Sunday School Lessons

1. Hebrews 9-10
“The Guilty Conscience”
November 2, 2014 First Baptist Church Jackson, Mississippi USA
October Memory Verses
Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
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REFERENCES
• The MacArthur Study Bible, Nelson Bibles, New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishing, 1997.
• Dr. Charles Stanley, YouTube Video, “Victory Over Guilt”.
• Slaying The Giants In Your Life, Dr. David Jeremiah, Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2001.

2. INTRODUCTION Hebrews 8 -10
• Writer comparing the “Old Covenant vs. New Covenant”.
• The absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as revealer and as mediator of God’s grace.
• Jesus is the complete and perfect sacrifice for our sins.
COMPARISONS
Old Covenant- Law
New Covenant - Jesus
• External
• Internal
• Something you do
• Something you believe by faith
• Temporary forgiveness
• Permanent forgiveness
• Separated from God by veil in Temple – Access by priest
• Personal relationship – Encouraged to draw near
COMPARISONS OF CONSCIENCE Lesson for Today
Old Covenant - Sacrifices
New Covenant - Jesus
• Conscience – The sacrifices of the OT did not remove the offerers’ guilty conscious or provide them with full forgiveness of their sins.
• Conscience – Only the work of Christ frees man from the guilt of sin.
• Romans 5:1 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
Hebrews 9:1-5 NIV
1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

3. Tabernacle – The Earthly Sanctuary
Ark of Covenant

4. Hebrews 9:6-8 NIV
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
The Blood of Christ
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
(Your sins are forgiven and you do not have to continue doing works or sacrifices for your conscience to be clean!)
Hebrews 9:9 vs. Hebrews 9:14 “Paraphrase Version”
Hebrews 9:9
The sacrifices in the Old Covenant offered by the High Priest for your sins did not remove the guilt or provide the full forgiveness needed.
Hebrews 9:14
The blood of Christ’s sacrifice provides full forgiveness and removes guilt from your conscience.
What is a conscience?
• Holman’s Bible Dictionary = Human capacity to reflect upon the degree to which one’s behavior has conformed to moral norms.
• MacArthur’s definition = The soul’s warning system, which allows human beings to contemplate their motives and actions and make moral evaluations of what is right and wrong.

5. What negative emotion is associated with our conscience?
What is guilt?
• A feeling that you have done something wrong or committed an offense.
• A painful feeling of self-condemnation.
• A feeling of “I could have …” or “I should have …” or “I ought to …”
What do you feel when you feel guilty?
• Unworthy
• Unacceptable
• Fear – False Evidence Appearing Real
• Inadequate
• Unlovable
• Self-condemning
• Heavy hearted
2 Kinds of Guilt
1. Good or True Guilt
2. Bad or False Guilt
Good or True Guilt
• When we commit a sin, the Holy Spirit lets us know we have done wrong.
• A warning from God.
• God’s red light in your life.
• When you can sin and it not bother you, you are in danger!
“A Seared Conscience”
1 Timothy 4:1-2
1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

6. Bad or False Guilt
• A feeling of guilt even when you have done no wrong.
• A result of wrong thinking, not a wrong action.
• One of Satan’s dirty tricks.
– Stronghold = a lie that is believed, which results in incorrect thinking.
• False guilt is not from God.
Examples of False Guilt “Lots of people live here”
• Expectations of others
– “approval junkies”; “over YES & under NO”
• Feelings of inadequacy
– Hypercritical upbringing
• Feeling God is punishing you for your past, even when your sin has been forgiven.
• Others trying to persuade you
– “If you loved me, you would …”
Romans 14 – Christian Liberties
• “adiaphora” – morally indifferent
Romans 14:13-14
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.
Christian Liberties – “adiaphora”
Romans 14:22-23
22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
How does this apply to a guilty conscience?
• Regarding things not specifically forbidden or directly addressed in scripture …
– What is wrong for me, may not be wrong for you.
– What is wrong for you, may not be wrong for me.
– We do sin when we violate our conscience.
– We do sin when we exercise our freedom in a morally indifferent way and cause a fellow believer to stumble.
– The Holy Spirit will help you in discernment.

7. Consequences of Guilt
• David’s description of guilt in Psalms
Psalm 32:3-4
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Consequences of Good and Bad Guilt
1. Fear of being rejected by God or man
2. Feeling God’s judgment could be imminent
3. Strong feeling of anxiety
4. Feeling very driven in life
5. A divided mind
6. Decrease in energy
7. Sense of self-punishment
8. Sense of insecurity and fear
9. Hinders our prayer life
10. Depression
11. Loss of sense of worthiness (I am bad)
12. Feeling of shame – (Actions of others)
13. Relationships with others difficult
14. Miss the will of God
15. Physical illness
How do we get released from guilt?
1. Understand the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ for our sins.
Romans 8:1-2
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
2. Face guilty feelings honestly
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
John 16:8
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

8. John 16:13
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth;
Guidance from the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:26-27
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
3. Confess and repent before God
Psalm 51:1-4a
1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4a Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight;
4. Trust Him to forgive you. Forgive yourself.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
John 8:36
36 Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
5. Weave your sin or mistake into a blessing through your testimony.
Psalm 51:12-15
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

9. Closing Thoughts
1. Christians do NOT have to live with a guilty conscience.
- Jesus paid the price for ALL of your sins.
- Accept His forgiveness
- Forgive yourself
2. Deal with your guilt, whether True or False, and Jesus will set you free.
Freedom From Guilt
The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 3:23 NKJV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NKJV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
 Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
 Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins.
 The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second death explained in Revelation 21:8.
Revelation 21:8 NKJV
8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Romans 6:23b NKJV
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

10. Romans 5:8 NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Revelation 21:7 NKJV
7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”
 Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to accept Jesus as our Savior.
Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 NKJV
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
 If you have questions or would like to know more, Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-979-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/