6 Biblical Principles of Martin Luther King JrНамуна

REFLECTION

We are so far removed from the sacrificial system of the Old Testament tabernacle that it’s hard to imagine what it must have been like. All of that setup and tear down in the desert heat. All of those sticky, bloody sacrifices. It’s distant and strange to modern readers who are used to clean church buildings and the sanitary precautions of modern life.

But the original readers of Hebrews would have understood the tabernacle with much greater ease. The Law of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy) is filled with descriptions of tabernacle sacrifices for forgiving one’s sin and cleansing their conscience. Jews in the New Testament, whose national identity had been shaped by the Law of Moses for hundreds of years, would’ve understood that repeated sacrifices were needed to have clean consciences. Repeated sacrifices were one way they kept their covenant with God.

The writer of Hebrews showed these ancient Jews that Jesus represented a new covenant with God. Through Jesus, the final sacrifice, the consciences of all people (not only the Jews) can be cleansed for all time. No longer would they, or do you, need to worry about returning to sacrifices over and over again for temporary relief from sin and shame. Jesus has eternally cleansed your conscience. The question is, what will you do with it?

As Daniels and Broussard said in today’s video, our consciences will help us understand what is right and wrong, in light of God’s truth. They also said that a weak conscience “often yields to the cultural norms of selfishness, segregation or prejudice.” But you are equipped to act differently. You are equipped to love your neighbor in ways that defy cultural norms. You are equipped to have a strong and clean conscience—clearly seeing right from wrong and acting upon it. Praise Jesus! And love others as he does.

REFLECTION

Think of a time when your conscience led you to make a good decision. How has God used that experience to shape you?

In what ways can you act upon your conscience for the good of others? How is God asking you to love others in ways that defy cultural norms?

PRAYER

Dear God, thank you for showing me what is right and what is wrong. Strengthen my conscience by the power of your Spirit and through your word. Help me to live in your light and act upon what you have shown me. I praise Jesus for his once-and-for-all sacrifice. Amen.