Greek: proserchometha (1PPMS) meta alethines kardias en plerophoria pisteos, rerantismenoi (RPPMPN) tas kardias apo suneideseos poneras kai lelousmenoi (RMPMPN) to soma udati katharo
Amplified: Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: let us approach the presence of God with a heart wherein the truth dwells and with the full conviction of faith, with our hearts so sprinkled that they are cleansed from all consciousness of evil and with our bodies washed with pure water. (Westminster Press)
NLT: let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: let us draw near with true hearts and fullest confidence, knowing that our inmost souls have been purified by the sprinkling of his blood just as our bodies are cleansed by the washing of clean water. (Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: let us keep on drawing near with a genuinely true heart in full assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and having had our body washed with pure water.  (Eerdmans) 
Young's Literal: may we draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having the hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having the body bathed with pure water;

LET US DRAW NEAR WITH A SINCERE HEART: proserchometha (1PPMS) meta alethines kardias : (He 4:16; 7:19; Psalms 73:28; Isaiah 29:13; Jeremiah 30:21; James 4:8) (1Kings 15:3; 1Chronicles 12:33; 28:9; 29:17; Psalms 9:1; 32:11; 51:10; 84:11; 94:15; Psalms 111:1;119:2,7,10,34,58,69,80,145; Proverbs 23:26; Jeremiah 3:10; 24:7; Acts 8:21; Ephesians 6:5)

Let us - exhortations in Hebrews (in the NASB). 13x in 12v - Heb 4:1, 11, 14, 16; 6:1; 10:22, 23, 24; 12:1 (2x), He 12:28; 13:13, 15

The writer began this section on the superiority of Christ High Priesthood with almost identical invitation in Hebrews 4:16 Because of the confidence we have from our grand Access and Advocate, “let us draw near..."

Draw near (4334) (proserchomai from prós = facing + érchomai = come) means literally to come facing toward and so to approach or come near. To come to visit or associate with. It describes the approach to or entry into a deity’s presence. In the Septuagint (LXX) proserchomai was the verb used to describe the approach of the priests to Jehovah for worship and to perform of their priestly (Levitical) functions. But here in Hebrews, under the New covenant, all seven uses of  proserchomai refer to believers possessing the privilege of access to God the Father through Christ the Great High Priest.

Proserchomai - 86x in 85v - Matt 4:3, 11; 5:1; 8:2, 5, 19, 25; 9:14, 20, 28; 13:10, 27, 36; 14:12, 15; 15:1, 12, 23, 30; 16:1; 17:7, 14, 19, 24; 18:1, 21; 19:3, 16; 20:20; 21:14, 23, 28, 30; 22:23; 24:1, 3; 25:20, 22, 24; 26:7, 17, 49f, 60, 69, 73; 27:58; 28:2, 9, 18; Mark 1:31; 6:35; 10:2; 12:28; 14:45; Luke 7:14; 8:24, 44; 9:12, 42; 10:34; 13:31; 20:27; 23:36, 52; John 12:21; Acts 7:31; 8:29; 9:1; 10:28; 12:13; 18:2; 22:26f; 23:14; 28:9; 1 Tim 6:3; Heb 4:16; 7:25; 10:1, 22; 11:6; 12:18, 22; 1 Pet 2:4. NAS = agree(1), approached(2), approaching(1), came(64), came forward(2), come(2), comes(1), coming(3), draw near(4), go(1), visit(1), went(6).

It is notable that seven (almost 10% of the NT uses) of this verb are found in Hebrews which clearly make it a key word in this epistle.  -  Heb 4:16 (note); Heb 7:25 (note); Heb 10:1 (note), Heb 10:22 (note); Heb 11:6 (note); Heb 12:18 (note), Heb 12:22 (note)

Sincere (228) (alethinos from alethes = true, one who cannot lie from  a = without + lêthô or lanthanô = to conceal = that which is out in the open) refers to words that conform to facts and thus are true, correct and dependable. And so alethinos describes that which conforms to reality, that which has not only the name and resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name. Alethinos is the opposite of counterfeit, imaginary or pretended. Alethinos speaks of that which measures up to or consists of all that would make a person that which is expected of him or her. And so when alethinos describes people as in this verse, it describes those who are characterized by integrity and trustworthiness, those who are true and dependable.

Sincere describes that which is genuine without superficiality, hypocrisy or ulterior motive.

Alethinos - 28x in 26v - Luke 16:11; John 1:9; 4:23, 37; 6:32; 7:28; 8:16; 15:1; 17:3; 19:35; 1 Thess 1:9; Heb 8:2; 9:24; 10:22; 1 John 2:8; 5:20; Rev 3:7, 14; 6:10; 15:3; 16:7; 19:2, 9, 11; 21:5; 22:6. NAS = sincere(1), true(26), true one(1).

Heart  (2588) (kardia [word study) in Scripture never refers to the physical organ but is always used figuratively to describe the seat and center of human life, the center of one's personality, a person's "control center" which directs and guides the intellect, emotions, and will. 

Paul had dealt with the "heart" of the matter in his discussion of genuine salvation of the Jews writing that...

he is not a Jew who is one outwardly (external obedience, keeping of rituals, etc); neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit (and thus a "spiritual" or supernatural work, a divine surgery of one's heart if you will), not by the letter (the law, the keeping of the law, by which no man can be justified or declared righteous, for no one could ever keep the law perfectly, cp Js 2:10); and his praise is not from men (legalists love to boast and bath in the adulation of others who proclaim them as "so spiritual", when in fact they are really full of "dead men's bones"!), but from God. (Ro 2:28, 29-notes)

Comment: A sincere heart is one that has undergone supernatural "circumcision".

This passage evokes the relationship of heart-obedience to God that Jeremiah envisioned in terms of the "new heart" God would create in his people (Jer 31:33). For the phrase compare the Septuagint (LXX) translation of Isa 38:3 (with a whole heart = en kardia alethine)

We are not to stand far off from God, as the Israelites had to do under the Mosaic Covenant (Nu 18:22) but are, rather, to “draw near.”

This “drawing near” must be the motive for all subsequent action. It includes more than formal prayer, since the present tense infers a continual drawing near. As the wick of a lamp continually draws oil for the light, so let us continually draw from God the strength and grace we need to function.

