And if you're following along,
turn to Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9, I will begin
reading in verse 11. But Christ being come a high
priest. It doesn't say becoming a high
priest. He is the eternal high priest. but being come, and high priest
of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building,
that is the building he was just talking about, whether it's temple
or tabernacle, either one, doesn't matter, it's not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood
he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and
of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean
sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, and it did, because
God ordained it so, it did, how much more shall the blood of
Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without
spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God. God declares through this letter
that the believer's conscience is purged. Now it is a believer's
conscience and believers only. While this book is written to
the Hebrews it is written to believing Hebrews. The true Israel of God according
to Paul in Romans chapter 9. God declares that the believers
conscience is purged. It is said here to be purged
by Christ. because it is said to be purged
by Christ's blood. And it is said here to be purged
by Christ, His blood, and by God the Spirit, all three of
those together, not necessarily at the same time, but He's building
upon the foundation. Christ, His blood, and God the
Spirit, here called the Eternal Spirit, through whom Christ offered
himself without spot to God. By this, the believer's conscience
is purged from and to. From and to. Not just one. The conscience
is not merely purged to, It's purged from. The very fact that
it needs purged demands a from. But God does not leave us in
a neutral state when He saves us. Purged from and to. What I want to try to talk about
this morning is the believer's conscience purged. according to Paul here, purged
from dead works. Isn't that what he says? How
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, all of that is included,
purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Now let me state this before
I go into detail. Everyone for whom Christ shed
His blood, everyone for whom Christ offered Himself without
spot to God, and they're all one number. Those for whom He
shed His blood are the same number for whom He offered Himself without
spot to God. And every one of them, they shall
all All shall have a purged conscience. Note the emphasis here. How much
more? Shall. Right? How much more shall? And note within this, not one
thing is said to be done by us for a purged conscience. This
is all the work of God. It's all the work of God. That's
the infant. How much more? The apostle is
saying if the blood of all those animals and the ashes of a heifer,
that would be the red heifer as far as I understand it, if
all of this in sprinkling the unclean sanctifies to the purifying
of the flesh, if it had an absolute goal obtained in that, how much
more? This idea that Jesus Christ died
and simply made something possible is as foreign to scripture as
Jesus Christ not being God manifest in the flesh. It's not hidden
somewhere. It's not something you gotta
dig around in the scripture and parse really hard. Jesus Christ
said, I lay down my life for the sheep. And then he looked
at some people at that very same moment and said, you're not my
sheep. Around any court of law that would stand to reason, by
a mere fact, he was saying, I am not going to give my life for
you. Right? I lay down my life for the sheep.
For the transgression, God says, of my people was he stricken.
So everyone for whom Christ shed his blood and offered himself
without spot to God, they all shall have a purged conscience. How much more? Is God Almighty in both the Son
and the Spirit more powerful than the blood of animals? Most
definitely. Are they more powerful than the
sprinkling of the ashes of a red heifer? Absolutely. So two things. First of all,
what is the conscience? What is the conscience? The conscience, and this is from
scripture, and I will show that to you from scripture in a moment.
But do not prejudice your mind against what I'm ready to say
here. Often times we hear that the conscience is the seat of
guilt. And that's true. But that's not what the conscience
is. That is the seat of guilt. What is the conscience? This
is from scripture. And as I say, I'll show that
in a moment. The conscience is this. The conscience is that
internal witness to varying distinctions. The conscience is that which
is within mankind, even still there by nature, still has a
conscience. We're not saved to get a conscience.
When God saves you, He purges your conscience. But the conscience
is that inner witness to varying distinctions. In other words,
let me just give you a few examples. The conscience makes distinction
between what is correct and incorrect. In other words, this and this
always equal this. And a person who has a conscience,
a person who's been taught knows this and this always equals this. If somebody tells you this and
this equals this, your conscience cries out, that's not correct.
I didn't use any words numbered. I just said this and this equals
this. It never equals this or this
or this or anything else. It always equals this and this
equals this. Whether you know English or Swahili,
this and this equals this, right? And the conscience gives testimony
to that distinction between what's correct and what's incorrect.
