Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine

The best hymns teach great theological truths. I’ve said before it took a long time before I learned to appreciate the old hymns. Have you heard this one?

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine

Heir of salvation, purchase of God

Born of his Spirit, washed in His blood

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

Perfect submission, perfect delight

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight

Angels descending bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

Praising my Savior all the day long

We can have blessed assurance because Jesus is ours. We can have a foretaste of glory divine, an heir of salvation, because God has purchased it. We are born of His Spirit and washed in His blood. We can know our eternity is set because Jesus has fixed it. We can boldly praise all the day long because Jesus has made it so.

This week we continue our study through the Book of Hebrews looking at chapter 10. This particular chapter sums up the arguments the author has made beginning in chapter 7. The sacrificial system is going away because Jesus has fulfilled the Law and all of its sacrificial requirements.

Where the previous chapters have focused on the objective work of Christ and what it means for humanity and Judaism as a whole, in chapter 10 the author begins the switch to focusing on believers themselves. In fact, verses 19-22 are the crux of the remaining chapters. We can boldly go to God because Jesus has opened the way.

Before we get to those verses, however, let’s focus today on verses 1-18. Hebrews will sum up the necessity of Christ’s work, as well as its ability to “cleanse the conscious.”

What does it mean that Jesus can “cleanse our conscience”?

Cleansing the Conscience before God | Hebrews 10:1-18

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
    but a body have you prepared for me;

in burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you have taken no pleasure.

Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
    as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

“This is the covenant that I will make with them
    after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
    and write them on their minds,”

then he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

First, depending on your translation you may see “conscience” for “consciousness of sin” in verse 2. This is one of those times where I prefer the NIV translation which renders verse 2,

Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.

Hebrews 10:2 NIV

The word in question is “suneidésis” and is typically rendered “conscience.” It’s an interesting Greek word that combines the words for “together” and “to see.” There is a sense of “we are on the same page about this ethical thing” in the word. And so, when the people would bring their sacrifices day and year after year, they were, in a sense, saying, “We agree with the Lord that we are sinners who deserve our punishment of death.”

And this idea gets into an interesting theological discussion about why the Israelites were to bring sacrifices. Did it actually cover their sin? Well, apparently not because they had to continue offering sacrifices. It brought an awareness of their sin, and it certainly helped to tune their heart’s to God’s—to at least some degree. But, Hebrews is very clear it did not perfect them. There was no actual change.

This point is further developed when Hebrews quotes Psalm 40—“sacrifice and offering you have not delighted.” Hebrews and the Psalm match what the prophets told the Israelites. Isaiah told Israel their sacrifices were meaningless if it did not move them toward compassion and faithfulness to God. Jeremiah called the priests adulterers for maintaining the sacrifices while also chasing after other gods. Amos, the farmer prophet, looked to the city of Jerusalem and pronounced judgement for their illicit activities.

The old sacrificial system was never about dead animals but rather breaking the hearts of the people over their sin.

Our conscience needs to be conscious of our sin if we are to see ourselves as God sees us. We agree with the Lord about our helpless estate. Though the system could move the people in this direction, it could never fully accomplish the work of changing the heart.

But then, Jesus comes on the scene and opens the door to the Kingdom of God. Just as we celebrated last week, Jesus goes to the cross offering the sacrifice needed to end the cycle of death and sacrifice. We no longer sacrifice bulls and goats because Jesus has done what animals could not. Upon his death, he goes to heaven entering the Holy of Holies in Heaven and gives sacrifice to the Lord.

Now, our hearts not only break for our sin, but they are also cleansed of that sin. The new covenant God promises through Jeremiah (which Hebrews quotes in 10:16-17) is that He will put His Law into their hearts and minds. It is not that we will just know the Law, but that we will desire to keep the Law. It is a heart transformation.

The new covenant is not just a legal agreement between God and humanity, but rather the means by which we receive new hearts that desire to follow the Lord.

If you study the Old Testament long enough and compare it to what Jesus teaches, especially in the Sermon on the Mount, it becomes apparent humanity’s problem is not a lack of knowledge. It is a lack of heart. Our desires bend us towards selfishness, self-destruction, and sin. Our greatest need is a heart that desires to love the Lord and love others. And that is what Jesus offers us.

