Out of all the curses that has fell upon mankind, there is none worse than the feeling of guilt and condemnation. It is a feeling of uncleanness. Something just don't seem right when your might is bombarded with guilt and condemnation. Webster's dictionary defines condemnation as 'to declare the guilt of; to make manifest the faults or unworthiness of'. A condemned mind is one filled with guilt, shame and hurt. From the garden of Eden to the present day hi-tech world, if there is one experience that all men has felt, it is the condemnation experience. Condemnation if left unchecked can lead to mental breakdown, sickness and even death. That is because your conscience dictates your life; it makes you happy or unhappy. And if your state of conscience is overburdened with guilt, it is nearly impossible to function effectively and even to draw near to GOD.

Man's strong desire to be cleansed from both guilt and pollution of sin is reflected in the many man made religions of this world. Just look at the altars that are built that cover the earth. Thirty million priests for hinduism alone. Why? Because hinduism, with the rest of mankind is conscious of guilt (Lake). These religions are made up of designs and contrivances to pacify conscience, but not really able to do it. So people end up in one of the following extremes where they either perform the most desperate self efforts to feel good at heart or suppress all effort and live just as it is (John Owen). Thus we see two extemes even today, on one end there is the religious fanatics and the other end the indifferent atheists.

The consciousness of condemnation and sin has to be removed from the human soul, in order that he may grow up into GOD and fulfill the great purpose that GOD has in store for him, becoming a child of GOD in mind, nature, power, and capacity to bless. (Lake)

Analyzing the root cause

To trace back where it all started from, let us go to the garden of Eden. The Bible says GOD created man in His own image and originally designed him to be whole and complete in the Spirit. However man forfeited the rest of GOD through sin and brought upon a curse which led man with an imperfect and unclean conscience; the imperfect conscience being directly derived from man condemning himself.  And we see from the very outset, the enemy took advantage of this and caused even further confusion and guilt consciousness in the mind of Adam and Eve.  As a result of this man alienated himself from GOD. Man was intended to reflect GOD in every action and endeavor. But through condemnation man forfeited his share in the glory of GOD. The image of GOD which man was to reflect was defaced by sin and condemnation, and man in his unregenerate state falls short of the glory of GOD for which he was made. Because glory is something one attains by spending time in the presence of GOD and because of an imperfect conscience filled with condemnation, man alienates from GOD and doesn't spend any time in the presence of GOD.

Now our enemy, satan knows the impact that feelings of guilt and condemnation to your whole being. So he sets out to launch a full fledged attack on your mind. First of all, he sets temptations and traps for you so that you will fall into sin. And then he will start to condemn and accuse your mind of the sin you committed and try to make your mind alienate from GOD. You will start to invite feelings of condemnation. And then you start to feel that you deserve something evil to happen in your life as a result of the sin and leave the door open for satan to plunder your life. Guilt trap is one of the main weapons the devil will try and use against you . The evil one will constantly whisper in your ears that you are not worthy, not complete, not good enough and you lack something. The uncleanness or defilement caused by sin is a perfect platform for satan to start afflicting your life. Good news is that GOD has laid out a prescription in the Bible that will set us free from all uncleanness. For this we need to take a look at the remedy prescribed by GOD from the Old and the New Testament.


Old Testament perspective

In the book of Leviticus 11:15 we see that persons or objects that were defiled were declared unclean and either had to be purified or destroyed. The cleansing ritual prescribed was as follows “The one to be cleansed had to wash his clothes and shave off all his hair, and bathe in water and be clean. Now afterward, he may enter the camp, but he shall stay outside the tent for seven days” (Lev. 14:8). In some cases the unclean thing or person was viewed as being a contaminator of others (Lev. 15:4-12, 23-24, 26-27). In addition to that, he suffered the humiliation of being declared unclean and was isolated from the presence of GOD and from association with the people of GOD (Lev 12:4 and Lev 13:4).

Again, let us look at the cleansing procedure.
(a) Washed with water
(b) Burned with fire
(c) Broken
(d) Torn down and demolished


Permanent New Testament solution to the problem

The New Testament sheds further light on the cleansing procedures of the Old Testament and gives us a permanent solution to the issue of uncleanness. The Old Testament cleansing rituals had much to do with cleansing the outer man, whereas in the New Testament, cleansing is focused on the inner man.

