The Cleansing of Conscience (Part 2 of 2)

God created each one of us with an innate sense of right and wrong. When we ignore that inner moral compass and violate God's law, we can feel an awful sense of guilt. Thankfully, God offers us a way to be pardoned for our sin today on Truth for Life. Alistair Begg is teaching from Hebrews chapter 9 he's titled this message the cleansing of conscience, the high priest entered into the most holy place and according to verse eight.

His movements were illustrating the fact that ordinary men and women did not have direct access into the presence of God and that brings us to the first of three central truths that I want you to notice number one. The inadequacy of the old covenant is expressed in the fact that access to God was restricted. Ordinary priests were restricted from the most holy place by this Kirsten here in verse three, their ability to move around was in itself only with it with limited clearance, they could only go so far and the people couldn't go as far as there was only one backstage pass. It was only given out once a year for one individual to use and that was the high priest, and to everybody else access to God was restricted and so people began to look at those individuals and with a measure of justification is the key to access to God and in our generation, unless men and women's understanding of the nature of what it means to have access to God is transformed by the fourth year of Hebrews 9 men and women continue to include a religious man in the exact same way. All they say he's able to go in the holy place.

Now if I can hitch my wagon to him. Maybe he'll be able to take me places that I could not go on mile when an individual thinks like that. It is clear that they have never understood the radical change that is been brought about in the establishing of the new covenant and they are living their lives in the us in the awareness of the fact that their access to God is totally restricted, and they are aware of the fact that something needs to happen if there is to be freedom of movement, not just for the priests but also for the worship. How can I know God. How can I have my conscience cleanse. I go in the outer court. The priests do their thing, but they're there every week and I'm there every week. I do the same every week I have to wait for 365 days for the day to come around when the fellow does the main and when he does the main thing. Even then he goes by himself. I can get the right building to what he is going to proclaim in verse 24 for Christ is not entered a man-made century that was only a copy of the true one. He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.

Verse 19 of chapter 10 the same truth. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain see how revolutionary this was for these individuals for whom access to God was restricted underwriter to them says I want you to understand that we have confidence to enter the holy place is revolutionary. You couldn't go in there was only one chaplain in their and it was a dangerous thing for him to go in there and before he went and he had to make sure that he is atone for his sins in the sacrificial system that he was then able to offer atoning sacrifice is for the others who were restricted another writer's as I want you to know that you can come straight and walk right and sit right down. Maybe let your mind roll when I came from but it is good that some of you, you can walk, you can sit right down. You can ease your mind. Why not by means of the restricted access of the old covenant, but because of the new living way that is been opened up by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, the identity of Jesus Christ is crucial is not merely another religious leader on the smorgasbord of opportunities who he is as vital to what he did. It wasn't just the death of a man that provided for sins. It was the death of the incarnate God that provided for sin and his identity is crucial to the issue. That is why the writer is taking so much time to establishing this Christ is the creator God spoke of old and many his ways by the prophets, but in these last days here spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the year of all things, and so he goes through it twice because the identity is absolutely like this Sunday school and Bible class in Scotland. We used to sing a song that went like this there's a way back to God.

From the dark paths of sin. There is a door that is open, that you may go in at Calvary's cross. That's where you begin when you, as a sinner to Jesus why do I have a guilty conscience while the heavens like Bryce. Why does God seem so removed from and what am I to do about see we have people living in this generation, like the people in the old covenant, living with restricted access. Haven't understood that when Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. In that moment the temple curtain was torn into declaring that the restricted access had been superseded by an immediate possibility of entry for all who will, in repentance and in faith was inadequate, because the access was restricted. It was inadequate also because the cleansing was partial. The cleansing that was on offer was only partial. The various ceremonial washings of their's 10 could only do so much. The food and the drink in the external regulations they applied for a time until the new order the old covenant couldn't answer the. The deep dilemma of man. The real barrier between God and man is not a Kirsten my sinful heart to find that I know that I have no justification to going to the presence of God. I know God is holy. I know that sin deserves to be punished. And I know that I love them with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind and all my strength even if I can't.

Every other commandment for all of my life. I never managed to do that when there forever and I've been trying to clean up my act and I've been dying to become a little more religious and I tried to put a few things into my life to trying to alleviate these problems and actually I feel not bad after after a Sunday morning apartheid.

