[H]ow 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. Hebrews 9:14
I agree with this post on DesiringGod.com that states that Holy Week is the most important week in all of history. As such, I continue with one of the recommendations from the post to prepare for Holy Week, which is to read John Piper's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. Today I read reason #16: To Give Us a Clear Conscience. Here, John Piper explores how Jesus Christ is "the only cleansing agent in the universe that can give the conscience relief in life and peace in death." The devotion starts by going back to the Garden of Eden where conscience first became an issue for humanity. Piper describes the scene: "as soon as [Adam and Eve] sinned, their conscience was defiled. Their sense of guilt was ruinous. It ruined their relationship with God—they hid from him. It ruined their relation to each other—they blamed. It ruined their peace with themselves—for the first time they saw themselves and felt shame." Later in scripture, the Old Testament outlines how God provided a path for His people to atone for their sin. Yet the devotion rightly shares how this did not cleanse the conscience. At best the animal sacrifices foreshadowed or provided a "taste" of things to come. The New Covenant based on Jesus shed blood and His sacrifice on the cross does provide a path for a clean conscience. Hebrews outlines how Jesus is better (perfect) vs what God provided as a path to Him in the Old Testament - see Hebrews 9:14 specifically on how only Jesus can cleanse the conscience. As the devotion winds down, it shares: "Jesus said it is what comes out of a person that defiles, not what goes in (Mark 7:15-23). We are defiled by pride and self-pity and bitterness and lust and envy and jealousy and covetousness and apathy and fear—and the actions they breed. These are all “dead works.” They have no spiritual life in them. They don’t come from new life; they come from death, and they lead to death. That is why they make us feel hopeless in our consciences." Rejoice in how God cleanses our conscience to free ourselves from the sting of sin and death!
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My Prayer: Father God, what an awesome God You are that You cleanse my conscience and and free me from the sting of sin and death. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of how You save me and pour out blessings for me. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