The nation of Judah, like many individuals, often had come to God with anything but a sincere heart (Jer 3:10). But a day was to come when His people would change (Jer 24:7).From the earliest days of the Old Covenant, God had demanded a sincere heart. “You will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul” (Dt 4:29). The people who find God are those who seek Him with their whole heart, with total genuineness.

There must be inner sincerity from one’s whole being. Although the language is different, the sixth Beatitude carries the same idea, where we are called to be pure in heart (see note Matthew 5:8). There are to be no mixed motives or divided loyalties. There must be pure and unmixed devotion, “sincere” love for God. Jesus makes essentially the same point in Jn 4:23 This is how we are to draw near to God in prayer—real, genuine, absorbed. The preacher sees this as being of key importance to those who are being distracted by the menacing waves. He knows that essential to their survival is the ability to perpetually come to God in prayer that is sincere and wholehearted, true and engaged. If they do this, they will emerge victorious.

G Campbell Morgan writes...

In a previous note (Hebrews 7.25) we considered the fact that the intercessory work of our High Priest is only operative on behalf of those who draw near to God through Him. In these words we are called upon to avail ourselves of the privilege He has created of access to God. It is that possi­bility of approach and access which is the supreme and glorious fact resulting from the work of our Priest. The very nature of this appeal emphasizes this. The one thing we are called upon to do is to draw near. In God, and the eternal order, there is no reason why we should not do so. Everything which excluded men from God has been put away. The rending of the Temple veil at the death of Jesus was symbolic. That which, in its wholeness, had been the symbol of man's exclusion from God through sin, in its rent condition was the symbol of the open way to God. The life of Jesus in its final perfection was a perpetual message to men concerning their unfitness to enter the Divine Presence. Because He lived a life of unbroken fellowship with God, I know that I cannot do so; His fellowship resulted from His being well-pleasing to God. Nothing ever has separated between man and God, save sin. He was sinless, and so lived with God. But the death of Jesus has dealt with my sin, and so has made possible my return to God, my access to Him at all times and under all circumstances. Therefore the appeal tome is not a call to prepare myself, or to make a way for myself to God. It is simply to come, to draw near, to enter in. This I do only through my great High Priest, but this I may do through Him without faltering and without fear. (Morgan, G. C. Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible)

IN FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH: en plerophoria pisteos: (He 10:19; Matthew 21:21,22; Mark 11:23,24; Ephesians 3:12; James 1:6; 1John 3:19,21,22)

Full assurance (4135) (plerophoreo [words study] from pleres = full + phero = to bear or bring) means literally to carry fully and so to bring to fullness or to bring to a full measure. To fill completely. To satisfy fully. To be completely certain or absolutely sure as in Ro 4:21 which speaks of Abraham's faith. To fulfill or fully accomplish as in (2Ti 4:5-note) This verb is frequently  used in the papyri in the sense of finishing off.  All of the meanings of plerophoreo in the NT are figurative and can be divided into either (1) to fulfill, accomplish or achieve, carry out fully or (2) to  be fully convinced, to be wholly certain or to be persuaded as in the present verse. The primary idea is, being filled with a thought or conviction.

Full assurance of faith - Full conviction engendered by faith. Faith is the basis of all right relation to God. The climax of faith is commitment, the follow through if you will. Professing Christ, without commitment to Christ, is not saving faith.

"Full conviction engendered by faith." Vincent

The story is told of a tightrope walker who liked to walk a wire across Niagara Falls-preferably with someone on his back. Many people on the bank expressed complete confidence in his ability to do it, but he always had a difficult time getting a volunteer to climb up on him.

Many people express complete confidence in Christ but never entrust themselves to Him (Note the tragic term "many" and compare with Jesus' fateful words in Mt 7:21-note, Mt 7:22, 23-note!)

See Related Resources:

James 2:14-26 Commentary on Relationship between Faith and Works
Relationship of faith and obedience
Obedience of faith - Roman 1:5, 16:25 - What does it mean?
Fact! Faith! Feeling! - an excellent message from F B Meyer

Faith (4102)(pistis [word study]) is synonymous with trust or belief and is the conviction of the truth of anything, but in Scripture usually speaks of belief  respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it.

See related studies on the specific phrases (1) "the faith" and (2) the "obedience of faith". See also study on pistos

Clearly faith is a key word in Hebrews. Study the 31 uses of pistis in Hebrews in context (click the Scripture links to go to the notes on each verse)...

Hebrews 4:2 - For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

Hebrews 6:1 - Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

Hebrews 6:12 -so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 10:22 - let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:38 - BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN

Hebrews 10:39 - But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:3 - By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:4 - By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Hebrews 11:5 - By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:7 - By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Hebrews 11:8 - By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Hebrews 11:9 - By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

Hebrews 11:11 - By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.

Hebrews 11:13 - All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Hebrews 11:17 - By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

Hebrews 11:20 - By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

Hebrews 11:21 - By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

Hebrews 11:22 - By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

Hebrews 11:23 - By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

Hebrews 11:24 - By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

Hebrews 11:27 - By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

Hebrews 11:28 - By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

Hebrews 11:29 -By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

Hebrews 11:30 - By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

Hebrews 11:31 - By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

Hebrews 11:33 -who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

Hebrews 11:39 - And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

Hebrews 12:2 - fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 13:7 - Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

HAVING OUR HEARTS SPRINKLED CLEAN FROM AN EVIL CONSCIENCE: rerhantismenoi (RPPMPN) as kardia apo suneideseos poneras: (He 10:9, 13,14,19;11:28; 12:24; Leviticus 14:7; Numbers 8:7; 19:18,19; Isaiah 52:15; Ezekiel 36:25; 1Peter 1:2) (John 8:9; 1Timothy 4:2; 1John 3:20)

The perfect tense of sprinkled and washed speak of actions accomplished in past and continuing in the effect/benefit.

"Hearts sprinkled clean" pictures our once for all past tense salvation (the act of having been justified) when we were declared righteous by faith & the Spirit circumcised (Dt 30:6) our hearts (Ro 2:28, 29-note, Colossians 2:11-note, Dt 30:6, Ezekiel 11:19,20, 18:31, 36:26,27) "transplanting" a new heart with this new heart exerting a continuing effect on our current and future behavior and actions (perfect tense).

