Read Hebrews 9
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!
Hebrews 9:14
The old covenant rituals could not change people’s hearts. This is not
to say that worshippers did not have a spiritual experience if their
hearts trusted God, but it does mean that the emphasis was on the
external ceremonial cleansing. So long as the worshippers obeyed the
prescribed regulations, they were declared clean. It was “the purifying
of the flesh” but not the cleansing of the conscience.
We learned from Hebrews 8 that the ministry of the new covenant is internal: “I will put my laws in their minds and write them
on their hearts” (v. 10). The Holy Spirit of God does this work. But
the Spirit could not dwell within us if Jesus Christ had not paid for
our sins. Cleansing our consciences cannot be done by some external ceremony; it demands an internal power. Because Jesus Christ is
unblemished, He was able to offer the perfect sacrifice.
Something to Ponder
To what extent are you certain that internal changes have taken place
in your life? Explain.