A Seared Conscience

Hebrews 10:20-22
"20 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a 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."

1 Timothy 4:1-3

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth."

What does it mean to have "an evil conscience?" And how about the other one: "seared with a hot iron?"  Sounds ominous, doesn't it?  You may have heard a sermon or two, as have I, where you were told that these two terms meant a person had either a "consciousness of evil" OR  someone who is "no longer able to detect evil."

NEITHER DEFINITION IS TRUE.

The Greek, as usual, is quite illuminating here.  Let's look a little closer at these verses and see how Thayer defines these terms.  

An Evil Conscience.
Hebrews 10:20-22
"20 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way {as opposed to the old and dying way} which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a 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 {by Jesus blood} FROM AN EVIL CONSCIENCE **{SUNEIDÉSIS} and our bodies washed with pure water."

(Check out what Thayer has to say about the definition of "evil."  I guarantee you'll be pleasantly surprised.  Follow this link for more on that topic:  https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/07/23/an-evil-heart/)

And......
1 Timothy 4:1-3
1Now the Spirit expressly says that IN LATTER TIMES {like now} some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and DOCTRINES OF DEMONS, {satan loves when the law is taught; Ah! The bondage it brings!}. 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own CONSCIENCE SEARED WITH A HOT IRON, {remember this for later} 3 forbidding to marry {celibacy}, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth."

**Thayer defines "SUNEIDÉSIS" as:  conscience; a persisting notion.  His definition of a "conscience **{suneidésis} seared with a hot iron" is not what I was always taught, i.e. a conscience that can no longer detect evil.  NO WAY!  Not even close.

He defines "an evil conscience" AND a "conscience seared with a hot iron" as: "a soul CONSCIOUS OF SINS!"  It's someone who is LAW-CONSCIOUS. Someone who thinks that every time they commit a sin they have to go running to God to confess it because now they're "out of fellowship," in order to get cleansed and be restored, right with God again.  This is not pleasing to God at all.

IT IS SPIRITUAL ADULTERY.

What Is Spiritual Adultery?

These precious believers, who are the Bride of Christ mind you, run back to our former husband, Mr. Law, for cleansing whan they sin. Then they run back to Jesus, our true husband, and Grace believing themselves to be restored to fellowship.  Back and forth; back and forth, between the two "husbands."  

They're also always calling for others to "REPENT," by which they mean, of course, being conscious of sins.  THIS IS A DOCTRINE OF DEMONS RIGHT OUT OF THE PIT OF HELL.  Flush it!!!

It tramples on Jesus' blood as if JESUS ' PRECIOUS BLOOD DID NOT COMPLETELY CLEANSE ALL OUR SINS FOR OUR ENTIRE LIFE.

No Revolving Door.

They have what I like to call, "a PRESENT TENSE understanding of forgiveness.  Like Simon the Pharisee, they believe that only your sins from the moment you accepted Jesus up to this moment are cleansed.  They think that you must keep on asking for forgiveness as you commit new sins.

(For more on this topic, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/06/no-one-is-forgiven-little.html)

Think about it:  Jesus said He will NEVER leave or forsake us.  NEVER MEANS NEVER.  So, since He cannot have fellowship with sin, being very God and all, do you think He goes in and out through some kind of revolving door every time you sin?  AS IF!  Of course not.  That's ridiculous.

Understand it is "Sin," THE NOUN, that separated us from God; NOT "Sin," the verb. Sin, THE NOUN, passed down to all of us because of the first Adam.

We are sinners NOT because we commit sins, although we do.  We are, after all, resurrected spirits in unresurrected bodies and more accustomed to this body of flesh than the new Spirit of Life within us.  We become more and more at home in God's kingdom by re-programing our thinking; and that by beholding Jesus ' beauty in the scriptures.

By the same token, we are NOT righteous because we do right. {verb}. We are "made righteous" {NOUN} by accepting God's free {to us} gift from Jesus' nail-pierced hand. That is why Christians don't die; we just relocate.

Getting back to the "searing" thing, God wants our hearts to be "sprinkled from an evil conscience." {conscious of sins.} He intended us NOT to have "a persisting notion of evil:" a constant consciousness of sins, but RIGHTEOUSNESS CONSCIOUSNESS.

Being constantly aware of how sinful you are keeps you distant from God, Who, above all, desires intimate fellowship with us.  He had to hide from us behind that cursed veil because of sin, too.  HE HATED IT.  But if He had not done so, everyone coming into His presence would have died. 
THAT'S ONE BIG REASON WHY JESUS PAID OUR DEBT:  So intimate fellowship with His loved ones, US, could be restored.  The cleansing blood allows us that full, free and continual access and fellowship!

So Church:  Don't be conscious any more of your sins:  BE SON CONSCIOUS!