Have you ever conveniently ignored a rule or set of instructions? Maybe you parked in a no-parking zone and justified it because you would “only be a sec” and come right back. Maybe you dropped the ball on a task at work for which you were responsible. Maybe your parents grounded you, and you went behind their backs, thinking that you wouldn’t get caught.

And perhaps, you got away with it. It could be that your transgression went completely undetected – no blame, no fuss, no problem … or, is it?

In Hebrews 10, the early church is reminded to press on in their faith, despite push-back from unbelievers. I find it interesting that although much of the chapter does talk about perseverance and standing strong in the face of opposition, a big chunk of the passage deals with sin and guilt. What do guilt and faith have to do with each other?

The author tells us in verse 22 that we need to draw close to God with open hearts, but in order to be sincere, our guilty consciences need to be cleared. How can we become all that God has planned for us if we are clinging to sin? We have to let God wash our hearts clean so that we can become more intimate with him. I love the way The Message paraphrase describes this process as becoming “presentable inside and out.”

The purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice was not to condemn us; we did a knock-out job of that already by our sin. Instead, his gift to us is a thorough heart-scrubbing that will wash our guilty consciences clean. Only after we’ve owned up to our failings and accepted his forgiveness can we enjoy the guilt-free life that he wants us to have.