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Daily Devotion: Hebrews 10:14-17

Hebrews 10:14-17    "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.  (15)  Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,  (16)  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;  (17)  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

As a preacher, I have found it to be rough when wearing white shirts. The reason for that: Most preachers (myself included) love to eat. Many church members enjoy watching the preacher eat. The danger of wearing white shirts and eating is that any drop of food will immediately stand out against the white fabric of the shirt. If not treated properly, the stain will remain on the shirt. Now you ask, what does eating fried chicken have to do with today's passage of Scripture?

By the work of Jesus Christ, the redeemed soul has been made perfect. The Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) witnesses to our spirits constantly of the work of our Lord and the fact we are children of God. The Lord has written His laws into our hearts and minds. When we knowingly tell an untruth, we know it is an untruth. If we unwittingly pass on gossip that we have heard, we know we did not stop to verify the thing we are telling. When we take something that is not ours, we know it is not ours. Each commandment is written very boldly into our hearts. There is no excuse; yet, we often revert back to the nature of the flesh and do that which is wrong.

Because we still abide in these bodies that are sin cursed, we still have to deal with the carnal natural mind.  Carnality against perfection stands out more than chicken grease on a white shirt.  When we feel convicted of doing something wrong, we like to say our conscience is bothering us.  The conscious thoughts of the natural mind take us deeper into sin; therefore, it is not our conscience that makes us feel bad. It is the working of the Holy Spirit bringing the feeling of guilt into our hearts and minds.  It is the work of God that brings the understanding that we have sinned against the Holy One.

I'm thankful that God does not remember our sins any more; but at the same time, I am thankful He does bring them to our attention.  There is great danger if we sin willfully without the feeling of guilt and remorse.  The danger of those actions result in, as Paul spoke, our conscience being seared with a hot iron.  If you have ever burned your fingertip, you know the feeling of pain can be lost because of damage to the nerve endings.  May we never lose the sense of knowing right from wrong.  May we take that knowledge to thank God and praise Him for His marvelous work in our lives.

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