The Heart of Man from a Biblical Perspective

The Bible has much to say about the heart of man. The word “heart” in the New King James Version of the Bible is found 835 times in 775 verses, according to the E-Sword concordance for the NKJV. The study of the human heart is thus a massive study and, from a human point of view, a complex one. God knows all of our hearts, “For you alone know the hearts of all the sons of men.” (I Kings 8:39 NKJV) The question is, do you and I know our own hearts?

How many times has each of us questioned ourselves over the years? I suspect those who have never doubted themselves are a tiny minority. When we read passages in the Bible about men deceiving themselves in places like Gal. 6:3 and James 1:26, it causes us all the more concern, for the question becomes am I being honest with myself, or am I self-deceived? We obviously need to learn all we can about our hearts with the hope being that we can come to know ourselves better and improve our hearts. Who is the real me? Who am I? What is the true state of my heart, not what I think about it, but what is its true state in reality?

When the Bible speaks of the human heart, it is speaking of man's intellect, man’s will, man’s emotions or feelings, or a man’s conscience, or any given combination of these. However, the word may also refer to the whole inner being of man, combining all these elements into the whole that makes up the man. Each of these aspects of the human heart is worth looking at.

(1) The heart is the thinking aspect of man. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7 NKJV) Jesus asks, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matt. 9:4 NKJV) “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts.” (Matt. 15:19 NKJV) “If that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming.’” (Matt. 24:48 NKJV) The evil servant says this, in his heart, because that is what he is thinking. “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19 NKJV) Mary thought about these things and mulled them over in her mind. One could go on and find verse after verse in the Bible teaching the same thing about the heart being the center of thought, reasoning, and understanding within a person.

The question that necessarily comes to mind when one thinks about this aspect of the human heart is, “Am I responsible for the way I think?” The Bible answers in the affirmative. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” (Rom. 8:6 NKJV) “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.” (Phil. 4:8 NKJV)

I readily admit it is tough to change the way you think, but is that not what every person does when they repent? Yes, repentance is certainly a change of the will but is it not also a change of the mind, a change of our thinking? When a man comes to accept the Bible and its teaching, is he not committing himself to a new way of thinking about the world and his relationship not only with God but also with his fellowman? When one accepts the gospel, they are saying I am going to let the Bible guide my thinking, and I am not going to think about things the way I used to. While we will never be perfect, we can change our attitudes and the way we think.

(2) The heart is the will of man. I have already spoken about repentance, which God requires of man (Luke 13:3, Acts 17:30) in the paragraph above, how the will of man is involved. It is hard to separate the will from thought, but there is this much difference in it--the will provides man with the determination to carry through with his thinking. Daniel was told in a heavenly vision, “From the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard.” (Dan. 10:12 NKJV) Daniel willed or determined to understand and to humble himself. “Set your heart” means to will in your heart, as used in this context.

“Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart.” (Exod. 35:5 NKJV) One cannot obey God whose heart is unwilling. There were rulers who believed in Jesus (John 12:42) but were unwilling to confess him lest they be put out of the synagogue. The widow who put in two mites into the collection did so because she willed to do so. (Mark 12:41-44 NKJV) No man has obeyed the gospel who did not first find it in his heart to do so, will in his heart to do it.

It is good to be a strong-willed person, provided the will has been guided by proper knowledge and correct thinking. Only the strong-willed can go on a diet and stick with it. Only the strong-willed can successfully train for and run a marathon. The list could go on and on of things that require a strong will to succeed. Christianity is one of those things for, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Tim. 4:12 NKJV) Paul could never have succeeded in view of all the things he had to suffer (see 2 Cor. 11:23-27 NKJV) had he not had a strong will.

A strong will is good if directed properly by correct thinking and proper knowledge. Without such guidance, the will can become a man’s worst enemy for oftentimes it can be said of strong-willed people that they are only stubborn people. Pharaoh is an excellent Bible example. Pharaoh hardened his heart time after time. The will in his heart was to do his own will, not God’s. It is difficult to convert a strong-willed person who has been brought up on false doctrine. (A radical Islamist would be a good example.) Samuel, speaking to Saul, said, “Stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” (1 Sam. 15:23 NKJV) We must have the will to do God’s will, but we must be certain it is his will and not our version of what we would like his will to be.

(3) The heart is a man’s feelings or emotions. “The Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart.” (Gen. 6:6 NKJV) Grief is ascribed to God’s heart on this occasion but is also ascribed to man’s heart, “Your heart should not be grieved.” (Deut. 15:10 NKJV) The heart sorrows, “Even in laughter the heart may sorrow.” (Prov. 14:13 NKJV) Joy resides in the heart, “My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart.” (Isa. 65:14 NKJV) Rejoicing takes place in the heart, “Your heart will rejoice.” (John 16:22 NKJV)

In fact, all of the following emotions can be found in the heart: gladness (Psalms 4:7), desires (Psalms 20:4, 73:7, Prov. 6:25), is troubled (Psalms 25:17), trusts (Psalms 28:7), is broken (Psalms 34:18), suffers turmoil (Psalms 38:8), fails one (Psalms 40:12), is pained (Psalms 55:4), is proud (Psalms 101:5), hates (Psalms 105:25), is wounded (Psalms 109:22), is distressed (Psalms 143:4), despises (Prov. 5:12), is anxious (Prov. 12:25), is bitter (Prov. 14:10), is merry (Prov. 15:13), is haughty (Prov. 18:12), is proud (Prov. 21:4), envies (Prov. 23:17), delights (Prov. 27:9), anguishes (2 Cor. 2:4). This list is not meant to be exhaustive of all the emotions of which the Bible speaks that are attributed to the heart. The reader can readily see that I went through the books of Psalms and Proverbs to come up with the list, with one added from 2 Corinthians. That leaves a lot of other books and verses that need to be seen before one can say his research has exhausted all the available biblical sources.