A T Robertson adds that this is

an evident allusion to the sprinkling of blood in the old tabernacle (He 9:18, 19, 20, 21, 22) and the shedding of Christ’s blood for the cleansing of our consciences (He 10:1, 2, 3, 4, 1:3).

Recalls to mind Moses "sprinkling" the children of Israel in the 1st Covenant (Ex 24:8); High Priest once/year "sprinkling" the Mercy Seat w/ the blood of the sacrificial animal to cover the sins. Under the Old Covenant, when priests (cp 1Pe 2:9-note, Revelation 1:5-note) were consecrated they were sprinkled with blood Ex 29:21, Lv 8:23,24, 30 (1Peter 1:2-note)

We are to come “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water,” which was typical of the high priest who, before he could approach God, had to be sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice and wash his body at the laver. Then, and only then, could he enter the holy of holies with a pure conscience before God. We, too, must experience the cleansing power of Christ’s blood, freeing us from an evil conscience of sin, so that we can come into God’s presence with bold confidence in our worship.

This figure, as we might expect, is taken from the sacrificial ceremonies of the Old Covenant. The priests were continually washing themselves and the sacred vessels in the basins of clear water, and blood was continually being sprinkled as a sign of cleansing. But all the cleansing, whether with water or blood, was external. Only Jesus can cleanse a man’s heart. By His Spirit He cleanses the innermost thoughts and desires.

Take me as I am, Lord,
And make me all Your own;
Make my heart Your palace
And Your royal throne. --Anon.

Conscience (4893)(suneidesis [word study] from sun/syn = with + eido = know) literally means a "knowing with", a co-knowledge with oneself or a being of one's own witness in the sense that one's own conscience "takes the stand" as the chief witness, testifying either to one's innocence or guilt. It describes the witness borne to one's conduct by that faculty by which we apprehend the will of God. (Click for more on conscience)

Suneidesis - 30x in 29v -Acts 23:1; 24:16; Rom 2:15; 9:1; 13:5; 1 Cor 8:7, 10, 12; 10:25, 27ff; 2 Cor 1:12; 4:2; 5:11; 1 Tim 1:5, 19; 3:9; 4:2; 2 Tim 1:3; Titus 1:15; Heb 9:9, 14; 10:2, 22; 13:18; 1 Pet 2:19; 3:16, 21

The conscience is a key word in the epistle to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 9:9 (note) which (the outer tabernacle) is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,

Hebrews 9:14 (note) 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?

Hebrews 10:22 (note) let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 13:18 (note)  Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.

Under the New Covenant, believing Jews who worshiped Jehovah had the guilt was completely gone, and their conscience could rest easy. This refers to the positional truth because of the cleansing provided by the blood of Christ. But there is also a practical (daily practice or sanctification) aspect to the conscience for Paul writes...

I thank God, whom I serve (present tense = continually) with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, (2Ti 1:3-note)

I Want a Principle Within
by Charles Wesley (Play hymn)

I want a principle within of watchful, Godly fear,
A sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near.
Help me the first approach to feel of pride or wrong desire,
To catch the wand’ring of my will and quench the Spirit’s fire.

From Thee that I no more may stray, no more Thy goodness grieve,
Grant me the filial awe, I pray, the tender conscience give.
Quick as the apple of an eye, O God, my conscience make!
Awake my soul when sin is nigh and keep it still awake.

Almighty God of truth and love, to me Thy pow’r impart;
The burden from my soul remove, the hardness from my heart.
O may the least omission pain my reawakened soul,
And drive me to that grace again which makes the wounded whole.

Conscience is God’s spy and man’s overseer. (John Trapp)

Conscience tells us that we ought to do right, but it does not tell us what right is--that we are taught by God's word.

Christopher Morley said about conscience

When Sgt. Ray Baarz of the Midvale, Utah, police department opened his wallet, he noticed his driver's license had expired. Embarrassed at having caught himself red-handed, he had no alternative. He calmly and deliberately pulled out his ticket book and wrote himself a citation. Then Baarz took the ticket to the city judge who fined him five dollars. "How could I give a ticket to anyone else for an expired license in the future if I didn't cite myself?" Baarz asked.

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In a number of languages it would be entirely misleading to speak of `a guilty conscience,' for this would seem to imply that there is something sinful about the conscience itself. In reality, it is the conscience that says that a person is guilty, and therefore it may be necessary to translate Heb10:22 as `with hearts that have been purified from a condition in which their conscience has said that they are guilty.

There is a treasure you can own
That's greater than a crown or throne;
This treasure is a conscience clear
That brings the sweetest peace and cheer.  --Isenhour

See 1Pe 3:19 where Peter is encouraging the believers who are suffering (or will soon go thru a fiery trial) with the doctrinal truth that "baptism now saves you" and he equates this "baptism" not with water baptism of Christianity or ritual Jewish baptismal washing for "purification" but with the obtaining of a "good conscience". And in these verses in Hebrews we see the only way one can obtain a clean conscience is by having one's heart sprinkled (with the blood of Jesus) (1Pe1:2) representing the blood of the New Covenant in which the unregenerate person is born from above and receives a new heart (with a new conscience).

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Our Daily Bread - A Clear Conscience

In 1971 he killed a man. Even though he was the prime suspect in the murder, no one could prove it and the case was abandoned. So, he got away with it. Or did he?  Nearly three decades later, in failing health and living in a nursing home, he confessed to the crime. A detective who headed the original investigation said, "He was looking over his shoulder for the last 26 years, not only for the law, but for his Maker. I think he wants to clear his conscience before he meets his Maker--or try to at least." 

How's your conscience today? Clear or clouded? What would it take to be ready to meet your Maker? How can you be made clean? It may seem strange to speak of blood as a cleansing agent, but that's how the Bible connects the death of Jesus on the cross to our standing before God (Heb. 10:19). Christ shed His blood so that we might be forgiven and made clean inside. Because of what He has done, we can have a clear conscience and "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (v.22). No matter who you are or what you've done, Jesus Christ can give you a clear conscience. Why not confess your sin and make things right with your Maker today. --DCM

Now in His mercy He waits to impart
Peace to the conscience and joy to the heart,
Waits to be gracious, to pardon and heal
All who their guilt and their sinfulness feel. --Anon.

A clear conscience is a soft pillow.