Clarke points out that sin exists in the soul after two modes or forms: 1) In guilt, which requires forgiveness or pardon. (2.) In pollution, which requires cleansing. Guilt, to be forgiven, must be confessed; and pollution, to be cleansed, must be also confessed. In order to find mercy, a man must know and feel himself to be a sinner, that he may fervently apply to God for pardon; in order to get a clean heart, a man must know and feel its depravity, acknowledge and deplore it before God, in order to be fully sanctified.
Few are pardoned, because they do not feel and confess their sins; and few are sanctified or cleansed from all sin, because they do not feel and confess their own sore, and the plague of their hearts.

The next step is the need of a sacrifice as we can see in the old testament. Every sin requires a sacrifice and we find the permanent solution to sin in the final and complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Thus the first and the foremost solution to condemnation is being drafted into the new order of Jesus Christ. This happens when you humbly receive GOD's free gift of forgiveness in Jesus Christ and welcome GOD into your heart. You will enter into a consciousness of sinlessness where the battle between your spirit and flesh will cease and you will enter into beulah land. Even then, the enemy will try to take advantage of your daily carelessness and unfaithfulness towards GOD and try to bring back condemnation into your mind. And that is where the maintenance part of it comes. Just as you maintain your car or your home to keep it running, your spiritual life likewise has to be maintained on a regular basis to keep your conscious clean and spotless.

That is where the following 4 steps come into the picture. So with a focus on cleansing the inner man, let us give another look at the 4 purification steps.


Steps to ongoing maintenance of the cleansed conscience

a) Washed with water
Water represents the Word of GOD. And we see the first step in maintaining your new consciousness of sinlessness is washing yourselves regularly in the Word of GOD.  Renewing your mind in GOD's word will once again establish you in GOD's love and reconfirm your spotless identity in Christ Jesus. And as you continue to study the Word of GOD, there will be an illumination of the purity and holiness of GOD will begin to dawn over your soul and how the blood of Jesus has made you spotless and seated you in the heavenly places with HIM.

b) Burned with fire
Burned with fire means to completely eliminate the trace of the object or person that has made you unclean. One needs to keep away from any object or person that is causing them to sin and get defiled. That is why Apostle Paul says in 2 Cor 6:17 Therefore, "Get away from them and separate yourselves from them," declares the Lord, "and don't touch anything unclean. If running your mouth too much is making you sin, burn that habit with fire. If you are still lingering with adultery or pornography, burn those habits with fire. In other words, one needs to completely exterminate the objects or the snares that are causing them to fall into temptation and sin.

c) Broken
To restore oneself from the grip and effect of sin, one needs to be truly broken about that particular sin that is costing them the fellowship with GOD. That is why the Psalmist says in Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

d) Torn down and demolished
As a believer in Christ, everytime you have violated the covenant with GOD you need to start fresh. You need to tear down and demolish all root causes of sin and start fresh again. You cannot afford to build your spiritual life on a messed up structure., The old structure that has been causing you to stumble need to be torn down and demolished so that you don't keep repeating the same mistakes again and again.

e) Living the truth.
Holding the truth as to live according to its dictates, that a good conscience may be ever preserved (clarke). As apostle Paul teaches about the Christian armor, especially to the shield and breastplate; the shield of faith, and the breastplate of righteousness, it is very important to have the breastplate of righteousness or in other words righteous living practiced daily in all areas of life to maintain the clean conscience.

The Bible says GOD is love and HE loves us so much more than a mother loves her child. HE wants to be by us always, fellowship and fill your life with favor and blessings. GOD also forgives our offenses unlimitedly and we see HIS heart in Matt 18:21 where Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, not seven times, but seventy times seven. In other words forgive him till you lose count. Even when Adam and eve sinned, it was GOD who came looking for them. HE wanted to restore the fellowship even though it were the humans who were running away from GOD. That is why at the due time, the divine image was once again displayed on earth in the new man Jesus Christ. As John Stott puts it 'the gracious initiative and sovereign action of God' broke in. Now this sin and condemnation which made man run away from GOD had to be put away with once and for all. Since it came in through the flesh, it has to condemned in the flesh. For this HE sent His only begotten Son, condemned sin in His flesh and thus sin and it's power was broken at that one point. 

