Cleansing A Guilty Conscience

A guilty conscience can only be cleansed by the blood of Christ, so it is a work that only God can do. By reading further, you will finally understand how to silence the accusatory voices of guilt and shame when you do something wrong.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command in the Garden of Eden, they felt guilt, shame, and regret. So, they hid from God, and so do we. Unfortunately, some try to escape accountability through busyness or earthly pleasures. Others attempt to overcome a guilty conscience by resolving to do better or doing good things. But what is missing in all cases is the repentance of sin to God. Instead, we blame others or make excuses like, “I am not perfect, but I’m a good person.”

Yet, there is accountability even in the physical world, and you must pay the penalty when you break man’s laws. And likewise, there is a penalty for breaking God’s laws: Physical and spiritual death. However, unlike breaking man’s laws, you can never pay your debt of sin, which is why the Bible tells you that you need a Savior. Hence, if you believe in Jesus Christ but you are living with guilt and shame, may the truth of God’s Word set you free!

There is No Forgiveness Without a Blood Sacrifice

The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22

It is a spiritual law that only a sinless blood sacrifice can pay the penalty for sin.  But the Bible says that all humans are sinful, so we can never pay the price. Therefore, our guilty conscience continually condemns us and demands payment for our wrongdoing until we try to silence it. Fortunately, God loves us, and, in His mercy, He provided a remedy: His only Son, Jesus Christ, who never sinned when He lived on earth.

The Lesson: There is no forgiveness from God without an innocent blood sacrifice. Therefore, only the sinless blood of Jesus Christ can remove the guilt of your sin and cleanse your guilty conscience.

The Application: Believe that Jesus paid the penalty for all your sins when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. And then, trust that God forgives you, and He always will.

Jesus Died for the Sins of a Guilty Conscience

Too many Christians beat themselves up spiritually every day because they do not understand the significance of blood in the Scriptures.  For example, in the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites to take a bunch of hyssops and dip them in the slain blood of a lamb without spot or blemish.

Then, they were to apply the blood on the top and both sides of the doorframe of their house.  As a result, the Lord told them that He would pass over their house when He saw the blood, and they would live. But He would strike down the Egyptians.  Thus, those who believed God obeyed Him and the blood saved them from death.

Later, God instructed priests to offer animal sacrifices for themselves and the people’s sins. Consequently, the Israelites learned that Holy God hates sin and that only through the death of an innocent substitute in their place would He forgive their sins.

For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.  Leviticus 17:11

The Lesson: The wages of sin is death, and we cannot save ourselves. In the Old Testament, the blood of innocent animals died for the temporary forgiveness of the guilty person. However, this sacrifice looked forward to the sinless blood that Jesus Christ would shed on the cross to take away our sins once for all time.

The Blood of Jesus Paid Sins’ Penalty

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward Him and said, “Look, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

Jesus Christ is our Passover lamb, God’s promised Messiah and Savior of the world, who shed His innocent blood to take the punishment we deserve for our sins. So, when you believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you are saved from the penalty of eternal death in hell and given eternal life with God.

Jesus did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.  How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God!  Hebrews 9:12-14

The Lesson: Before Jesus died on the cross, He spoke these final words, “It is finished.” Hence, the sinless blood of Christ paid the death penalty for all your sins once for all. And God was satisfied with Jesus’ sacrifice, and He proved it by raising Jesus from the dead. So, there is nothing more for you to do but to believe and accept the finished work of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

The Application: Jesus took the punishment for all your sins, so stop beating yourself up when you do wrong. Instead, confess it and gratefully receive God’s forgiveness. And then, with a clear conscience, continue to rely on the Holy Spirit, and not yourself, to live a life of faith that pleases God.

Satan, the Accuser of a Guilty Conscience

The Bible describes Satan as a liar who constantly accuses the believer and reminds them of their guilt.

The devil was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth for there is no truth in him. He is a liar and the father of lies.  For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. John 8:44; Revelation 12:10-11

Satan points out your sins, even your past sins, and seeks to charge you with them before God. And you know his accusations well:  f only you would have… Do you call yourself a Christian? You aren’t good enough. God can no longer use you. You should be ashamed. So, whenever you believe Satan’s lies instead of believing God’s Word, you begin to move away from God.

Satan’s accusations always condemn, yet God’s Word says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So, If God loved you when you were his enemy, how much more does God love you now that you are His child? Therefore, decide whom you believe.  Indeed, it is vital to trust in the blood of Jesus alone and not in your own merits for victory over Satan.