Now the conscience doesn't always recognize what's correct and
incorrect, but it does make, it is that inner witness to various
distinctions. Another example, it gives this
witness to varying distinctions between what is right and what
is wrong. Somebody gives you road directions, And you begin
to follow those directions and you get off on a different road
from which they've told you. Your conscience begins to say,
guess what? That's wrong. I'm on the wrong
road. Conscience also is that internal
witness between what is good and what is evil. Just a spousal unity, compare
that with disunity. If you love your spouse, Anytime
you're at disunity with your spouse, your conscience will
cry out, something's wrong here. Won't it? But here's the fourth
one. The conscience is that internal
witness to varying distinctions. And number four is, what is righteous
and what is sin? Love God or hate God? And the conscience knows there's
a difference. It may not understand the gravity of the difference,
Mason, but it knows there's a difference. And just like Don Fortner said
it a while back, I think it was when he was at Cape Girardeau.
When it says, Jacob I loved and Esau I hated, he said, if I told
you I loved that person, but I hate that one, you know exactly
what I mean. Because your conscience gives witness to that. Doesn't
it? You know what I mean. And yet people read the word
of God that says, Jacob I loved, Esau I hated, and they seek some
other meaning. But their conscience tells them
different. They're having to fight again. They're fighting.
As Peter said, they rest the scriptures. And sadly, many do
it to their own destruction. So the conscience is that internal
witness to varying distinctions. However, three facts are necessary
to a proper understanding of the conscience. There are those
who think the conscience and free will are connected, if not,
maybe one and the same thing. Now if you've ever done any studying
of a lot of the old arguments, But there are three facts necessary
to a proper understanding of the conscience. Number one, the
conscience may be seared with a hot iron. 1 Timothy 4 and verse
2. It may be rendered fully useless,
seared with a hot iron. Then men want to argue, well
if someone's conscience is seared with a hot iron, can they be
saved after that? You can't be saved if you don't
have, even if your conscience ain't seared with a hot iron,
unless God Almighty saves you by His grace. So that's not the
question, is it? But Paul is clear. Go back and
read it sometime. 1 Timothy 4 and 2. Some people's
conscience can be seared with a hot iron. And that is they
are not insensitive, but unsensitive to right and wrong. It doesn't
really matter anymore. They don't care. And let me tell you, we
often think of that in light of looking at that really vile,
wicked, sinful person, you know, that the writer you was talking
about. No, this can happen right in the middle of religion. Men
might care great swales about morality or immorality, but could
care less about the truth of God in the person and work of
Jesus Christ. That could be a conscience seared
with a hot iron. Seared at least to that particular thing. But
maybe not seared to something else. But a conscience seared
with a hot iron. That's a problem with conscience.
Therefore, conscience is not the answer. Because conscience
in our text has to be what? purged. You see? If conscience
were the answer, if it were somehow connected to free will, then
I must say free will is going to be purged. Right? That ain't what they teach though
is it? No. Here's number two. Here's the
second fact necessary to a proper understanding of conscience.
The conscience may be convicted but the person never corrected.
John chapter 8 verse 9. Remember those The people brought
that woman taken in adultery, caught right in the very act.
And they done this and brought her to the Lord. They didn't
care about God's law. They were trying to trip up the
Lord of glory. That's what they were doing. Now what they said
the law said to do to her is what the law says to do to her.
