Clear Consciences Series

Let’s continue our worship of God by listening and learning from His Word…. open your Bibles to Hebrews 9…….. Let us remind ourselves again why this letter was written by God: Hebrews about 2000 years ago became Believers of Jesus Christ as they witnessed or heard about the death and resurrection of the Messiah; the letter was written to a Christian Church were many were having a hard time letting go of their old Jewish faith. The Hebrews Temple was likely still there in Jerusalem when this Letter to the Hebrews was written; and so, the Jewish Faith was still facing those Hebrew Christians, tempting them, perhaps even being ridiculed by their relatives and friends!

As we grow in out Christian faith today, how are we doing in letting go of the old ways and becoming more and more like Jesus Christ? What are some of the “old ways” that we are still faced with and tempted everyday? Are there people in our lives confronting us with our faith in Jesus Christ? What should we do?

Read along with me Hebrews 9:1-14 and learn to grow to be more like Christ

What are the main points?

v1-7: Old Covenant had regulations for worship and a place (tabernacle/sanctuary) for worship:

- there was a room called the Holy Place

- another room, behind a curtain, called the Most Holy Place

- the Most holy Place contains many of the sacred things from God

- Only the High Priest could annually enter the Most Holy Place to offer blood sacrifice for people’s sins

v8-10??

Not everyone could go into the Most Holy Place to meet with God, a High Priest was needed!

And we can note from v11-13…..

The Messiah Jesus Christ came to earth:

v11a: to be High Priest of all good things

v11b: came from a Holy Place not man made – heaven!

v12-13: to sacrifice His own blood, so that total spiritual cleansing and eternal life becomes available!

v14……………….

Consciences cleansed? – other English translations…

KJV…. purge your conscience from dead works to serve…..

ESV & NRSV…. purify our conscience from dead works to serve…..

Now, let us note that it is the work of Jesus Christ to cleanse, purge, and purify our consciences from dead works!

Why did God do that for us through Jesus Christ according to v14??

We will stop here for now and focus on this thought about serving God. But let us also reflect on the other biblical principles in this passage:

There are a number of

1. Truths we should always note about God!

a. God is Holy (sin can not be associated with God)!

b. God desires an intimate relationship with people:

- God provides a way for cleansing of sins

- God calls for proper worship (a communion with a Holy God!)

c. God has a perfect plan which He shares to everyone but does not force it anyone!

2. The Old Covenant with God’s chosen People Israel prepares the way for all people to have a perfect relationship with God through Jesus Christ (the New and everlasting Covenant)!

Whatever our old faith was or if we never actually believed in anything, now is the time to believe and receive the New Covenant, an eternal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ! Why is it important to be in the New covenant of Jesus Christ right now??

Hebrews 9:27-18….

When people die, they will immediately face the judgment of God and no one really knows when their lives can end! Jesus will also return soon to earth to judge the living and the dead; many people will be caught by God not forgiven of their sins and they will be eternally judged to be with all demons!

3. Memorize Hebrews 9:14…. learn it and do it everyday!

People do and want to do much more God but if we do not have our conscience pure first with God, all our works is still be useless!

Let us make sure our conscience are always pure through Christ, then we can serve God wherever He calls us!

And so, if it is the work of Jesus Christ to cleanse our consciences from dead works, how do we make sure that our consciences are pure??

We must always yield to our Triune God! We grieve God when we have unconfessed sins!