In Hebrews 9, the author is showing the superiority of Christ as our sacrifice for sin over the Old Covenant sacrifices. “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews9:13–14NASB1995 Under the Old Covenant, a person’s flesh was cleansed from being defiled. However, under the New Covenant, even your conscience has been cleansed from dead works. It wasn’t just an outward cleansing, it was a cleansing right down to our very spirits.
Reading on in the chapter we understand again that at just the right time, the consummation of the ages, Jesus bore all sin, once for all. “Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” Hebrews9:26–28NASB1995 We hear again, that it was a cleansing right down to our spirit.
We are eagerly awaiting the return of Christ, because we love him and have no fear for our sins, since they have all been atoned for by Jesus once for all.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, our Great High Priest and saving sacrifice, thank you for atoning work that saved me and took away all my sins. Help me encounter and share this Good News with those whose consciences are burdened with the weight of their sins. Amen.
Thinking About and Being a Child of God 