Let me tell you what you become when you get drafted into the order of JESUS CHRIST. You get washed, sanctified and justified. In other words you undergo a thorough cleansing from all defilements, then you are set apart by GOD for a divine purpose and finally you are cleared free of all accusations of sins you once committed. It is all wiped out. You were bound to law and the penalties of it in your old order, but today in your new order you are a free man. There is no law for you. Where there is no law, there is no transgression either. Romans 5:9 reads Since, therefore, we have now been justified by the blood of Jesus Christ, much more shall we be saved by Jesus Christ from the wrath of GOD. It is cited somewhere that when the smell and smoke of the sacrifice ascended into the heavens, it appeased the anger of gods. Likewise the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST appeased the anger of GOD and reconciled man back to GOD.  In this gospel, we get a revelation of GOD's way of righteousness - a way of righteousness not based on how well you obey the law but based on the principle of faith. This principle of faith is the principle on which GOD brings sinful men and women into the right in relation to Himself by declaring them righteous on account of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul further elaborates on this in Romans 3:21 “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify”. So there is now available a righteousness that comes from GOD, a righteousness that is imputed from GOD to all who believe in the sacrifice of Jesus.

The Qumran literature explains this well where it says 'By His righteousness my sin is blotted out. If I stumble because of my fleshly iniquity, my justification is in the righteousness of GOD which shall stand for ever. By His mercy He has caused me to approach and by His loving kindness He brings my justification near. By His true righteousness He justifies me and by His abundant goodness He makes atonement for all my iniquities. By His righteousness He cleanses me from the impurity of mortal man and from the sin of the son of men, that I may praise GOD for His righteousness and the Most High for His glory.' And this declaration is a once and for all declaration since the blood of Jesus is said to have been the perfect offering for all times. As we read in Hebrews 10:14 "By a single offering He has perfected for all times those who are being sanctified."

Jesus died for all the consequences of sins of mankind and then created a new order of mankind where they are under no law and thus no violation of law. Where there is no violation of law, there is no sin or condemnation. All you do is just follow what the Holy Spirit says. And your future is determined by whether or not you keep the law, your future now is determined and destined by GOD as one that is secure and will eternally exist with HIM. In other words, you need to be grounded in the love of GOD, the love that begat you with the word of truth and delivered you from all evil. HE who has started a good work in you will finish it in a good fashion.

Are you walking around with conscience full of guilt and shame? or Are you walking perfectly grounded in the love of GOD?

The offering which Christ made can purify your conscience. GOD doesn't hate man, but the thing GOD hates is 'sin' and what sin causes to His children; broken fellowship with HIM and feelings of guilt and condemnation. Now, since Jesus brought an end to sin and its condemnation, you are a free man. No more judgement for you because Jesus paid took your judgement. Now you need to walk in the new found freedom in line with the Spirit of GOD. Now to all who walk in the Spirit there is no more condemnation.

GOD loves us so much and wants to tabernacle in us and help us out from our own self destructive paths. Be confident of who you are in Christ Jesus. Remember, when GOD looks at you today, HE sees the clean self of you washed by the blood of Jesus.  Paul writes in the letter to Romans "There is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus'. It is God who took the initiative and cleared you free of sins, now who can condemn you." No one can. As Roger Christopherson puts it "That is why our prayers offered to the Father are given "in Jesus Name", for "Jesus Name" identifies you as under the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is your credentials before the throne of God. "

True worship requires a clean conscience and believing in the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ assures cleansing of our inner man. So get rid of all guilty consciences that the devil and the flesh is bombarding you with. No matter how big of a sinner you are, GOD has provided a remedy for it. So repent of your old ways with a feeling of contempt for those filthy deeds that you once did and start fresh with a new determination seeking the strength of GOD.

GOD desires for everyone to enjoy the peace of God in their consciences, and bring forth obedience that proceeds from faith. When the peace of God rules the heart, all the virtues and graces of GOD grow and flourish abundantly in one's life. Such people who walk in the peace of GOD live to promote this good news and are continually recommending divine wisdom to others, which brings forth Divine fruit.

Let us approach confidently to God's throne of grace with the assurance that for it is GOD who has taken the initiative and cleansed us and showed us HIS great love through His Son Jesus Christ. As apostle John puts it in 1John 4 "For it is GOD who loved us first." Be grounded in the pefect love of GOD. HE never changes, HIS love never changes. GOD's nature and promises are immovable. HE will always remain faithful despite your unfaithfulness. Fix your hope on his blessed word of grace and His faithful word of promise.

Praise be to our almighty GOD, the invisible, the immortal. To HIM be the glory forever !


a clean conscience

Heb 9:14 - How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
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