I have a few quite good usually to just about after lunchtime. And then it all descends upon me again. There's a set of palliative moment or two, whereby I get a superficial lift is canonized to be around those people like I like the songs and and and the prayers kind of calm me because I live such a busy life and I'm receiving benefits from these things but you get on of the claims conscience for your head on the pillow. Why will Isaac Watts put not all the blood of beasts on Jewish old tersely could give the guilty conscience PSO wash away the state. But Christ, the heavenly Latin takes all our sins away.

Sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they had a love or hate Shakespeare. Few people are on the fence with Shakespeare. I guess I love it. I don't fully understand it but I like and I can come to this issue of conscience, I can come to this issue of partial cleansing without going to make that what is act five somewhere around there like one scene five. I can remember remember the calling the doctor to see leaving that. And as they stand in the observed Lake Lady Macbeth.

She's she's often portrayed as being like enter vanity and is the center look at other guy says to the doctor look and see how she keeps on the rubbing off our hands that we draw closer to she fiddles with her hands.

We hear her say out down that spot. I would I say, what will these hands Nurmi clean. Here's the smell of blood still all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand that is this all 00 when you read that in the class is pathetic is you know when you read the scene, some girl fancies herself as Lady Macbeth knows who I spoke and all the perfumes of Arabia cannot sweeten this little hand all 00.

The teacher says, get a grip, you know, get a life. Can you not put something into season difference between reading somebody else's lines face in my own guilt. Some of us cannot alleviate our guilt with a casual little 000 but in the silence of our own wife's it is a strangulation cry of embittered misery which pierces our souls and we cannot alleviate, and under the system of external religion. There is only a partial cleansing that is on offer to us all of the sacrifices and all the gifts could not ease the pain of a wounded conscience. In fact, finally, it was inadequate insofar as the access was restricted. The cleansing was partial and the pardon was limited. The pardon was limited. Verse seven of the end of verse seven and he offered these sacrifices for himself and for the sins. The people that committed notice of final two words in verse seven.

They had committed in ignorance. The provisions of the old covenant only cover the sins which had been committed unwittingly. That's and that's an inevitable problem for the individual with a troubled conscience. What is to be done for people like me who, in the words of Forsyth are not simply stray sheep or wondering particles, but we are rebels taken with the weapons in our hands. What good is a religion that only deal with the sins that we didn't we didn't know we were doing them. What good is a cleansing that only cleanses from the sins I didn't know I did. What about all the ones I knew I did and there are few of them that are a lot of there are an overwhelming number. While this will take you to the ones you don't know about. Thank you. A lot. I do know what am I to do. Where is the individual to go is haunted by remorse who is driven by failure. Can anything be done for the remorseful sinner who longs for a cleansing from sin release from the impression of unrelieved guilt.

That's the question you see that's the way in which the writer moves. He sets the scene so wonderfully and this is the way the gospel is to be preached purpose in my offering you a Jesus would you like to know Jesus is. I don't know maybe, maybe not. Would you like to follow Jesus. Would you like a Savior.

Maybe, maybe not as easily.

What happens if it was able to get often worked up about that and I don't know why it's got a nice for him and for some others but not for me until the day that the word of God pierces your soul and your before your own vanity and you're saying out down that spot. There is not a perfume and from Arabia that can deal with attentiveness that is on my sinful then in that day you love big years for news of a Savior, but until that day. I am thoughtful and blue in the face.

I do know what I feel total freedom because my words can never convict someone of sin. Only the Holy Spirit of God can convict someone of sin.

I cannot take the scales off your eyes. I cannot pull up logs from your ears only God can do that. I don't fully understand how he does. But I know he does and you will know he doesn't for winning your heart and in your conscience you are prepared to admit that you have unrelieved unmitigated guilt for which all of your best endeavors are providing no satisfaction. And then that Dave Pearson all day is the day of salvation. The is the day when Easter comes to life that day is the day when this guy Christ means something in the question is, has there been such a day in your life will come back to this but just notice how he leads to it in verse 11, when Christ came the people been holding their breath saying what are we to do now. He said well let me tell you when Christ came the high priest of the good things that are already here all the benefits and blessings of salvation. He didn't entered by means of bulls and goats and calves blood. He entered by his own blood, and he obtained an eternal redemption. How long does that sound like that sound like forever. I want to forgiveness but only last five minutes by going to the car wash your the car wash getting cleaned up, the car wash.

