A clear conscience — Scripture Reflection #050

Hebrews 9:14 (New Living Translation)

14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 

One of Satan’s strategies to keep us distant from God is to feed us lies about ourselves. When we sin, we often feel guilt and shame about our disobedience. The enemy whispers lies to amplify those feelings, making us believe narratives about ourselves that are not true. 

The beauty of God’s design for our salvation is that Jesus’ work on the cross actually combats Satan’s deceptions. When we put our faith in Jesus, trusting that He makes us right with God, He gives us a clear conscience, allowing us to draw near to God and worship Him. That is in and of itself a reason to praise God!

We can see this put another way in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” We do not need to live weighed down by the chains of our past mistakes and failures. There is freedom and a clear conscience for us as we confess what we have done to God, and trust that Jesus’ work on the cross is enough to break those chains off of us.

The Point: We can receive freedom from the lies of the enemy through the confession of our sins and faith in Jesus Christ.