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Hebrews 10:22

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Having our bodies washed speaks of a clearance of sin – but that’s only half the story. The cleansing of my heart speaks of a clearance of conscience.

If God’s purpose was for us to just live with good behaviour, then there would be no need to clear consciences. In fact, it may be good to keep that guilt there.

But God’s purpose is for intimate relationship, and so the sacrifice of Jesus did what all other sacrifices could never do (v2). It cleared my conscience!

We too often teach that you have to change your life to get into God’s presence. But why not teach the new and better way (Hebrews 8:6) – Come into His presence and watch your life change. ‘But Aaron, will people want to serve if they don’t feel at least a little guilt?’ A cleared conscience is what will allow you to truly serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14)!

Have you ever found that if you have weight on your conscience about something you have done to someone or something you haven’t done for someone, you act differently around them? You find that even though you want to reconcile, you end up avoiding them instead?

It was a guilty conscience that made Adam and Eve hide from the presence of God. The NIV renders God’s actions at the end of Genesis 3 towards man as “banished” and “drove out”. But the original Greek is a lot more a statement of the fact of separation. Regardless, we should realise that it is you and I who first walk away from the presence God.

So is there anything that you feel like God wants you to feel guilty about? You should know that God isn’t secretly fuming on the inside while smiling to your face. He loves walking with you too much.

Prayer for this week: Father, all I have is you. I want to see the light of your face. Let me see what you are doing in my life so that I may do the same. I decree the blessing of You on my life; literally You - the amazing blessing of relationship with You.