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?  It is God who justifies. Romans 8:33

Confess the Sins of a Guilty Conscience

If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:6-7

The blood of Jesus saves believers from the penalty and power of sin but not from the presence of sin. Therefore, you will have no confidence in God’s presence if you live with a guilty conscience because of unconfessed sin. And because your guilt keeps you from coming to God, you also neglect Bible study and prayer. In other words, Satan wants you to remain sidelined, but God promises a remedy.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

You should never ignore the red light in your car because ignoring it will cause damage. Likewise, pay attention when God reveals your sin because His kindness leads you to repentance. So, acknowledge your sins and then rely on the Holy Spirit to turn from them, for this is how you are sanctified.

How to Silence a Guilty Conscience

The Lesson: When you come clean about your sins to God, He forgives you and cleanses your conscience of guilt, which silences the enemy. Therefore, God answers Satan’s accusations with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, who paid for all your sins with His life.

The Application: Instead of running from God, run to Him and admit that you sinned against Him. Then, believe God’s Word that says: Because of the blood of Jesus, God forgives your past, present, and future sins. So, come to God with confidence, free of all doubt.

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

Jesus Declares You ‘Not Guilty!’

You have no righteousness of your own, but God declared you righteous in Christ when you believed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And because Jesus fulfilled all the demands of the law, God declares you “not guilty!” Therefore, no charges made against you will ever stand.  So, believe that the blood of Jesus justifies you, and Satan’s accusations will have no power.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:13-15

The Lesson: God’s laws demand your punishment, but Jesus’ death canceled all the penalties. Subsequently, the blood of Christ paid your debt of sin, and God sees you as justified, just as if you had never sinned. So then, because Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled the law’s requirements, keep your focus on Jesus and not yourself.

The Application: Whenever Satan falsely accuses you, strip him of his ammunition by pointing to the cross. And begin to see your debt of sin with “canceled by the blood of Jesus” stamped on it.  So then, the next time the enemy condemns you, trust in the righteousness of Christ, who is now your life. Remember, Satan only has power over you when you believe his lies. Accordingly, make Bible study a priority in your life, and the truth of God will set you free.

 The Blood of Jesus Christ Cleanses a Guilty Conscience

Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:28

Undoubtedly, the blood of Jesus Christ is the central theme of our redemption, as it was when God delivered the Israelites from bondage to Egypt. So, believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection to forgive your sins and set you free from guilt and shame. And then, continue to rely on the Holy Spirit to conquer sin and live your life with a clear conscience before God.

  ♫ What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! Precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♫

Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:19-23

Is Jesus Your Savior?

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus

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Bible study for “Cleansing a Guilty Conscience”

Week 1:  Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-15; Exodus 12:1-7, 12-13, 21-23; 24:1-12; 30:10; Leviticus 16:6-11, 15-17, 20-22, 30, 34; 17:11; Psalms 32:1-5; 51:1-4, 7-10, 16-17; 103:1-5, 10-14, 17-19; Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 1:18; 43:25; 53:4-12; 55:6-9; 61:10-11

Week 2:  Jeremiah 32:26-27: Zephaniah 3:14-15,17; Matthew 1:21-22; 26:26-29; Luke 22:31-32; John 1:29; 5:24; 6:53-59; 8:31-32, 34-36; 42-47; 10:14-15, 27-30; 19:28-30, 32-37; Acts 20:28; 24:16; Romans 1:17; 2:4; 3:21-26; 4:4-8, 18-25; 5:1-2, 8-11, 18-19

Week 3:  Romans 6:23; 7:18-25; 8:1-4, 15-16, 31-39; 10:3-4; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; 10:13, 16; 11:23-32; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 7:10; Galatians 2:20-21; 3:10-14, 23-24; 6:14; Ephesians 1:7-8; 2:4-10, 13; 3:16-21; Philippians 2:5-11; 3:7-9; Colossians 1:13-15, 19-23; 2:13-15

Week 4:  1 Timothy 1:18-19; Titus 1:15-16; Hebrews 1:1-3; 2:14-18; 4:14-16; 9:7-28; 10:1-23; 11:6; 12:22-24; 13:11-12, 20-21; James 4:7; 1 Peter 1:1-2, 17-21; 1 John 1:5-10; 2:1-2, 12-14; 5:1-12; Revelation 1:4-8; 5:1-14; 7:13-14; 12:9-11; 19:11-16