The New and Living Way 

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10: 19 to 25) 

Christ died for our sins. So, we should feel sanctified and perfected. However, our conscience would tell us otherwise. The Bible describes the conscience as below. 

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. (Romans 2: 14 15) 

The conscience tells us what is right from wrong. Yet, it is based on our own knowledge of good and evil which is ambiguous and deceiving. Especially, the knowledge of good and evil itself is sin. So, even though we are saved, we are still bound by sin to feel sinful. Don’t even mention that the devil is attacking us through our conscience constantly. However, it doesn’t mean that conscience is bad for us, we need to do without it. What we need to do is to know if there is a better way than our own ways. In the Bible, God describes His own thoughts and ways as below. 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55: 8 to 12) 

God not only proclaimed that His thoughts and ways are far superior to ours but also promised that His thoughts and ways would bring us abundant blessings and joys. However, to follow God’s will is not easy as the Bible describes below. 

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7: 18 to 20) 

So, we will need an extra help, the Holy Spirit as described in the Bible below. 

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5: 16 17) 

The Spirit will lead us to avoid those basic issues for our conscience as described below. 

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5: 18 to 21) 

Then the Spirit will grow the fruit to fill our inner heart as described below.  

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5: 22 23) 

The last but not the least is to lead us to be crucified with Christ as described below. 

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5: 24) 

Then we can live as described below. 

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5: 25 26) 

Eventually, we will have the hope as described below. 

For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. (Galatians 5: 5) 

This is the new and living way to stir us up one another to love and good works as the Day draws near. Emmanuel. 

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