345. Sprinkled from an Evil Conscience
Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Since we may approach God and enter into His Presence, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. The invitation to prayer is as clear as the message of salvation and acceptance. God dearly wants us to enter in before Him with our prayers and requests. When we do come before the Lord in prayer we can do so with full assurance and acceptance. God graciously invites us in and promises to hear us. 1 John 5:14-15: “If we ask anything according to his will be hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” Because of Christ we may enter with boldness and draw near with faith.
We know we have the assurance of faith because our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience. An evil conscience is a conscience that rightly accuses us of sin and guilt; it is not evil because it is wrong but because it is negative. If it is bad for us it is called evil. The conscience is always right, even if it is in error of God’s Law, and it must be listened to. If the conscience should be wrong it is better to correct the conscience according to the Word of God. But the conscience is usually not wrong, so we listen.
When the conscience accuses us of sin and guilt we immediately repent and believe the Gospel. Faith believes the blood of Jesus sprinkles the heart; therefore, it cannot rightly or successfully accuse me of sin and guilt: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Receive accusations of condemnation and guilt as lies of the devil and not as truth from a purged conscience. Take hold of the promise: “my heart is sprinkled by the blood of Jesus.” Then pray.