But Christ knew what their real intent was. And it says he stooped
down, wrote on the ground, and he said, when they all seen that
or heard that, said they went away from the eldest to the youngest
being convicted in their conscience. They went away. Not one of them
was ready to throw a rock, David, right? But not one of them stayed
there with that woman, that old whore, and said, God, I need
forgiveness just like she does. They went away. And it says they've
been convicted in their conscience. They knew he was right. Whoever's
without sin, then you pitched the first stone at her. Their
conscience cried out and said, I can't do that. Now that's grace
and not law. That's grace and not law. But
did that grace cause them, Joe, to hang around and say, well,
I need that kind of mercy too? No. So again, the conscience may
be convicted even to where a person doesn't do something they thought
they should have done, but they themselves still not be truly
corrected. Here's the third thing about
conscience, and turn to Romans chapter 2. Now there's a lot more to conscience
that I'm going to be able to cover this morning. But I am
laying the foundation of what is the conscience. Remember I
said it's that internal witness to various or varying distinctions. Here's the third thing. The conscience
may accuse. That's where we get the truth
of it's the seed of guilt. It may either accuse you or it
may cause you to accuse somebody else. Right? That's what the
conscience can do for you. But, not only is it the seat
of guilt, but it's also, the conscience may also excuse. That's the seat of self-justification.
So you see, when we say the conscience is the seat of guilt, that's
true, but it's much more than that. It can also be, it also
is, the seat of self-justification. And we know from this book, It's
not those that justify themselves who are righteous in God's sight.
Now look at what Paul wrote in Romans chapter 2, and mainly
let me just look at verse 15. It's talking about the Gentiles
who have never even heard God's law, yet there is within every
human being, even human beings who haven't heard God's law declared,
don't even know of what the law says, yet there is this internal
witness that some things are wrong and some things are right.
And look at what he says. Which show the work of the law
written in their hearts. Now God does this. How he does
it, I don't know. I don't have an answer for that.
But Mason, it says God did it, so I know it's true. Which show
the work of the law in their hearts. Their conscience also,
what's that next two words? Bearing witness. Now that's the
book's explanation of the conscience. You don't have to go to the philosophers
to find out what the conscience is. Right there, the conscience
is a witness-bearer. And it's an internal, because
it's written where? In the heart. But look, which show the work
of the law written in their hearts, their consciences also bearing
witness, and their thoughts, so the conscious is connected
to what? What you think, right? It causes
thoughts to come into your mind. But look, and their thoughts,
the meanwhile, accusing or else excusing one another. You see it? In other words, In other words, the conscience
is as fallen as my heart, the conscience is as fallen as my
mind, the conscience is as fallen as my affections, the conscience
is as fallen as my will. The conscience fail with the
rest of my being when Adam failed. And we're all conceived and born
into that fallen state. Even our conscience is, and look
at it, turn to Titus now. Titus chapter 1, is that? I believe that's right. Yes,
Titus chapter 1, verse 15. Unto the pure all things are
pure. But unto them that are defiled
and unbelieving. Now who is that by nature? That's
all of us by nature, wasn't it? That was all of us by nature.
Under the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are
defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and
conscience is what? Defiled. So that lets me know my conscience
has got a problem. That means I got a problem with
my conscience. Oh, but thank God how much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God. Therefore, in light of this,
the conscience must be purged. Right? Now to define all of that,
I cannot. What all that entails I cannot,
but I can proclaim what it says here in our text. To purge our
conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore
the conscience must be purged from and to. Right? Anyone who thinks, and
I say thinks because it can't be so. Anyone who thinks, well
my conscience has been purged from, I don't know about the
two part, then your conscience has been purged. The conscience must be purged
from and to. Now, the impetus, the cause,
the guarantee of a purged conscience is what, according to our text?
Christ, His blood, and the eternal spirit. That's the guarantee.
Did Christ shed His blood? Oh, yes He did. Did Christ offer
Himself by the Eternal Spirit without spot to God? Oh, yes,
He did. Therefore, the Eternal Spirit
shall make sure the conscience is purged from and to Christ, His blood, His Spirit. And here's the question. Don't
answer it out loud. I don't want the man to embarrass
himself. But here's the question. What
is the Spirit's primary goal right now? His primary goal right
now. If you say to give spiritual
life, you're wrong. That's not the primary goal.
If you thought that, you were wrong. That's His first work,
is to give life. Spiritual life, it's the first
work. But it's not the primary goal.
the primary goal of the eternal spirit of God. Even as Christ
declared when he called him the spirit of truth is to reveal
the things of Christ to God's people. He gives life and life
itself is not an end in itself. He gives spiritual life that
they might know God. that they might know Him, and
Christ even put it this way, and we know the Spirit of God
is even called the Spirit of Christ, which is in you, right?
