“how 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 ESV).
Earlier in Hebrews 8:3 we read, “…since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too” (NLT). So what priestly gift and sacrificial offering did Jesus present as our High Priest? Well, the author of Hebrews answers that question here in Hebrews 9:4: “…the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse[s] our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (NIV).
These references to “the blood of Christ” and “cleansing our consciences” direct our attention to a subject that bears repeating. As mentioned earlier, the Biblical book of 1 John provides us with the right response to sinful behaviors: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Whenever we recognize and admit to God that we have done something wrong, this passage tells us that God will forgive and cleanse us when we come to Him through Christ. This is not a mere opinion- this is God’s promised response from 1 John 1:9. Thus, it is important to remember this verse whenever we begin to experience a “guilty conscience” regarding a past event. If we have confessed it, then we can be assured that it is over and done with according to God’s Word.
But what if we’ve taken those steps and still don’t feel forgiven? Well, that provides us with an opportunity to revisit another passage that bears repeating: “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things” (1 John 3:20).
For instance, a person who acts upon 1 John 1:9 may say, “I know God has forgiven me, but I don’t feel forgiven” or, “I know God has forgiven me, but I can’t seem to forgive myself.” In those instances, we should remember that God is greater than our feelings or our consciences. If God says we are forgiven, then we are forgiven, no matter what our feelings may tell us.
Remember, “Christ offered himself through the eternal Spirit as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make us completely clean from the evil we have done. It will give us clear consciences so that we can worship the living God” (ERV) as we’re told here in Hebrews 9:14.