Hebrews 9:14

Hebrews 9:14 – How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the Living God!

         In this chapter the writer is comparing the blood of animals to the blood of Jesus. Before Jesus came to earth the people of God had to sacrifice animals to “cleanse” themselves from sin. This sacrifice, however, did not cleanse a person’s heart and mind. It only offered a temporary cleansing that did not go beyond the surface. So God’s people were temporarily cleansed, but their hearts were still full of sin.

       Then Jesus came. He was a sacrifice of a different sort. Jesus offers more than any animal ever could. Because Christ did not deserve death He was able to die for us. He was spotless and unblemished; the perfect sacrifice.

        Christ knew no sin, yet He became sin for us, so that we could become the righteousness of God. He cleansed us; He washed us and made us pure. Unlike the sacrifices before Him, His sacrifice cleansed us, not just on the outside, but on the inside. Our hearts have been made new and our minds are being renewed. We are now a new creation, the old is gone, the new has come. 

       While we were once full of sin, which leads to death, we are now filled with Christ and the life that comes with Him. This new life is eternal and we can serve God with that eternity. Don’t hold onto the sin of your old self, but join with Christ in the new life that He has given you and serve God.