Serving the Living God

Serving the Living God

The old covenant could not lead anyone to a perfect conscience, for it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Then John writes further: “My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin.” Ch. 2:1.

When someone sins, he also transgresses the law (1 John 3:4); then that person has a bad conscience. Unless he is dead in trespasses and sins, his conscience will bother him, with the result that he will confess his sin. Then such a person serves his conscience. Most religious people live in that state. They do not believe in victory over sin. This is not serving God. The works one does in order to have a good conscience will be dead works, and there is no spiritual development in that. This is how it was in the old covenant. In the old covenant they never came to the point of having a perfect conscience.

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Offering myself is bearing in my body the dying of Jesus; then the passions and desires are put to death, and the life of Jesus is manifested in my body. 2 Cor. 4:10-11. Only the Holy Spirit can do this work, not the conscience. He guides us into all truth. John 16:13. If we walk in the Spirit, we are children of God, and we serve the living God. Rom. 8:14-17.

The conscience can only accuse us of not living the way we know we ought to live. It is a great help to those who seek God; it helps them not to succumb to their passions and desires so their conscience does not die. 1 Tim. 1:19-20.

The Holy Spirit will not only guide us into all truth, He will also show us the things to come. But not only that; He will also glorify Jesus to us and take from what is His and declare it to us. Then we have been liberated from the spirit of bondage, and our heavenly calling becomes more and more glorious to us.