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The 50-Year Desire -- Years ago I was standing by the deathbed of an old minister down in Alabama. The old man had been a preacher for fifty years. I saw his son, who also was a minister, kneel by his father’s bed. “Father, you have preached for fifty years, and have done more good than any man I know.” The old man, with feeble but distinct voice, said: “Don’t tell me about that, son. Tell me about the blood of Jesus. Nothing but the blood of Jesus will do for a dying man.” If a man who had preached for fifty years and who had lived a pure, straight life, in his dying hour had to rely upon the blood of Jesus Christ, don’t you ever think there is any hope for you aside from this atoning blood?

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Example of conscience that cannot be cleansed: Albert Speer was once interviewed about his last book on ABC’s “Good Morning, America.” Speer was the Hitler confidant whose technological genius was credited with keeping Nazi factories humming throughout World War II. In another era he might have been one of the world’s industrial giants. He was the only one of twenty-four war criminals tried in Nuremburg who admitted his guilt. Speer spent twenty years in Spandau prison. The interviewer referred to a passage in one of Speer’s earlier writings: “You have said the guilt can never be forgiven, or shouldn’t be. Do you still feel that way?” The look of pathos on Speer’s face was wrenching as he responded, “I served a sentence of twenty years, and I could say, ‘I’m a free man, my conscience has been cleared by serving the whole time as punishment.’ But I can’t do that. I still carry the burden of what happened to millions of people during Hitler’s lifetime, and I can’t get rid of it. This new book is part of my atoning, of clearing my conscience.” The interviewer pressed the point. “You really don’t think you’ll be able to clear it totally?” Speer shook his head. “I don’t think it will be possible.” For thirty-five years Speer had accepted complete responsibility for his crime. His writings were filled with contrition and warnings to others to avoid his moral sin. He desperately sought expiation. All to no avail.

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Charles Simeon, one of the greatest preachers of the Church of England, explained his coming to Christ like this: As I was reading Bishop Wilson on the Lord’s supper, I met with an expression to this effect—“That the Jews knew what they did, when they transferred their sin to the head of their offering.” The thought came into my mind, “What, may I transfer all my guilt to another? Has God provided an Offering for me, that I may lay my sins on His head? Then, God willing, I will not bear them on my own soul one moment longer.” Accordingly I sought to lay my sins upon the sacred head of Jesus.

AND OUR BODIES WASHED WITH PURE WATER: kai lelousmenoi (RMPMPN) to soma hudati katharo: (He 9:10; Exodus 29:4; Leviticus 8:6; Ezekiel 16:9; 36:25; Zechariah 13:1; Matthew 3:11; John 3:5; John 13:8-10; 1Corinthians 6:11; 2Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5; 1Peter 3:21; Revelation 1:5) (cp Jn 13:8, 9, 10, Ep 5:26; Titus 3:5)

PERFECT tense of participles ("SPRINKLED…WASHED") = actions accomplished in past and continuing in the effect/benefit. Aaron began his service with washing Lv8:6 and they were constantly "washing" at the bronze laver.

The imagery in this verse is taken from the sacrificial ceremonies of the Old Covenant, where blood was sprinkled as a sign of cleansing, and the priests were continually washing themselves and the sacred vessels in basins of clear water. The “washing with pure water” does not refer to Christian baptism, but to the Holy Spirit’s purifying one’s life by means of the Word of God (cf. Ep5:25,26; Titu3:5). This is purely a New Covenant picture (Je31:33; Eze36:25,26).

In LXX hudor katharon = "pure water," is expression for water used in RITUAL PURIFICATION (Nu5:17 "holy water" cp prophesy in Eze36:25). Washings were commonly alluded to in OT: (cf. Lv14:9; 15:11, 13, 16, 27; 16:4, 24, 26; Nu19:7,v8).

See Ep 5:26 and Titus 3:5 for the use of loutron related to louo used in this verse.

Hebrews 9:13,14 contrasts EXTERNAL RITUAL cleansing (v13) with the INTERNAL CLEANSING provided by THE BLOOD OF CHRIST (v14), this cleansing reaching to the conscience and making possible the (latreuo = worshipful) service of God.

Another example of the danger of reading commentaries and not reading what God says: Word Biblical Commentary makes the following statement re "washed with pure water": "The reference in v22b is almost certainly to CHRISTIAN BAPTISM…." This interpretation however does not fit well with the contextual flow of the book. The author has been trying to move the reader away from EXTERNAL ritual (cp Heb9:13,14) and to the REALITY and sufficiency of the PROPITIATORY effect of Christ's once for all sacrifice. Why would he so quickly interject an external work like baptism? Witness my own personal case where I was baptized at least twice BEFORE I was actually regenerated by the Spirit at age 39. Certainly baptism is commanded & true believers should joyously receive water baptism but it does not make the recipient more acceptable in the throne room of God. Our acceptability before God's Throne is based ONLY on the sufficiency and eternality of Christ's blood sacrifice.

Robertson says in regard to whether writer meant to refer to baptism "quite doubtful".

Vincent comments:

"Most, expositors refer to baptism. The most significant passage in that direction is 1Pe 3:21; comp. Eph 5:26; Titus 3:5. It may be, though I doubt if the idea is emphasized. I incline, with Dr. Bruce, to think that it indicates generally the thoroughness of the cleansing process undergone by one who surrenders himself, soul, body, and spirit, to God." Kindred spirits!

Vincent comments:

This qualification for a right approach to God is stated typologically. As the priests were sprinkled with the sacrificial blood and washed with water before ministering, so do you who have now the privilege and standing of priests in approaching God, draw near, priest like, as sharers in an economy which purges the conscience (Heb 9:14), having your consciences purged. Your own hearts must experience the effects of the great sacrifice of Christ,—pardon, moral renewal, deliverance from a legal spirit. On the priesthood of believers see [1Pe 2:5, 9; Ex 19:6; Isa 61:6]. This idea is dominated in our epistle by that of Christ’s priesthood; but it is not excluded, and is implied throughout. [Heb 13:15].

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F B Meyer...
 

THE WITNESS OF CONSCIENCE
Ro2:15

CONSCIENCE HOLDS the mirror to the inner life, and shows us just what we are in the light of God's infinite purity and righteousness. The word is derived from the Latin con, with; scio, I know. Conscience is what a man knows with or against himself.

