Notes:

Righteousness-consciousness

• The writer to the Hebrews said that whilst the tabernacle/temple was still standing it was a symbol of the fact that the way into the presence of God was not yet available (see Heb.9:7-8).
• Though the temple no longer stands and the way into the presence of God has been opened, many still do not enjoy it.
• The veil of the tabernacle is a picture of the barrier which hinders us from enjoying the presence of God, i.e. sin-consciousness. ‘It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience’ (Heb.9:9).
• Humans have devised many erroneous ways of trying to deal with sin, e.g. running from God, blaming others, denial, rationalizing, self-punishment, despair, etc.
• The most common response to a guilty conscience is to try to compensate for sin through doing works. These are dead works.
• God’s answer to sin-consciousness is righteousness through the blood of Jesus: ‘…how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?’ (Heb.9:14).
• Understanding our righteousness through faith in Christ is essential for a healthy relationship with God.
• Those who are unskilled in the word of righteousness are referred to as ‘babes’, (see Heb.5:13). The first stage in our Christian growth is to know that all our sins have been forgiven. Then we are no longer babes but little children, (see 1 Jn.2:12a).
• We are exhorted to go on to ‘perfection’ by repenting of dead works and exercising faith in the blood of Jesus, ‘Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God’ (Heb.6:1).
• The word ‘perfection’ means to bring a thing to completion for the purpose for which it was created. We were created for intimacy with God.

For us to be in this state of perfection it is essential that:

A) We are convinced that God is no longer conscious of our sins.

B) We are no longer conscious of our sins, but have an overwhelming sense of being righteous.

A) God is no longer conscious of our sins

• The new covenant is a better covenant based on better promises, (see Heb.8:6-7).
• One of those better promises is that through the death of Jesus our sins have been entirely and eternally put out of God’s sight and thought. ‘For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more’ (Heb.8:12).
• Not only will God never remember our sins against us again, but also heaven has been cleansed from the record of our sins, (see Heb.9:23-26).
• For the believer, the Second Coming of Jesus will be without any reference to sin: ‘And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation’ (Heb.9:27-28).
• God will never condemn a believer.

B) We are no longer conscious of our sins, but of our righteousness

• Our conscience speaks to us about our moral condition.
• But it can only report accurately if it has been informed correctly.
• The function of the conscience is to speak to us; but the function of the blood is to speak to God. ‘But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel’ (Heb.12:22-24).
• Our conscience may be weak and misinformed, but God is greater than our hearts. ‘For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things’ (1 John 3:20).
• Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He uses religion for this purpose. Religion reminds us of sin. We see this is the continual offering of sacrifices under the old covenant. By the repetitive nature of this practice there was a constant reminder of sin.
• ‘For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come,and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year’ (Heb. 10:1-3).
• The same problem exists when Christianity becomes sin-focused.
• Religion reminds; but God forgets. His salvation not only deals with sin, but sin-consciousness also. ‘But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God…For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified’ (Heb.10:12&14).
• The Holy Spirit does not convince us of sin, but of righteousness, ‘But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more”’ (Heb. 10:15-17).
• He is the Comforter. ‘For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God’ (Rom. 8:15-16).
• The Holy Spirit is given to us to show us the things that have been freely given to us in Christ, (see 1 Cor.2:9-12).