Try to avoid every every construction thing. You're right through the construction, saying it fired right up on the sides your doors and you might as well turn right around the biker car washing and then if you are so stupidly going down the road again and you'll be doing that you like the village idiot just driving up and down dirty roads and barn, but if there was a way to get a car washing your car washed again shortly car wash right is there a way to receive eternal redemption is in a way to have your sins forgiven the sins of yesterday the sins of the day and all the sins of tomorrow.

The answer is yes in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ perfect redemption.

The purchase of blood to every believer. The promise of God, the vilest offender who truly believes that moment from Jesus apart and receives an apartment partial pardon total pardon someone come and accuse you of your sins, you don't hate total pardon so Mrs. you know you're a little unclean.

Say you know what he claims me completely services you're not supposed to go in there that's only the holy place say I'm go anywhere. I'm with my big brother. His name is Jesus Christ.

He died in my place. Excuse me, I'm going in. You know the story of the evangelist whose pulling other states in the early part of the 20th century, dismantling extent and heading for home. And as on the Monday morning he's put in the 10 states into the bag.

A young boy comes along who attended one of his meeting and he says to the chapter he says that what I have to do to be saved. The follow hardly looking up and putting the stakes in the bag says you're too late and the boy says you mean I'm too late because I miss your services. He said no, you're too late because someone has done all that is necessary for you to be see you after doing except believe I gotta get out here.

This is way too simple.

When I supposed to do. Don't anything I need letters of recommendation like for the country club is not a down payment is in there something that I can do to make myself feel good about the fact that I did it and I can say I joined no see, that's the difference. Tell you what you can do can fall down on your face. You can cry to God for his mercy to bestowed upon your life. What are the thief on the cross to said Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom for the blood that ran down his cross. The other chaps cross was real blood. The blood that he saw from the corner of his eye from the Pearson ribbon site of this Jesus of Nazareth was the blood that was shed for his eternal redemption and the dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day, and there may I will violate scheme wash all my sins. The dying thief received total pardon from God is a beautiful picture of God's amazing grace extended not only to the thief but to anyone will place his trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Your listing to Truth for Life. Please keep listening.

Alastair Begg will conclude today's message with prayer that's coming up in just a minute when we reflect on the crucifixion of Christ. Everything he suffered on our behalf. It's a fitting response for us to want to draw near to him out of respect and gratitude. This is in fact God's desire for us. The Bible teaches us that were created to be brought near to God as a kingdom of priests. That's somewhat shocking because we don't view ourselves as priests. Certainly not in the conventional sense authoring counselor Ed Welch has written a helpful book on the subject.

It's called created to draw near. In this book Ed traces the priestly identity throughout the entire Bible. Beginning in the Garden of Eden all the way through the New Testament. It's remarkable to see how God extends his invitation for all of us to draw near to him with open arms and in his presence. We discover what it means to be truly human to be known, unashamed, full of meaning and purpose.

Would love to send you a copy of this encouraging book from Ed Welch called created to draw near it yours when you give a gift to support the ministry of Truth for Life. You can request your copy online a Truth for Life.org/donate or through our mobile app you can also call 888-588-7884. Keep in mind your gift supports the mission of Truth for Life. We teach the Bible so men and women can come to know God's love and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save them from their sins and lead them to eternal life. This is why what we teach comes directly from the Bible so that God's word can do God's work in the lives of those who listen.

If you prefer to mail your donation to us right to Truth for Life at PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139 or call 888-588-7884. Let's conclude today by joining Alastair for a moment of prayer. Some of us have never known what it is to be saved. We've certainly embarked on religion. We are moving in the outer course is it where our consciences are not cleansed and we hear God's voice today telling is the only thing we need to know is that we are great sinners and that Jesus is a great Savior that we would comment acknowledge our guilt and our debt and our rebellion in our sin and our indifference. Christ would affirm the fact that he bore all of that. Send all of that debt in rebellion and indifference in his body on the tree in order that in childlike trust and in repentant faith. We may be transformed. Father I pray that you would look upon this congregation, in your mercy bring men and women from darkness to light, liberate the troubled and broken consciences, freedom from the acts that lead to death. Redeem them with your outstretched hand and now may the Lord bless us and keep us in the Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us.

May the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us and give us his peace. Today and forevermore on thanks so much for joining us for today's study in Hebrews chapter 9 Bob Lapine hope you can join us again Thursday is our series called fix our eyes on Jesus continue the Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life with Learning is for Living