Sometimes we can meet ourselves with a smile; this is what we term a good conscience; at other times we do not like to meet ourselves, but feel ashamed--we cannot deceive ourselves, or hoodwink conscience. We know, and we know that we know, that this is right and that wrong; this is good, and that evil. Conscience is an ill bed-fellow, says the old proverb, and when we are troubled with evil dreams, turning, tossing, starting up in fear, rest becomes impossible. It is very necessary to keep on good terms with your conscience, and we do not wonder that the Apostle made it his aim to preserve a conscience void of offence towards God and man (Acts 24:16).

LET US HOLD FAST: katechomen (1PPAS): (Heb 3:6,14; 4:14; Revelation 3:11) (James 1:6)

Let us - exhortations in Hebrews (in the NASB). 13x in 12v - Heb 4:1, 11, 14, 16; 6:1; 10:22, 23, 24; 12:1 (2x), He 12:28; 13:13, 15

Hold fast (occupy, restrain, possess) (2722) (katecho [word study] from katá = intensifies meaning + écho = have, hold) means to retain as by avoiding the relinquishing of something. It was used literally of holding one to keep them from going (Lk 4:42). Katecho was used figuratively in this verse (cp similar use in 1Co 15:2-note) meaning to adhere firmly to the teaching, one's convictions, and one's beliefs. Please do not misunderstand what the writer is teaching. Our salvation is kept by Christ’s holding us fast, not primarily by our holding Him fast. Our holding onto Him is evidence that He is holding onto us! The present tense calls for the hearer to keep on holding on to the One Who will never leave us nor forsake us.

Hold fast is literally “hold down” and speaks of a firm hold which masters that which is held. Holding on is the human side of eternal security. The Reformers called it “the perseverance of the saints”, a topic with which not everyone agrees but which has Biblical support (cp He 3:6-note, He 3:14-note, He 4:11-note, He 6:11-note, He 10:38, 39-note). Holding on is not something believers do to keep themselves saved, but it is evidence from the human perspective that one is saved. Unsaved people would not keep on holding on, especially when the going gets "tough" and persecution begins to rise. They are like those Jesus described in His parable of the "soils"...

Mark 4:16 "And in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy 17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when (not "if", but "when" = when you stand for Jesus, everything that stands against Him, stands against you! cp Jn 15:18, 19, 20; 2Ti 3:12-note, Php 1:29-note) affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.

Steadfast faith marks the elect. Persistence and hope characterize members of God's family. (holding fast to the end - see Mt 10:22, 24:13,Lk 8:15, 2Jn 9, Col 1:23-note,  1Co 15:2-note, Rev 2:25-note, Re 3:11-note).

The greatest American theologian Jonathan Edwards once said that the sure proof of election is that one holds out to the end.

How sad that many individuals come to Christ and say they believe and yet are gone so soon. Mass evangelistic campaigns that have followed up the "decisions" several years latter usually reveal a significant number who fail to hold fast.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus described four kinds of soil representing four different responses to the sowing of the seed of the Gospel. Some people are so far from wanting salvation that the devil simply takes away the seed of God’s Word before it has time to germinate (Mt 13:19). Others hearers respond with joy when they hear the Word, but their “belief” is only short lived and they fall away when their holding fast to the Word begins to bring affliction or persecution (which it will always bring! - Mt 13:20, 21). Others hear the Word but the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the Word (Mt 13:22), so that they bring forth no spiritual fruit (cp how to discern false teachers - Mt 7:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20). The fourth group constitutes genuine believers who hear the "word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance” (Lk 8:15, Mt 13:23).

We see a similar description of "belief" that falls short of salvation  in John 2, during the first Passover when “many believed in His name, beholding His signs which He was doing.” But Jesus, knowing their hearts were not with Him, “was not entrusting Himself to them” (Jn 2:23, 24). Jesus could see their hearts and knew they were not sincere believers See also Jn 8:30,31, and compare it with the actions of this same group of Jews in Jn 8:58, 59 (and Jesus' assessment of their "belief" in Jn 8:44, 50).

To reiterate holding fast to the confession is not a meritorious work and in no way keeps one saved, any more than good works can save a person. But both holding fast and good works are evidence that one is genuinely saved.

Professor William M. Marston of New York University asked three thousand people, “What have you to live for?” He was shocked to discover that 94 percent were simply enduring the present while they waited for the future…waited for “something to happen”…waited for “next year”… waited for a “better time”… waited for “someone to die”… waited “for tomorrow.” So many people live on so little, surviving in this world, just putting one foot in front of the other as they depend on unsubstantiated, ungrounded “hope.”

Draw near in FAITH
Hold fast your HOPE
Encourage to LOVE

THE CONFESSION OF OUR HOPE WITHOUT WAVERING: ten homologian tes elpidos akline:

HOLDING FAST "WITHOUT WAVERING" is itself an act of confession, even when no words are spoken

Confession (3671)(homologia [word study] from homoú = together with + légo = say) means literally to say the same and so to agree in one's statement.

All true Christians “say the same thing” when it comes to their experience of salvation. These Hebrew Christians had confessed Jesus as their Apostle and High Priest. They do not begin to understand Who Jesus is and means if they are tempted to give Him up.

Homologia has strong legal connotations. A person can confess to a charge in court and thus openly acknowledge guilt. Or one may agree with a court order and thus make a legally binding commitment to abide by it. This last sense is implied in passages that call on us to acknowledge Jesus. We are to express our binding commitment to Jesus publicly and thus acknowledge our relationship to him as our Lord.

The apostle John puts the importance of this issue succinctly writing that
 

"No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also" (1John 2:23).

Commitment to Jesus brings us into full relationship with God.

Homologia is a key word in Hebrews (see below) with an urgent appeal to HOLD FAST.

Hebrews 3:1 (note) - Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession;

Hebrews 4:14 (note) - Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Hebrews 10:23 (note) - Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

The confession of our hope - Hope = Desire of some good with an expectation of obtaining it. Even when faith falters, hope comes to the rescue. Hope is analogous to a "long rope" (a "spiritual rope") that keeps us attached to the sovereignty and power of God. Victory over present circumstances comes when you focus on your eternal inheritance and praise God regardless of your circumstances. A Christian's hope is grounded on the historical facts of the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession (He 7:25-note) of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so the believer's hope is sure, steadfast and anchored within the veil (see He 6:18, 19, 20-see note He 6:18; 19; 20) at the right hand of the Father's Throne in heaven.