He said, I'm come, you've given me power over all flesh, that
I should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given me.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee. Life is given first, but for
what reason? The primary goal is not life
itself. But the primary goal is that
they might know Thee, the only true and living God and Jesus
Christ whom Thou hast sent. The dead won't know anything
about God. Only the living. But the life itself is not the
primary goal. It's knowing Christ, believing
Him, trusting Him. It is to be purged from dead
works to serve the living God. See it? His person, His work, that's
the primary goal. Not the first work, but it is
the primary goal of the Spirit of God in this world today. When
He's come, He will convict the world of sin. Why is the primary
thing? Of sin, why? Because they believe
not on Me. That's the first thing, is it
not? Because they believe not on me. And when He's come, the
Lord Jesus Christ said, He will show you things of mine. He will
take of mine the truth about me. He'll show it to you. He'll
show it to you. So then, number two. Our consciences. Now I'm going to say it a little
differently now. Our consciences are being purged from and two,
because remember he's talking to believers here. Now granted
there may be some here that he was writing to that weren't really
believers who thought they were, and he deals with that on occasion.
But he's writing to believers, those who have Jesus Christ as
their apostle and high priest. And one of the first things to
remember, this is a letter. Don't take it as chapter one,
he's talking about one thing. Chapter two, he's talking to
different people about a different thing. He says in chapter 2,
this very thing, therefore we ought to give the more earnest
heed to the things which we have what? Heard! That's how the Spirit
of God does this. Through hearing the truth of
God. We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which
we have heard, lest at any time we should slip away from them. Our consciences are being, look,
he didn't say how much more did the blood of Christ. You see,
right? How much more what? Shall. It's
still happening. It's guaranteed, but it's not
a one time thing. Our conscience must be constantly
purged from and to. Constantly. Now why do I say
that? One, because it's not two purgings.
It's only one purging. It's just words. No, that's the truth. Purged from dead works. And he doesn't say, and then
purged to serve the living God. He doesn't say it. There's not
two purgings. It's all one purging. And that one purging is constantly
doing what? Purging the conscience from dead
works. to serve the living God. And
I say that and I emphasize that because I think there are a lot
of people, even under grace, who say, well, I've been purged
from all them dead works. But then you wonder, well, why aren't
you then serving the living God? Why do the things of Christ not
matter to you? But let me tell you, this purging
is a purging from and to. And it happens together. Remember
Paul said, you turned to God from idols to serve. Right? Now you turn to God first. Why? Because He turned you. And
you turn to God, but what? From idols to serve. Paul is, the truth is consistent
everywhere. to serve the living God and to
wait for His Son from heaven. There's a sign out here that
says something along the line of what would you do today or
something like that if you knew Jesus Christ was coming back
today or tomorrow or something. I hope I'd be believing God.
And that's what it's all about. I hope I'd be believing God.
David Wright mentioned the preacher one time. People always say,
where do you want to be whenever Christ comes again? And I always
say, I want to be in church. I hope I ain't at the beer joint.
I hope I ain't at the movies. I hope I'm reading my Bible.
No, here's the place to be when Christ comes again. In Christ. There's the place to be. In Christ. That's the place to be. And the
only place to be is in Christ. Because you can be in a church
service, even where the truth is being preached. Christ returns
and you're not in Him, you're going to perish forever. So our consciences are being
purged from and to. There's one purging. It's constant
and ongoing. Not two purgings. Not one's passed. Now the other one's going on,
you see. I still haven't gotten rid of
all my idols yet. All my dead works yet. They rise up every
little bit. But thank God how much more shall
the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself
without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God. It is a purging from dead works
and to serve the living God. One, from the Levitical system
to Christ. That's the immediate context
here. You see, there were works that men and women by faith engaged
in back when that old tabernacle and that old temple was erected,
when they stood. And they engaged in those works
by faith in honor to God. Those were the things God had
commanded them to do in that time. But those things, according
to chapter 10, if you go back and read it and you're aware
of it, everyone here should be, those things are done. They pointed
toward Christ and they never took away one sin. They didn't
make the comers perfect as pertaining to what? conscience conscience
You look to anything any kind of system even a system that
at one time was ordained of God If you look to anything other
than the Christ, you're not you don't have a purge conscience.
