What Would You Do To Have A Clear Conscience?
Another attempt to show that doctrine has everything to do with all of life
The Problem
What would you do to have a clear conscience?
Maybe you feel the humiliation of sin. You might be characterized by the regularly bowed head of shame. You might experience the not infrequent shuddering or shivering due to painful thoughts of sinful desires. You might even long to hide from others, self, and God. You might also feel the harassing and debilitating reminders of the sins of others against you.
Maybe you feel the regret of sin. You constantly sigh in self-loathing when thoughts of the past come up. You lose your appetite whenever you see something that reminds you of what you’ve done. Maybe you have long lived a life of wincing in pain of conscience that you’ve developed substance abuse to numb yourself.
Maybe you feel shame for sin. When you’re lying in bed with only your thoughts you end up tossing and turning all night with little sleep. You live either desperately trying to prove yourself so that others will respect you or you’re always avoiding any in-depth conversations because you’re panicking over the thought of them finding out who you really are. The shame might be so prominent that you almost feel like you can’t go on—maybe you even have a plan.
What would you do to have a clear conscience?
Not The Problem-Solver
Jordan Peterson is a popular name today. He has become popular for many things but one current trend is his teaching on various portions of the Bible. But, there is a major problem with his teaching. Jordan Peterson only sees the Bible and Christianity for psychological well-being and self-improvement. This well-being and self-improvement might end up causing much good to broader society. But, Peterson doesn’t believe in the central, crucial, and creedal doctrines of the Bible that actually make Christianity what it is. The problem is this: If Jesus Christ is not a historic, actual, real man who was truly conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a legitimate virgin, and if He did not live a perfectly obedient life to then take sin upon Himself on the Cross to make actual atonement to God, and if He did not die a real physical death and rise to a real physical resurrection (both body and soul)—if this is not historical, actual, and real then Christianity is nothing. There is no real psychological gain from something that didn’t really occur. That is what we call an illusion.
The True Problem-Solver
The rock-solid, unalterable, never changing good news of the Bible is that Jesus Christ really is truly God and truly Man and He actually lived a historic life among us 2,000 years ago to accomplish our salvation. And why did He have to do this? Because sin is not some psychological illusion but real, actual, historic cosmic treason that must be dealt with.
Why is this crucial for us? Why bring this up in the middle of a discussion about humiliation, regret, and shame? Because if Jesus really is who He is and if He really has done what He has done then He is our Priest. And if Jesus Christ really is a Priest then He really can give you a clear conscience. There is a real Savior for real sinners with real sin in need of real salvation.
There might be many other things that need to be worked out. There might be questions about sins that need to be confessed and repented of. There might be discussions that need to be had about spiritual warfare, depression, or misguided thinking about what the gospel really is. But, above all, if we are going to have a clear conscience then we must have a Great High Priest. And this is exactly who Jesus is.
Hebrews 5:4-6 says, “And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’; as he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.’” This Jesus—the One who is truly God and Truly Man in One Person—is the only one qualified to take all your sin, uncleanliness, guilt, and shame and utterly deal with it.
And because Jesus is the Great High Priest, as Hebrews 10:22 says, “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.”
How Does This Solve Your Problem?
In Jesus Christ, you have the One who forever washes you clean from all your sins. He is the One who forever clothes your spiritual nakedness with His all-sufficient righteousness. He is the One who took your true guilt on the Cross that He might clear your record and cleanse your conscience from slavish fears. He is the One who deals gently with bruised reeds and those in the depths of spiritual depression. Because He is our Priest who has accomplished real tasks, we can rest our full weight upon Him and trust that He will minister to us where we need it and when we need it.