December 13, 2020: SOAP #4028: Hebrews 9-11

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 9:9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper…
14  How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
10:1…For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins…
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.

OBSERVATION:   A clean conscience–one of greatest personal benefits of believing in Jesus’ death as the payment for our sins!  When we are justified, we are made just-as-if-we had never sinned.  Where there is no sin, there is no guilty conscience! 

APPLICATION:   When I receive Jesus as my Savior, I am admitting the terribleness of my sins and that I cannot save myself from their penalty.  I am believing that the value of the His sinless death is far greater than the penalty for my sins.  It so far exceeds the penalty I deserve, that it even clears my conscience!  I am assured that no other payment is needed.  The sin debt is paid in full.

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, you have provided for me what no other can.  Thank you for a clear conscience!  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

Personal note:  I am still in the hospital with a chest tube draining fluid from my lung compartment.  It may need to remain until Monday.  After having the fluid removed yesterday, this morning I weighed 18 pounds less!  When I am allowed to go outside, I will need to be careful that the wind does not blow me over.  Ha!