I That's to purge your conscience
from dead words. I don't need the ashes of a heifer
anymore. Right? I don't need doves anymore. I don't need lambs anymore. I must have the Lamb of God. Now that's the immediate context.
But there's a couple more here. How much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God? That is, from works which insult
Christ. Especially when it comes to a
message about Jesus Christ. In Galatians chapter 1, Paul
says, Anybody preach any other gospel unto you than that which
I have preached unto you, let him be accursed. There are a
lot of gospels out there today. And Paul says, they really in
fact are not a gospel, but they are a perversion of the gospel
of Christ. The Spirit of God purges our
conscience from those things to serve the living God in the
truth of the person and work of His Son. It's that important. Somebody says, why does it matter
what you really believe about Christ? Because the book says faith is
to receive the record God gave of His Son. You don't make up
your own record and believe that and then everything will be okay. You believe a false record, you'll
perish. Because he purges the conscience,
what? From dead works to serve the
living God. Now number three, from works
which insult Christ's holiness to a proper walk before God. That's right, that's what I said.
Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. This is nothing new, but sadly,
it's almost as if it's new to some people. They talk about
believing in grace, then when you talk about walking in grace,
then they start crying, well that's legalism. Oh really? Listen to what Paul said in 1
Corinthians 6. Verse 9, Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not Is this what Paul wrote? This
is what he wrote, isn't it? Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Don't be deceived. Right? Be not deceived, neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves of mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners, and the list could go on and
on. They shall not inherit the kingdom
of God. And such were some of you. Now I am still capable of every
one of those things. And could still fall into any
one or any number of those things. But it's talking here about a
way of life. The way you live. The way you
conduct yourself in this world. As Paul put it in Galatians,
they that do such things. And the word means a way of life.
You see, when God purges your conscience from dead works, He
don't just leave you there to do what you want. It's to serve
the living God. And such were some of you, but
ye are washed. You didn't even know anything
about that. God just told you you did this for it. You know
what I mean? We weren't around when He washed
us, because you know when He washed us? He washed us in His own blood
on that tree. We weren't even born yet. But
look, and you're washed, but you're sanctified. But you're
justified. In the name of the Lord Jesus,
there's position. But look, and by You see the
difference? And by the Spirit of our God. God changes His people when God
saves His people. When He purges your conscience,
He purges it from dead works to serve the living God. Will
you do it sinlessly? Of course not! Because even Christ
said, I told Peter, Peter, he said, here I'm going to wash
your feet. Peter said, you ain't washing my feet. Christ said,
if I don't wash your feet, you ain't got no part of me. And
then Peter said, well Lord, if that's what it is, wash me head
to toe. I understand that, don't you? But you know what Christ
told him? I'm ad-libbing. Peter, you're already washed
head to toe. I've already done that for you. Peter didn't know
it. That's what I'm doing. You don't even need to know it.
I've already washed you head to toe, but you still do need
your feet washed. Because every place you tread,
you're treading upon the crumbled dust of your own pride, and your
own malice, and your own lust, and your feet are defiled with
that every day of your life. And we need this what? As I said,
constant, ongoing purging. But just of our feet. And I believe
Him. He don't need to keep washing
me head to toe over and over again. Basically wash my feet
and God says that's good enough, I'll rest in Him. Right? But here's the thing, I want
my feet cleaned. Don't you? When you see what
yesterday brought, where your feet went, where your will went,
where what your desires was, oh God clean my feet for me.
