“The worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.... Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God.”— Hebrews. 10:2, 19-21.
OUR Saviour has rendered our conscience perfect, so that we can go into the sanctuary without an idea of fear, without one question as to sin arising in our minds. A perfect conscience is not an innocent conscience, which, happy in its unconsciousness, does not know evil, but does not know God revealed in holiness. A perfect conscience knows God; it is cleansed, and having the knowledge of good and evil, according to the light of God Himself, it knows that it is purified from all evil, according to His purity. Now the blood of bulls and goats, and the washings repeated under the law, could never make the conscience perfect. They could sanctify carnally, so as to make the worshipper to approach God outwardly, yet only afar off, with the veil still unrent. But a real purification from sin, so that the soul can be in the presence of God Himself in the light, without spot, with the consciousness of being so, the offerings under the law could never produce. They were but figures; but, thanks be to God, Christ has accomplished the work, and is present for us now in the heavenly and eternal sanctuary. He is the witness there that sin is put away, so that all conscience of sin is destroyed, because we know that He who bore our sins is in the presence of God, after having accomplished the work of expiation. Thus we have the consciousness of being in the light without spot. We have not only the purification of sins, but of the conscience, so that we can use this access to God in full liberty and joy, presenting ourselves before Him who has so loved as ... Being perfectly cleansed in conscience from all that man dead in sins produces, and having to do with God in light and in love: there being no question of conscience with Him, we are in a position to serve the living God. Precious liberty! in which happy, and without question, before God, according to His nature in light, we can serve Him, according to the activity of His nature in love. Judaism knew no more of this than it did of perfection in conscience. Obligation toward God that system indeed maintained, and it offered a certain provision for that which was needed for outward failure. But to have a perfect conscience, and then to serve God in love according to His will, of this it knew nothing.
Christ has gone into heaven itself, the High Priest of good things, securing their possession to them that trust in Him. But we have access to God in the light by virtue of Christ’s presence there. That presence is the proof of righteousness fully established; the blood an evidence that sin is put away forever, and our conscience is made perfect. Christ in heaven is the guarantee for the fulfillment of every promise. He has opened an access for us even now to God in the light, having cleansed our consciences once for all; for He dwells on high continuously, that we may enter in, and that we may serve God here below.
It is all-important thoroughly to understand that it is into the presence of God that we enter; and that at all times, and by virtue of a sacrifice and of blood which never lose their value. The worshipper under the former tabernacle did not come into the presence of God; he staid outside the unrent veil. He sinned—a sacrifice was offered. He sinned again—a sacrifice was offered. Now the veil is rent. We are always in the presence of God without a veil. Happen what may He always sees us. But we are there now, by virtue of a sacrifice which has put sin away, which has accomplished the purification of our sins. I should not be in the presence of God, in the sanctuary, if I had not been purified according to the purity of God, and by God. It was this which brought me there. And this sacrifice and this blood can never lose their value. Through them I am, therefore, perfect forever in the presence of God. I was brought into it by them. (An extract.)