Hebrews 9:13-14 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Two things are being compared in these verses: purification of the “flesh” and purification of the “conscience.” It is important that we understand these two ideas in order to apply these verses to our lives. By the “flesh,” the author means here most broadly our earthly existence which is temporary. The sacrificial system setup up under the old covenant God made with Moses at Sinai was temporary and needed to be repeated each year. Some sacrifices were offered daily. Everything was temporary. These sacrifices were to be a constant reminder to Israel of God’s grace and forgiveness. Even with the reminder through these sacrifices, Israel often forgot about God and turned to idols and sin. The primary reason for this is that the human heart is sinful and deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). The human heart needs to be totally remade (Ezekiel 36:26). The blood of goats, bulls, and heifers could not do this. These were only symbols of spiritual decisions of faith the people were supposed to make. There were people in the Old Testament who did experience this cleansing, but these were few. The problem of sin and temptation were overwhelming to the majority of Israelites. Significant also is the fact that this sacrificial system was isolated to only a small group among all the peoples of the earth.
The new covenant that Jesus brings is for all people, Jew and Gentile (Galatians 3:28). Jesus’ perfect sacrifice of himself was sanctified through the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave himself willingly and totally to the will of the Father: “Not my will but yours be done” (Matthew 26:39). He was “without blemish” because he did not give in to the temptations he faced but turned to the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Jesus’ perfect sacrifice purifies our conscience. Our “conscience” is our inner person, the place where we make decisions. Another way to describe this would be our “will.” It is our awareness of what is right and wrong. The basic Greek word means to agree with someone else. This is the most critical place that needs recreated because it is at the heart of our soul. If our conscience is totally sanctified, then what we do outwardly will show it. We will be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We will listen to God’s Word and seek to live it out with the help of the Holy Spirit. The outcome is the ability to serve the living God. We will be doing God’s will and following his path to his promises. This is living and dynamic because God is living and active in our lives. This is the ultimate goal for us in this lifetime.
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