And so the storms of life, pressure to conform to this world, the persistent passions of our fallen flesh, keep battering us like a ship on a stormy sea, and yet the Anchor holds! Jesus is our Rock. Let us pray for one another that we will finish well, holding fast to Truth.

No sailor would take an ocean voyage in a ship without an anchor, because they understand that  situations might arise when the "hope" of the ship will depend not so much on the captain, etc, but on the integrity of the anchor. When all people and systems fail, there remains a steadfast hope in the anchor.

We see this principle in the OT, where the generation which left Egypt, quickly returned in their hearts to Egypt. The writer desires that his undecided, wavering or simply professing Jewish hearers, might hold fast.  Apparently, a number of the Jewish readers were wavering between genuine faith in Messiah versus returning to the Law and the Old Covenant rituals.

Hope (1680) (elpis)  in Scripture is not the world's definition of "I hope so", with a few rare exceptions (e.g., Acts 27:20) but is is an absolute certainty of future good. Hope is defined as a desire for some future good with the expectation of obtaining it. Hope is confident expectancy. Hope is the looking forward to something with some reason for confidence respecting fulfillment. See related study on the Believer's Blessed Hope.

“a pathological belief in the occurrence of the impossible.”

“Abandon all hope, you who enter here!”

"looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus."  (Titus 2:13-note).

“But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1Cor 13:13; see note 1Thessalonians 1:3; 5:8; Gal 5:5, 6; Ep 1:15, 16, 17, 18-see notes Ep 1:15 16; 17; 18, Ep 4:2, 3, 4, 5-see notes Ep 4:2; 3; 4; 5; Col 1:4,5- notes; He 10:22, 23, 24-see notes He 10:22; 10:23; 10:24; 1Pe 1:21, 22- see notes 1Pe 1:21; 22).

"God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1Th 5:8).

Hope as you can see is a deep well, which is well worth lingering over if you have time. To renew your mind with this great Biblical truth go over the following Scriptures, asking what each teaches about the "source" of hope, the stabilizing effect of the truth, the sanctifying effect, etc. --; ;(Job 8:13, 27:8, Ps 31:24,; 42:5, 6, 71:5,;119:49, 50;130:7, 146:5, Pr 10:28, 13:12 ;Jer 14:8, 29:11; Jn 5:45 Acts 2:26,;23:6, 24:15, 26:6, 28:20; Ro 4:18, 5:1, 2; 8:25, 12:12, 15:4, 13 1Co 13:13, 15:19, 21, 22, 23 2Cor 3:12 Ep 1:15, 16, 17, 18, 2:12 4:2, 3, 4, 5; ;Gal 5:5, 6 Col 1:4, 5, 1:27, ;1Th 1:3 2:19; 4:13, 14,1 5, 16, 17, 18, 5:8; 2Th 2:16 1Ti 1:1; Titus 2:11, 12, 13; 3:7 He 6:11; 6:18, 19, 20, 7:19, 10:22, 23, 24; 1Pe 1:3, 1:21,22; 3:15; 1Jn 2:25; 1Jn 3:2, 3 ; Jude 1:21)

FOR HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL: pistos gar o epaggeilamenos: (He 6:18; 11:11; 1Corinthians 1:9; 10:13; 1Thessalonians 5:24; 2Thessalonians 3:3; Titus 1:2)

In this passage the writer emphasizes the complete reliability of God (He 6:17, 18-see notes He 6:17; 6:18). He can be trusted to complete the good work He began. His promise is absolutely certain because "it is impossible for God to lie" (He 6:18-note). To place one's unwavering trust in the unwavering God is not a gamble, but a sure thing. The practical effect of trusting God's trustworthiness is that our fears tend to dissipate.

I love Jesus' Name at the end of the Great Tribulation, when Christ returns as the one Who is "Faithful and True" (Rev 19:11-note)

Faithful (4103) (pistos from peítho = to persuade - induce one by words to believe, have confidence) is something or someone who is worthy of faith or keeps promises and is applied to God, humans, His Word, etc

"It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do." 1Ti 3:1

In this passive sense of trustworthy or faithful, pistos is applied to God as fulfilling His own promises (He 10:23-note; He 11:11-note), as fulfilling the purpose for which He called men (1Th 5:24-note; 1Cor 1:9), as responding with guardianship to the trust reposed in Him by men (1Cor 10:13-note; 1Pe 4:19-note). Christ is faithful (2Thes 3:3; He 3:2-note; He 2:17-note Revelation 19:11-note) Christ as the faithful witness (Rev 1:5; Re 3:14). God’s and Christ's faithfulness in these verses speak not only of His essential being (faithful is Who He is), but also of His faithfulness toward us, as shown for example in the famous verse

Our Daily Bread - "A young paratrooper admitted that he had been frightened the first time he jumped. There was nothing but a big piece of fabric between him and death. What if that fabric accidentally tore apart? What if his ripcord didn't work and the parachute failed to open? But when he jumped, everything functioned perfectly. Supported by that life-preserving umbrella over his head, the man floated earthward. He said, "I had a release from fear and a marvelous feeling of exhilaration." What about the promises God makes in the Bible? Will they uphold us in times of crisis? It all depends on whether we believe them to be God's promises--not merely printed words, black marks on white paper, nor simply the guesses of fallible human beings like ourselves. Because they are the promises of God, we can cling to them with assurance. This will bring relief from fear and impart a deep inner peace. Throughout the ages, our God has been trusted millions upon millions of times. And He has never been proven untrustworthy. So let's trust Him today and add our personal testimony to that of the countless host of fellow believers who have found that our promise-keeping God is unfailingly faithful. --VCG (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Standing on the Promises
Click to play

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. --Carter

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There was once a young boy whose dad left him on a downtown corner one morning and told him to wait there until he returned in about half an hour. But the father’s car broke down and he could not get to a phone. Five hours went by before the father managed to get back, and he was worried that his son would be in a state of panic. But when the father got there, the boy was standing in front of the dime store, looking in the window and rocking back and forth on his heels. When the father saw him, he ran up to him and threw his arms around him and hugged and kissed him. The father apologized and said, “Weren’t you worried? Did you think I was never coming back?” The boy looked up and replied, “No, Dad. I knew you were coming. You said you would.”

