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.