SPRINKLING THE CONSCIENCE Hebrews 9:14; 10:1,2,22 OR, RENDING THE VEIL OF FLESHLINESS PART 2   THE VEIL OF CHRIST'S FLESH Jesus' body was rent on the cross at the very moment when the veil in the temple was divided by the power of God. This is significant. When the flesh was broken in death, the veil was rent. This gives us a clue as to the meaning of the veil. Similarly, the Levites who bare the ark of the covenant, stood in the Jordan waters. They approached the barrier. They actually waded into the turbulence. Figuratively, it is similar to the believer who steps right on into the fears and doubts of their flesh, which is just as turbulent as that River was. And only after they entered these waters did the river rend in two. Josh 3:14-17 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood [and] rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that [is] beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, [even] the salt sea, failed, [and] were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. If we will trust God IN THE MIDST OF OUR FEARS - if we'll hold up faith in Him as the priests held up the ark - if we'll wade through what we fear and instead trust in Him - He will rend our doubtful, fearing flesh. And we'll have that barrier removed to victoriously enter, having overcome the BARRIER!! We must initiate the miracle working power of God by first entering these fearful hindrances, though. We must make the first step! Actually He already made the first step when He died on the cross for us. And we must take a step of faith, remembering that day! Depend upon the work accomplished on Calvary, and wade on through that which normally would cause you to fear. You'll even feel the fear start to come. This is similar to the waters of the Jordan rising up the feet of the Levites. They trusted God's Word, though. And, sure enough, the waters began receding down their legs! Your fears, likewise will abate! When Israel was about to cross Jordan, the river swelled! It was experiencing it's most turbulent of times. Every time we get ready to progress in the Lord, our flesh also swells and is stirred. This is due to the fact that the flesh is not subject to the law of God and never can be (Ro. 8:7). It resists anything God desires for us to do. Roma 8:7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. HOLD UP SOME FAITH IN CHRIST'S WORK This stirring of the flesh will abate if we would but walk ahead as we trust in God's power. Therefore, worry not about the approaching fear. If you will hold the Lord up in faith in His blood as the fears come, typified by holding up the ark of the covenant with which had been splashed with blood, He will certainly deliver you! Many become fearful and doubt, even after trying to hold up faith in the blood. They drop their faith and run. It's as if a Levite said, "I can't hold this any more. Its not working fast enough for me. I'm running away!" And the ark is dropped. Holding up the ark is holding up the fact that Jesus died two thousand years ago for us. He died for our fears and doubts. He died so we could pass through the barriers that challenge us to remain bound and wandering. He died to see our hindrances removed! It doesn't matter what fears you have, Jesus died to deliver you from their threatening faces! If you continue to hold that fact up in faith, eventually you will see your obstacles broken in two! The blood of atonement sacrifices was sprinkled on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant forty times by the time they reached Jordan. Once every year the mercy seat was sprinkled. And the people were forty years in the wilderness. (Forty is a significant number throughout God's Word.) In holding up the ark, with blood on the mercy seat, we see that they actually held up the blood! What we are to hold up is our faith in the blood! And it is due to God's mercy that we can be freed from fearful flesh! There are so many blessed promises for the people of God. Yet the fear and unbelief in our flesh keeps the flesh as a veil which blocks us from the joy of holding these promises. And we are our own enemies. There is the "fullness in Christ", portrayed by the land of Canaan, for you to experience. In Canaan, the Jews would rule, as opposed to their slavery in Egypt. Too many believers are between past slavery and God's desire for them to rule instead. They are yet in the wilderness - the in-between period. They must break through the fearful, doubting flesh. Otherwise they'll not enjoy this fullness. The "fullness" is the lump sum of all the promises of God. All the fullness is "In Christ." Notice the terminology in Col. 2:9 - "In Him", or In CHRIST. It iimplies being "In the land of fullness", as if bieng IN CHRIST were a domain. Colo 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. We know that Christ is Truth. And God desires to lead us into "all truth"! Into "all the fullness of Christ", in other words. It is as if we are drawing nigh to God's deepest presence in the holiest of holies of the temple as we confront Canaan's boundaries. We've passed the boundaries of Egypt, and the wilderness journey now is also coming to a close. We are at the third domain. This progressinve walk from Egypt, and the wilderness and then on into Canaan, is similar to the three parts of the tabernacle - outer court, holy place and holiest. Between the holy place and the Promises, though, is a veil of flesh, as a veil stood between the holy place and holiest of all. Fallen flesh often doubts and fears, and it is due to these characteristics that the flesh is a barrier. Had man not fallen into sin, the flesh would not fear or doubt. There would be no barrier. Yet man did sin. We