If you take the time to read my testimony, there are a couple things I hope you notice from the start. When I became a “Born Again with God’s Spirit” Christian, He touched my heart and mind in a very profound way. Living all my 37 years up until that point of my life as an average Catholic, I had been taught to pray to Mary and some saints along with praying to our Heavenly Father. I believe by an act of God’s Grace, He dropped something in my spirit and mind that we don’t need and God doesn’t want any “middle men” involved between our relationship. With that revelation, I soon ordered new checks for my bank checking account with 2 Bible verses that changed my life and that understanding and still use them today.
This is today’s You Version Bible app verse of the day,
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/1ti.2.5-6.KJV
One of the other 3 Bible verses for today that I follow is from Tecarta Bible app is,
Hebrews 10:22 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.
https://tbibl.es/8J2D
Many people, even some professing Christians have a hard time believing that God can touch the heart and mind of any person in a profound and “lasting” way as to change their character. Even established Biblical Christians that see a new convert that has just been “Born Again with God’s Spirit” and is “ON Fire” for God have a saying, “they’ll get over it.” It’s like they see that person as though the Holy Spirit just dumped a gallon of gas on them and set a match to them. Once that gallon has burnt up they expect that new convert will just settle in with the status quo to a little flicker of a flame that needs the “Wind of the Spirit” from time to time to keep it going. That’s NOT how it’s supposed to be.
Then there’s another group of people and even professing Christians that say they know the unlimited power of God’s Mercy & Grace and yet set limits to those God could possibly change or even forgive. Maybe it’s a child that murdered their parents, a parent that murdered all their children, or your ex spouse who cheated on you in every possible and wicked way. To them, there are people who are beyond God’s ability to redeem and reform, But That’s NOT So!!!
It all comes down to not knowing or maybe ever being really touched by the Profound Mercy & Grace of God through the shed Blood of Yeshua Jesus. That’s what the verse from Hebrews 10:22 is talking about, “having hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.”
In the video I included on the post “Brides Wear White, So Do Saints” about the “Day of Atonement,” only one day a year could the high priest go into the Holy of Holies and as the video shows, “sprinkle” the blood of a bull, seven times on the Mercy Seat. Then get the blood of a goat and “sprinkle it” seven times on the Mercy Seat with his fingers. That blood of animals had NO Power to cleanse a conscience but Hebrews says this,
Hebrews 9 The Heavenly Sanctuary
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Yeshua Jesus, our High Priest, is NOT using the blood of animals to “sprinkle our hearts” but His Own Blood that has the Power to “cleanse our evil consciences” from our sinful, even wickedly sinful pasts. At the establishing of the 1st covenant, the “sprinkling of blood” upon the people was a most vital aspect of it,
Hebrews 9:19-22 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
At the establishment of the 1st covenant between God and Israel, the people and the animals were forbidden to approach the mountain or else they were to be killed, “shot through with a dart.” Today we are told we can boldly approach God’s “REAL” throne of Grace, because of Jesus and His Blood,
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 12:22-24 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Most Christians know that when Jesus was crucified, the 30 foot tall veil, (believed to be 4 inches thick) closing off the Holy of Holies of Herod’s Temple was torn from the top down, indicating that God Himself had caused the tearing. As the mountain Moses was on was but a shadow of the “real” Mount Sion, that veil was the earthly shadow of the “real,” Heavenly veil that had to be torn.
Hebrews 10:19-22 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
22 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.
By the “sprinkling of our hearts” with the Blood of Jesus and the “washing” by the power of the Living Water of the Holy Spirit and Word of God we can live as Paul wrote, as “a new creature.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
I spoke in this post of the 1st and New Covenants but don’t get the wrong idea. “Covenant” or a derivative of it is mentioned 300 times in the Bible. Israel made many and renewed many covenants with Father God throughout the Bible. We are called to “Keep Covenant” each and every day with God. We are NOT Robots for Jesus Christ, without a mind or a will of our own. Every day we fall short of living a life that totally pleases our Dear Heavenly Father who Loves us with a patience and love we can’t truly understand. Every day we should repent for the ways we fail through omission or commision to reach that goal.
Thankfully, Yeshua Jesus is our Mediator and Great High Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary and His Blood of Sprinkling hasn’t lost and iota of its power.
When it comes down to it, what people think about another person’s relationship either outwardly or inwardly with God doesn’t matter. They may not have it in their heart to understand a fully surrendered life to God and think it’s only an act or a phase they are going through. If it’s by a true “sprinkling” of the Blood of Jesus on that person’s heart and if God has “written His Law on that person’s heart and mind” as He promises so many times in the Bible, HOW in the World can it NOT make an evident change in any person’s character and life?
The critics of a sinner will always remember their sinful ways but Jesus rebukes those who question the genuine love a sinner. Be careful who you judge.
Luke 7:44-47 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
In The Word 