Hebrews 10:22-24 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience… Of course, the expression "sprinkled" is metaphorical. It means that we must receive into our hearts a sense and full belief of the efficacy of the death of Jesus Christ to cancel all our guilt and condemnation, and of the power of the Holy Spirit to make us yet good and holy and fit for the presence of God. And when we use the word "sprinkled," it is to convey the excessive strength and efficacy and virtue of the grace of God — so that even though we may not yet be flooded with that spiritual "blood" and that spiritual "water," its very drops will do the work I And if only you let your heart be imbued with the love of Jesus Christ and the faith which is in Him, and if you accept the gentle distillings of the Holy Ghost upon your soul, you shall be saved — saved from the torment of your own conscience now, and from "the worm that dieth not, and the fire that never shall be quenched" hereafter — because then the conscience that you are in Christ — and the conscience which God will give you of His perfect pardon and love — will entirely neutralise and destroy all power to hurt and distress you — in the conscience of all the sins you have ever done; and "the sprinkled heart" will kill the venom of "an evil conscience." That gnawing canker! that dogging fear! that burden too heavy to be borne! that black future! There they are! Who sent them? God. And why did He send them? Because He loves you. And who shall take them away? God. Only God. Place yourself under the "sprinkling"; if you cannot, ask Him to place you. Beg the great High Priest to "sprinkle" you; to do it at once, because you are at the worst, and just going to die. The "water" and the "blood" are always in His hand. And He is always pouring them out. Only lay bare your secret. Then open your heart of hearts to take it in. (J. Vaughan, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. |
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