“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.” Hebrews 10:1-2 KJV.

Please pay close attention to the word “conscience” here.  Conscience as defined by Merriam Webster is a  feeling that something you have done is morally wrong.  Conscious on the other hand is to know that something exists or is happening.  To put this scripture in context, it is speaking of the Old Covenant sacrifices which were a type and shadow of the only Sacrifice which was sufficient to pay for our sins, Jesus Christ.  The sacrifices of bulls and goats had to be done over and over but the Sacrifice of Jesus was one time and it completely atoned for all of our sins.

Some versions of the Bible (NKJV and AMP in particular) replace the word conscience with conscious.  There is a big difference in these words when we understand the dominion, or lack of dominion, of the sin nature in our life.  In Romans 6, sin is referred to as a noun and not a verb in the original Greek.  “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:6.

Upon salvation, it is our faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified that gives us dominion over “the sin” or our sin nature.  Jesus Christ is the Source and His Cross is the means in which everything we receive from the Lord is made possible.  It is not Jesus’ incarnation nor His resurrection that reconciled and redeemed us but His Sacrifice on the Cross that paid the penalty for sin and took the dominion that Adam had given to satan back.  His resurrection is proof of payment made in full, Hallelujah!

The problem in the churches today is they have replaced proper faith, the faith we have at Salvation in Jesus Christ and His finished work,  with their method for spiritual growth.  Although we still believe our salvation comes through Jesus’ finished work on the Cross, religion will begin to add sacraments and rules to Jesus’ finished work, which immediately abrogates the Grace of God.  Many of these sacraments and rules are scriptural in nature, for example – fasting, prayer, prayer shawls, etc., but if done with the wrong motivation become works.  These are things we do BECAUSE of our fellowship with God and not FOR our fellowship.  It is our faith that produces the proper works and not our works that produce the proper faith.  If this is not understood, it is possible that you may be caught up in religion and your faith misappropriated.  This is not the first time this has ever happened, the Bible is full of such stories.  We have all been guilty of such misappropriations at times.  Unfortunately, however, we have not all humbled ourselves to confess and repent.   It is our CONTINUED faith in Jesus finished works that enables us to continue to receive HIS guidance, HIS knowledge and HIS wisdom through the work of the Holy Spirit in us…not man’s guidance, knowledge and wisdom. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2.

This is where our dominion over our sin nature (noun) is received through the Holy Spirit because of our faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  Our sin nature is not dead but we are dead to it.  Hence we no longer have a “conscience” of sin because our sin no longer has dominion over us when our faith is properly appropriated in Jesus and His finished work but we are still conscious of our sin nature.  In other words, we know our sin nature is there (conscious) but it no longer has power over us (our conscience) because of our faith in Jesus.  Understand?  Perhaps this will help…

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.  Faith in what Jesus did and nothing else is where the power of God is manifested for His Will, not ours.  Seek the Lord, know WHO He is and WHAT He has done.

-Donna Warren