And now, we can live boldly before our God.

Living boldly before God | Hebrews 10:19-22

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 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.

We will return to these verses and the rest of chapter 10 next week, but I don’t want to separate this wonderful word “therefore” from our study today. One of my favorite questions to ask is “So what?”. It applies to so many things in this world, but especially as we study Scripture, it is helpful to ask ourselves “so what?”.

Because Jesus has entered the heavenly places offering one final sacrifice for sin, and because he can cleanse our conscience before God, so what does that mean for today? How does that help me on Monday?

Well, on the surface it means we only need to sacrifice lambs and bulls when we want a barbecue.

But much more than that, it means we can live boldly before our God. We can pray boldly. We can serve boldly. We can live with the confident assurance that Jesus has cleansed our sin and all that assurance implies. Let’s tease those out a bit.

Living boldly before God means praying boldly.

You have no need of a pastor, priest, saint, or other intermediary to speak to God. Many people ask me to pray for them, and I will gladly do so, but I am not necessary for your prayers to reach God’s ears. Jesus is our High Priest, and through his work we can boldly offer our prayers to God.

Additionally, you have no need to feel guilty about your prayers or past sin believing your past somehow disqualifies you from prayer. Your sins are forgiven! There is no need to beat yourself up over sins God has already forgiven.

Living boldly before God means serving boldly.

When we consider having a clear conscience before God, it means that our past failures cannot disqualify us from serving in the Kingdom. Whatever gifts and talents God has given us we can put them to use. We do not serve based on our merit. We serve because Jesus calls us into service.

Now, does serving well require a bit of wisdom in knowing ourselves well? Yes, and praise God that He promises to give us that wisdom.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 1:5

There probably are places in which you don’t need to serve, and that is perfectly fine. God will open the door to where you need to be, if you will simply go to him boldly in prayer and ask. But again, there is no need to beat yourself up over sins God has already forgiven. Learn from your failures, and move on with your life.
If God has forgiven you and moved on, are you more knowledgeable than God, or more powerful than God, that you cannot?

Living boldly before God means approaching God boldly.

I want you to close your eyes and imagine yourself on your deathbed. As you lay there, you close your eyes one last time, and just as everything is going dark, a brilliant light shines in your eyes. You walk into the light, and sure enough, you have found yourself on the shores of heaven. You stand there looking at the gate that leads to the throne room of heaven itself. You know that if you just walk the path through the gate, you will find yourself face to face with God.

What do you do?

All of your life flashes before your eyes. You instantly remember every sin, every failure, every single time you chose selfishness over compassion.

What will you do?

With every new reminder of your sin, you can feel in your ethereal bones that you do not belong here. This place is too holy. The God that awaits on the other side is too pure. You know that to look any further would mean destruction.

How can you enter?

That is the old way of thinking. Now let me give this scenario again in the new covenant.

You close your eyes lying on your deathbed with excitement. The Lord has already revealed the end of this life has come. You have been praying about this moment for quite some time.

Sure enough, as everything begins to grow dark, a brilliant light shines. You step into the light and find yourself on the shores of heaven. You see the gate, and just as you begin to walk, the memory of your past comes to mind.

And for a fleeting moment, you think about how unworthy you are to be standing at this gate.

But that thought has to leave your mind, because you also remember Jesus. You remember that the price for entry into heaven has already been paid. You are no longer concerned about any legal requirements. You can walk boldly through that gate as if you are visiting an old friend, because that is exactly what you are doing.

And as you step through the gate, you hear the voice of an old friend say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master!”

If you have not yet surrendered to Jesus, then you are missing out on this kind of bold living. The struggles you are facing, the guilt that is wrecking your heart, and the anxiety that is stealing your sleep can all go away when you allow Jesus to cleanse your heart and conscience.

Christian, if you have surrendered to Christ, then stop beating yourself up over past failures and sin. “It is finished.” Christ did not allow himself to be tortured so that you could torture yourself.

He died, so that your old self could die. He was raised so that your new life could be raised. He entered heaven so that one day, you could enter heaven.

And he sent us His Holy Spirit so that we do not have to wait to meet with our God. We can go boldly to Him today.

Live boldly before Him with a clean conscience.