How do we deal with a guilty conscience?
Dec 22, 2010
The Base for Grace - part twenty-two in a study from the book of Hebrews
By Mike Gaudet
How do we deal with a guilty conscience?
“When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 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 worshiper.” Hebrews 9:6-9
Before Jesus came to the earth, few people were able to approach God. Priests could enter the “outer room” of the Temple in Jerusalem. Only the high priest could enter the “inner room” where God’s presence dwelt. Few men and no women were allowed to approach Him. For the vast majority of people God’s presence was off limits.
It would appear that God didn’t like visitors.
Appearances can be deceiving.
“The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.”
The “closed door” policy God appeared to operate by was a reflection of undisclosed access, not restricted access. Prior to Jesus, the way into God’s presence “had not yet been disclosed.” It was Jesus who opened the door into “the Most Holy Place.”
When Jesus said, ““No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6, He identified Himself as the only one through whom we can gain access to God the Father. Neither Moses nor Mohammed can make this claim. Only the Son of God can usher us into the presence of the Father.
Now God operates by an “open door” policy. He invites His children- whether Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female- to “approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
We might imagine that it would have been a satisfying, deeply meaningful religious experience for the priests to enter sacred spaces that were off limits to everyone else.
The divine proximity the priests enjoyed did not promote serenity and peace of mind though. On the contrary, “the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience” of the priests who offered them. The service the priests offered did little to lighten the load of guilt that they carried. They left the outer room as burdened as when they entered.
The judgmental spirit that pervaded Judaism in Jesus’ day was a reflection of the guilty consciences of the priests. They judged others harshly because they judged themselves harshly.
The lingering guilt the priests felt is “an illustration for the present time.” The rituals of Judaism were unable to cleanse consciences. They were not meant to.
“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, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 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.” Hebrews 10:19-22
God invites believers in Christ to “draw near” to Him. He assures us that we may “have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.” He wants us to have “our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.”
When we suffer from a guilty conscience, we tend to move away from God. We assume that the closer we come to God the worse we’ll feel. The opposite is true. God calls us to Himself in order to decrease our guilt, not increase it.
God invites you to draw close to Him as you are. Don’t try to “clean up your act” first. Cleansing happens when you are with Him, not before you are with Him.
God doesn’t want us to feel guilty.
God wants us to feel clean.