Right? purge my conscience from dead
works to serve the living God. So let me sum it up. There's
nothing you can do to get a purged conscience. I can't help you
there. And you can't help yourself there. That's the work of God. And if
even I don't, even though Even though I don't understand all
the details of that, we know it's so because this book tells
us that, right? I don't know, Mason, how it all actually plays
out. I know certain things are involved.
I know other things are not involved. But I know this, you don't get
a purged conscience by something you do. You don't do something
to get a purge. He purges your conscience from
dead words to serve. You see, the purging is what
causes the from and the to. You don't go from and to and
then get purged. You see what I'm saying? But
religion teaches you to do that very thing. You turn from your
dead works and serve the living God, God will purge you. That's
not what this says. He's got to purge you first from
and to. That's number one. Here's number
two. A purged conscience delights. A purged conscience delights
in the yoke. of Christ. A purged conscience is not happy
to be set free to sin, self, or the devil. A purged conscience
delights! It is the joy, it is the pleasure
of a purged conscience to take upon it the yoke of Christ. And isn't that what Christ said
in Matthew chapter 11? Verse 28, Come unto me all ye that
labor and are heavy laden. You see that bothered conscience?
You ever been there? You remember when your conscience
felt like it was going to eat you alive because you knew of
your rebellion before God? The conscience screamed out,
you're wrong! You're wrong! You're wrong! You're
lost. If you've never been lost, you've
never been saved. And I don't say that to be mean to anybody.
God don't save anybody until He shows them how lost they are
first. He don't purge your conscience until your conscience first starts
to try to eat you alive. Because of your rebellion against
Him. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and
I will give you rest. Well that means I just don't
do anything then, right? You got the wrong idea about
rest. Don't go to Webster's to figure out what rest is. Listen
to Christ. And I will give you rest. The
next word is take. Take my yoke. You know what that is. You've
seen the pictures, especially years ago, a couple of oxen there
and they've got this great old big wooden thing around their
neck. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and
lowly in heart. And right there is where you
will find rest for your soul. Under the yoke. Right? You might
think you got rest out from under the yoke. There is no true rest
unless you're under the yoke. Purged, a conscience purged from
dead works to do what? To serve the living God. And
ye shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy. I
don't understand that. Mac, I still don't know if I
understand all that, but I believe it. And I'll tell you this, I
don't want God to let go of me and let me go back where I used
to be years ago. I don't even want Him to let
go of me and let me go back to where I was yesterday. I remember the good old days.
The good old days are ahead of us. when we awaken His likeness. That's the good old days. That's
the days we're looking for. We've turned to God from idols
to serve the living God and to wait for His Son from heaven.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly
in heart and you shall find rest in your souls for my yoke is
easy and my burden is light. And I can testify to it that
it is. It is. Even though sometimes I still
feel the weight of that yoke. But it's a good weight. I enjoy
that weight. You see, if you'd rather not
be serving God, then you ain't serving God. Because Christ said
to people, you give me lip service, that don't mean nothing if your
heart's far from me. See, this is real. Don't get wrong what I'm about
to say, but this ain't just receiving doctrine. The doctrine you will
receive. But it's receiving a person.
It's receiving the doctrine about that person and bowing down under
his yoke. In other words, just make me
one of your beast of burdens and that'll be rest for me. That's kind of the way it is.
Now, a purge conscience. A conscience that actually delights
in serving the living God. I didn't know what that was like
when I was in religion. It was always a toll. It was
always a burden. I've got to go to church today.
Oh, thank God that's not the way my conscience works now.
When I don't go now, it's like, oh, I missed that. I wasn't there. I missed that. When I fall flat
on my face, David, right? I miss the yoke of Christ. When
I kick up my heels and I snuff at the wind like a wild ass is
cold, God brings me down and I say, oh God, put the bridle
on me again. Oh God, bridle me up again. Put
the bit in my mouth and turn me your way. Because there is
truly service. There is truly rest. Father,
be with us as we continue. We thank you for the food. We
thank you for the fellowship. We thank you most of all that
it's in the truth of the person and work of your sons. In Christ's
name I ask these things. Amen. Left seat.