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PROMISE KEEPERS - He who promised is faithful.- Hebrews 10:23

Joe was a behind-the-scenes kind of person - quiet, unassuming, often unnoticed. To see him, you wouldn't think he had been carrying a heavy burden for more than 11 years. But Joe carried it well.

Every so often I would think about Joe. I hardly knew him, but just knowing what he had to live with encouraged my faith in God. Joe was being faithful to his wife, who for 11 years lay in the hospital following brain surgery. With the exception of just 2 or 3 days, Joe visited her in the hospital every day until she died.

Such unfailing fidelity is the stuff God-fearing men and women are made of. It's the fruit of the Spirit rooted in the hearts of people who hold firm to God's love through life's trials. And when you talk with these people, they take no credit for their fidelity but give God all the credit. One Sunday at church before Joe's wife died, I told him what an inspiration he was to me. He said humbly, "It's all by God's grace."

As we appropriate God's grace in Jesus Christ and persevere in faith, He gives us what we need to keep the promises we make according to His will. And when one day He says to us, "Well done," we will respond, "It's all because You were faithful in keeping Your promises to us." Dennis J. DeHaan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

In scenes exalted or depressed,
Thou art our joy and Thou our rest;
Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise,
Adored through all our changing days.- Doddridge

Because God is faithful to us,
we can be faithful to our promises.

GOD IS A FAITHFUL PROMISER - It has been said that God’s promises are dated in heaven. And since we know only “in part,” as the Bible says (I Cor. 13:12), we don’t always know then they will be fulfilled. But that shouldn’t matter, for we do have the confidence that God will keep them. Suppose a wealthy man were to give you a note saying, “Sometime in the future, a time I’ve decided upon, you will receive $50,000 that I have set aside for you.” Although you might become impatient as you wait for the money, you confidently expect to get it. But if that same man were to say, “If everything works out, I might give you $50,000,” you’d expect the money only if he didn’t go bankrupt, change his mind, forget his promise, or die. Of course, the first situation carries the greatest certainty. And that’s the way it is in God’s economy. He dates, as it were, many of His promises according to His sovereign will and in keeping with His perfect knowledge of what is best for us. This in no way diminishes the value of God’s promises, for He backs them all with the infinite riches of His character. He never changes His mind. He never forgets His word. He never dies. God may seem to delay the fulfillment of a promise, but we can be encouraged that every promise is as good as His word.

Most of us have come to the end of our resources and then have discovered that at the right time and in the right way God imparted His strength. He was neither slow nor tardy. So don’t be discouraged, Christian. Keep on claiming the promises. God is the faithful Promiser. - P. R. Van Gorder. (Ibid)

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Wait for the Promises - Suppose a wealthy man were to give you a note saying, "Sometime in the future, a time I've decided upon, you will receive fifty thousand dollars that I have set aside for you." Although you might become impatient as you wait for the money, you would confidently expect to get it. But if that same man were to say, "If everything works out, I might give you fifty thousand dollars" you'd expect the money only if he didn't go bankrupt, change his mind, forget his promise, or die. The first situation carries the greatest certainty.

That's the way it is in God's economy. His promises are dated in heaven. And since we know only "in part" (1Co 13:12), we don't always know when they will be fulfilled. But that doesn't matter, for we do have the confidence that God will keep them. Nor does this diminish the value of God's promises, for He backs them all with the infinite riches of His character. He never changes. He never forgets His Word. He never dies. God may seem to delay the fulfillment of a promise, but we can be encouraged that every promise is as good as His word.

Most of us have come to the end of our resources. And there we have discovered that God, at the right time and in the right way, imparted His strength. He was neither slow nor tardy. So we need not be discouraged. We can keep on claiming the promises. God is the faithful promiser. —P. R. Van Gorder (Ibid)

Our prospects are as bright as the promises of God.

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As Good As His Word - Insurance agent Ken Specht had called on Medicus Robertson at the TV store where he worked. Robertson agreed to purchase a $5,000 life insurance policy, which would double in value in case of his accidental death. Mr. Specht said that his company would cover the client until the formal policy application could be issued.

Just then an irate customer burst through the door and shot Robertson, killing him instantly. The insurance company later paid the widow $10,000, minus the $10.50 premium Robinson had not paid. Instead of seeking a legal loophole, the agent kept his word.

We who have put our trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation can be sure that God will keep His word. Because "He who promised is faithful" (He 10:23), the author of Hebrews encouraged believers to boldly "draw near" to God, confident that He has accepted us and our sins have been forgiven (He 10:22). And we are to encourage one another to be faithful to Him because we know that He will one day return for us (He 10:24, 25).

We have a hope that is based on the trustworthy promises of God. Our future is secure. God has always proven Himself to be as good as His word. --D C Egner (Ibid)

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. --Carter

To trust in God is not a gamble,
it's a sure thing.

MARTIN LUTHER HELD FAST AT WORMS - Still, Luther had deeply rocked the boat of the church world. The full imposing might of a papal council was called against him; they summoned him before them to Worms, demanding he recant. Terrified, some of his best friends left him. Yet Luther set his face like a flint. He bravely set out for the trial with a: "If there be as many devils at Worms as tiles on the roof-tops, I will enter!" There on that awesome day they pointed to a row of his books; he was asked whether he would retract them or not? Faced with the combined might of his intellectual and theological peers, his courage almost failed him. He requested time to think it over. They gave him a day. Friends came to encourage him and next afternoon he was once more before the assembly. He acknowledged in the heat of controversy, he had expressed himself too strongly against persons. But the substance of what he had written he could not retract, unless convinced of its wrongfulness by Scripture or adequate argument. The Emperor could hardly believe someone, would dare deny the infallibility of a general council and cut the discussion short. Eck, a chief Church official, told him (in Latin) "Martin, your plea to be heard from Scripture is the one always made by heretics. You do nothing but renew the errors of Wycliffe and Huss . .. would you put your judgment above that of so many famous men and claim you know more than any of them? . . . I ask you, Martin - answer candidly and without distinctions - do you or do you not repudiate your books and the errors they contain?" In German Luther replied, ". . . Unless I am convicted by the testimony of Sacred Scripture or by evident reason . . . my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against my conscience is neither right nor safe." Then, fully prepared to die for what he believed, Luther supposedly cried out the words engraved on his memorial at Worms: "Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me. Amen."

