Hebrews 9:8-10 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Hidden in the middle of these marvelous verses is a catch phrase, “as pertaining to the conscience”. God having dealt with sin via justification, is satisfied, and no longer has a problem with sin, we still have a problem with sin. The conscience tells us we have a problem with sin.

Hebrews 10:22  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.

The conscience is directly related to the condition of the heart. An evil heart has an evil conscience. The conscience reflects the condition of the heart. Once we come to Christ on His terms we are given a new heart in accordance with Ezekiel 36. While the conscience is nothing more than a reflection of the heart, its former trainer was a corrupt heart and needs to be retrained to answer to that new heart condition.

Sinister thoughts are not recognized as being rooted in sin until the conscience is retrained, just as the mind is retrained. The quote above from Hebrews 9 ends with reformation. We are being reformed and at the root of that reformation is faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing from the Word of God. At the center of this struggle we have with sin is the Word of God.

God has given us every tool necessary for us to win the battle against sin. It is our battle, not God’s. It is a long and tedious battle for sure, but one we can win if we may attention to what God is doing in us to reform us, to conform us.

Ephesians 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

In yesterday’s entreaty on humanity I declared that every society is plagued with extremes. The issue of extreme acts has to be viewed in context to our own society. We who love God and are called into His great love do not see sacrificial service as an extreme. Others outside our family feel differently.

Do gooders, hypocrites, self-righteous, control freaks, downers and fools are just some of the tame terms thrown at us. Society at the extremities apply pressure upon us from the left and from the right. A stable mind makes the unstable uncomfortable. That is the way it should be.

It is irony that to bring stability to the human condition, God had to go through such an extreme act of love. I do not have to quote John 3:16 to you, even the godless know what it says. God coming down off His throne and becoming man was just the first extreme act. The life He lived was the second. The display of power was the third. His surrender to obedience unto death was His fourth. His becoming sin was His fifth. His resurrection was His sixth. His abiding presence is the seventh.

Seven is the number of perfection, completion and seven can only be reached by the six that precede. It also takes one extreme act upon our part to transform our ordinary lives into that life. It is ours if we but surrender our lives to Him by accepting that free will offering of salvation thru faith and placing our trust totally in Him.

Having done that, your God centered life will no longer be subject to being tossed about by extremes which is the chaos of the world.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.