must contend to breach this barrier in us all. THE VEIL OF SEPARATION "What can separate us from the love of God,?" Paul asks in Romans 8:35. He then lists all elements that cannot accomplish such hindrance, except one. That one element Paul did not mention in his list is your own flesh. It alone will hinder you and separate you from God! The veil separated the people from the presence of God on the ark of the covenant. God knew we would have a hard time believing Him due to the flesh, even after we're saved! So, with that in mind, He made a foreshadow of our predicament, and a figure of how to overcome it by having instructed Moses to build a tabernacle with a veil inside it! Veils stand in the way of those who desire to enter the deepest will of God. Yet veils are not like brick walls. Veils can be rent! This veil would eventually be rent when Christ died. After becoming temples of the Spirit, we must contend with the veil each of us possesses within, to proceed to the utmost in God. Throughout Hebrews we are encouraged to hold to the faith and confidence. This will take us past the barrier. It clears our consciences. Note the terminology in these verses: Hebr 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip. Hebr 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Hebr 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; Hebr 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Hebr 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Hebr 6:19 Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Hebr 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;) Hebr 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. The Writer refers to holding onto faith just as the priests held up the ark with blood on it. Such an effort will clear our consciences. THE CONSCIENCE Ahh... the conscience! Now, here, we come to the culprit. Our spirits must be circumcised. Remove flesh from the spirit. This is explained in Hebrews 4:12 where we are told o fthe need for the separation of the soul (the fleshly part of you) from spirit. Hebr 4:12 For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Within our human spirits are our consciences. The doubtful, Jordan-like, fleshly veiling affects our consciences. Once our consciences are circumcised, we may draw nigh to the holiest. The holiest is where the full glory is! Only with the blood could the high priest pass the veil, though. "But into the second went the high priest alone, once every year, not without blood. . ." He. 9:7 Even Jesus, Himself took His blood to enter this deepest domain. And He is there, waiting for us to join Him in "His fullness". Hebr 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. Our consciences condemn us as we exert fleshly effort to overcome our weaknesses. These weaknesses exist in our flesh. How can flesh overcome a problem that is embedded within itself? It cannot. And when we attempt to take control, so that we might not be held back from the deepest domain of God any more, our consciences condemn us. Its similar to Adam's situation again. Adam weakly made an apron to cover himself. Yet he was still incomplete. He did not solve his problem. And he ran in condemnation when God's presence was made known. He, who thought he had solved his naked problem, realized he indeed had not when God came! We, too, are doomed to failure as we try to help ourselves overcome fears and doubts. "Positive Thinking" simply falls short here. We do not need positive thinking for such a situation. We need faith in the blood! We must take Jesus' blood if we want to enter the domain of rule with God successfully, without condemnation (Hebrews 10:19)! Hebr 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Many are God's people, but many do not rule in life (Romans 5:17) just as the Jews didn't enter Canaan, after first being freed from Egypt, to rule their own land. Roma 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Condemnation barks out as we make an attempt at progress using our our flesh. It yells, "No! Not good enough yet!" And many people forever try a better approach with their flesh. But flesh will always produce flesh. That which is born of the flesh is flesh - and always will be flesh (John 3:6). Only the blood of Jesus can silence the condemning conscience! SIN IN THE FLESH - THE CAUSE OF FAILURE Jesus was sinless, unlike our sin-infested flesh. We have been forgiven of our sins, yet, if we continue to live by the flesh, we will commit sins again, for sin is in the flesh. Sin is a principle. And "sin" causes "sins", which are acts. If you have "sin" then you will commit "sins". And since flesh has sin in it, we must not live by the flesh. If we live after the flesh we will sin, and we will have, as the result, condemnation. (Look carefully at Romans 8:1 to see the difference between walking after the Spirit and after the flesh. Roma 8:1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. You will have condemnation, even though you're in Christ, if you yet walk after the flesh. There is nothing to condemn us if we walk after the Spirit, for trusting in the Spirit to work out the good we need in our hearts and lives, leaves the flesh laying there unused. And the Spirit is pure and holy, thus accomplishing an actual pure and holy work.) Faith in the blood means this: We remember that Jesus died to allow God to influence our lives. Unless we believe He died for us, we cannot enter into covenant with Him. We simply must believe in Jesus' death. The manner in which we must believe is as follows: Realize that God cannot help you with His divine influence unless you accept Christ's death. You must believe Jesus was required to die for you. More Bible Study Lessons