A life free from guilt is a life free to worship with an un-fettered heart. Real joy is a fruit of a clear conscience. With the heaviness of guilt removed, our eyes are opened to God; we can be emotionally and spiritually healthy. A clear conscience frees our personality to an unburdened wholeness.

Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation.

He Restores My Soul

Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. David speaks of God restoring his soul. The Lord restores the guilty through the atoning work of Christ. David said He was restored by God. When He "restores" it is not a restoration of our making. It is a restoration that He performs for us and in us.  It is not something we do, or can do. Regardless of what we do, we cannot restore ourselves, and we cannot make atonement for ourselves; Jesus is our Restorer for He alone restores us to God.

He brings us back from bondage to freedom. And, this freedom is at the deepest level of our being. Our outward circumstances may be difficult, but if we possess the restoration that comes from the atoning work of Christ, then we can live thankfully and joyfully for our conscience has been cleared of all guilt.

Bodies Washed With Pure Water

The pure water that cleanses is the gracious work of Jesus Christ. His work is a cleansing work for it purifies and redeems from sin. It justifies, it sanctifies, and it glorifies. He is the "pure water" who cleanses. His sacrifice frees from the burden of guilt. Remember the old hymn, "Power in the Blood",

-Would you be free from your burden of sin, there is power in the blood, power in the blood
-Would you over evil a victory win, there's wonderful power in the blood.
-There is power, power, wonder working power, in the blood of the Lamb
-There is power, power, wonder working power in the precious blood of the Lamb!

If you find yourself burdened under a heart of guilt, then come to the One who alone sprinkled His blood for you, and who alone can wash you with pure water. He will take your guilt upon Himself, and in return, will give you His peace!

God bless you,

Jim

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Thank you,

Jim