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F B Meyer...
 

JESUS, THE MEDIATOR
OF A NEW COVENANT
 

THIS IS called the Better Covenant. There are no ifs; no injunctions of "'observe to do"; no conditions of obedience to be fulfilled. From first to last it consists of the I Wills of the Most High.

I will put my laws into their minds, refers to the intellectual faculty, which thinks, remembers, and reasons.

I will write them upon their hearts, the seat of the emotional life and affections. What a man loves, he is pretty certain to follow and obey. "A little lower," said the dying veteran, as they probed for the bullet, "and you will find the Emperor." So with the Christian who has been taken into the Covenant with God, the law is inscribed on the deepest affections of his being. He obeys because he loves.

I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people. This last clause is even better than the first, because it implies the keeping power of God. If we are to be a people for His peculiar possession, it can only result from the operation of His gracious Spirit, who keeps us, as the sun restrains the planets from becoming wandering stars.

All shall know Me. Oh, wonder of wonders. Can it be? To know God! To know Him as Abraham did, to whom He told His secrets; as Moses did, who conversed with Him face to face; or as the Apostle John did when he beheld Him in the visions of the Apocalypse. And that this privilege should be within the reach of the least!

I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their sins will I remember no more. As a score is forgotten when blotted from a slate, so shall sin be obliterated from the memory of God. It will be forgotten as a debt paid years ago.

Do you ask how God can call this a covenant, in which there is no second covenanting party? The answer is easy: Jesus Christ has stood in our stead, and has not only negotiated this covenant, but has fulfilled in our name, and on our behalf, all the conditions which were necessary and fight. He has become our Sponsor and Surety, so God is able to enter into these liberal terms with us, if we will identify ourselves with Him by a living faith. This is the new and better covenant.

PRAYER - Holy Father! I claim from Thee the fulfilment of Thy Covenant Promise, that Thou shouldst write Thy law upon my heart, and remember my sins and iniquities no more. May I hear Thee say: "Thy faith hath saved thee; Go, and sin no more!" AMEN (F. B. Meyer. Our Daily Walk)

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THE RECEPTIVITY OF FAITH

"'Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith."--Heb. 10:22.
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith."--Eph. 3:17.

FAITH IS our power of appropriation. The pity is that we are so slow to make use of our Lord s resources! He does not force Himself upon us. Though He brings with Him gold tried in the fire that we may be enriched, and white raiment for our clothing, and eye-salve for our blindness; and though He knows how urgently we need these things, He will not force them on our acceptance. Rather, He stands and knocks, as a travelling merchant knocks at the door, who has wares to dispose of, and we need to open the door and receive the gifts which are offered, without money and without price (Rev. 3:18, 19, 20; Isa. 55:1, 2).

Faith is our reception of the spiritual to make good the lack of the physical. It is a drawing on the Eternal for the deficiencies of our earthly pilgrimage. Probably when we look back on our present life, we shall find that our deficiencies were permitted, and even assigned, that we might be driven to avail ourselves of the fullness of the Lord Jesus (John 1:16; Eph. 3:19). We were allowed to wander in the sultry heat, that we might know Him as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary land; we were exposed to wild tempests and storms, that we might make for alcoves and harbours in Him that we should otherwise have missed.

It has been truly observed that Job's rebellious moods arose when he thought that God was afar off, but there was a difference when he realised that God was suffering with him. Remember that you are not divided from God by a deep chasm. He knows your sorrows. In all your afflictions He is afflicted. We have not a High Priest, who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. When Jesus saw the sisters weeping, He not only succoured them, but entered into their distress, and wept with them.

Are you weary with burdens that are crushing you? Is your lot cast with them that hate peace? Is your heart oppressed with loneliness? Take Jesus into account. Don't face your difficulties alone, but meet them in the fellowship of your Saviour. Have faith, i.e., reckon on God. Let the Lord Christ dwell in your heart, and He will be responsible for all, as you reckon on Him for all.

PRAYER - O Lord, I open my nature, and since my capacity is small, I pray that by love and faith, by patience and suffering, Thou wilt enlarge my heart, that it may be filled with all the fullness of God. AMEN. (F. B. Meyer. Our Daily Walk)
 

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THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT--FAITH
Hebrews 10:23

FAITH IS an attribute of the heart, rather than of the head. It is largely intuitive in its first promptings. It is impossible to argue men into faith. Do not think, discuss, or reason too much about Faith, or you will miss it. It is like Love in this, that when you turn the dissecting knife on it for the purpose of analysis, its spirit and life vanish, leaving only the faded relics of what was once a thing of beauty and a joy for ever. If, however, turning from Faith to any object which is worthy of it, you concentrate heart and mind there, almost unconsciously Faith will have arisen and thriven to maturity.

Faith has two kinds of objective, first a person, and secondly a statement. When we are drawn powerfully towards a person, so as to feel able to entrust our soul, our destiny, our most precious possessions to His care, with an inward feeling of tranquillity and certainty that all is safe with Him, and that He will do better for us than we could do for ourselves, that is faith.

We may be attracted by a statement, which appeals to our moral sense; it is consistent with the decisions of our conscience; or perhaps, as the utterance of One in whom we repose utter confidence, it commends itself to us for His sake. We accept that statement; we rest on it. We believe that what it attests as fact either did happen or will happen. We are as sure of it as though we have been able to attest it by our senses of sight, hearing, or touch. That also is faith. "Faith is a well grounded assurance of that for which we hope, and a conviction of the reality of the unseen" (Heb. 11:1. Weymouth).

We must indicate a difference between this faith and "the faith once delivered to the saints." The former is the heart that accepts, and the hand that reaches out to obtain; the latter is the body of Truth to be accepted.

Out of faith comes faithfulness. Faith is your trust in another; faithfulness is your worthiness to be trusted. A faithful soul, one that can be absolutely relied upon, is of great price. Nothing so quickens our faith as to meditate on God's absolute trustworthiness. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him."

PRAYER - Give us faith in Thy love that never wearies or faints. Whatever else we doubt, may we never question the perfectness of Thy lovingkindness. Fulfil in US the good pleasure of Thy will, and the work o f faith with power. AMEN.