One will readily notice that the word “love” as an emotion of the heart is not found in my listing. Does not the Bible teach we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart? Yes, it certainly does. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matt. 22:37 NKJV) Human emotions are a part of the Bible heart (“all your heart”), and so love as a tender longing emotion toward God is commanded. But did you know that the word love, when traced back to the Greek, does not often mean affection?

The Greeks had 4 words which, when translated into English, were all translated by the one English word “love.” When we talk about sex, friendship, affection, etc., we generally lump it all together into one word, the word “love,” and let the reader decide for himself what we are talking about. The Greeks were much more precise in their language. The Greek word found behind our English word “love” most often in our New Testaments is the word agape (noun) or agapao (the verb form).

The reader may be surprised to learn (speaking of this Greek term) that, “Christian love…is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered.” (W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, page 693) “Christian love has God for its primary object, and expresses itself first of all in implicit obedience to his commandments.” (Ibid) “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” (1 John 5:3 NKJV)

The Greek word “phileo” is also translated in our Bibles as love (though used far, far less frequently), and it “more nearly represents tender affection.” (Ibid) “Phileo is never used in a command to men to love God; it is, however, used as a warning in 1 Cor. 16:22.” (Ibid) All of this is according to Vine, a recognized authority on the Greek. However, when you read 1 Cor. 16:22 there is no doubt one must love God with the tender affections for the verse reads, “If anyone does not love (phileo--DS) the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed” (NKJV) thus while it may not be a direct command it has the force of a command and all the authority of a command. (Matt. 10:37 teaches more or less the same thing using the word “phileo.”)

I have gone through this to make an application to today. How many times do we hear people talk about loving God yet not understanding that love for God is not all about my emotions (or yours) but about keeping God’s commandments, “For this is the love (agape--DS) of God, that we keep his commandments.” (1 John 5:3 NKJV) “He who does not love (agapao--DS) me does not keep my words.” (John 14:24 NKJV) “He who says, ‘I know him,’ and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:4 NKJV) They live their lives dedicated to God (they think), but the reality is they are dedicated to their religious emotions and what the word of God actually says is only of secondary importance to them. Their emotions tell them they love God, so with them, that settles the matter; forget what the word of God says.

Yes, we must love God with our emotions (1 Cor. 16:22), but to make the emotions alone the whole heart of which the Bible speaks is not honest scholarship and easily leads to destruction. Paul’s religious emotions toward God were doing just fine while he disbelieved and persecuted Christians. He would have told you with sincerity that he loved God while he was doing those things.  False doctrine taught and believed, while it may well be emotionally satisfying, will never be made into what it is not--truth. So, yes, love God with your emotions, but never set emotions on a throne and allow them to rule as king in your relationship with God, for there is far more to a man’s heart, according to the Bible, than just emotions, and emotions alone can lead one astray, as proven in Paul's case prior to his conversion experience.

(4) The heart is a man’s conscience. When Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, the Bible says of many who heard him that they “were cut to the heart.” (Acts 2:37 NKJV) They felt guilty. Their conscience was bothering them. See also Acts 23:1 and John 8:9 for other passages teaching the same. One cannot separate the conscience from the heart.

Finally, and this is important for the Bible student, when we read about the human heart in the Bible, we can clearly see, as shown above, that oftentimes, maybe only one aspect of the heart is under consideration in a passage. In other places, sometimes more than one aspect of the heart is under consideration, but not all. For example, in Matt. 22:37, where we are told we must “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (NKJV), we can see that the mind (the thinking aspect) is separated from the heart in this passage. The context will often make these things clear as we read. However, oftentimes the word simply refers to the entire inner being of the man himself. My heart reflects (or is) all I am in my thinking, my will, my emotions, my conscience--to the totality of my being wrapped up into one package. Again, we must read carefully the context.

It is time to ask the question upon which all of our fortunes depend. Upon what treasure has my heart set itself upon? “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:21 NKJV) It is really all up to us for “The preparations of the heart belong to man.” (Prov. 16:1 NKJV) God has empowered us, and now it is up to us what we will do with that power. We can prepare our hearts if we are willing to do so. Pharaoh was not willing. Will we be? He heard God’s will but was not of a willing heart to obey it. Am I? Are you?

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The Conscience as a Witness

A person can run from many things but one thing that cannot be run from is one’s own conscience. Wherever a person goes their conscience follows as closely as their shadow. It is a constant companion. It is an individual’s witness to himself and to God of his character as it relates to his willingness or unwillingness to abide in what he considers to be that which is right and good.

The conscience cannot be a person’s perfect guide, for it, like man's intellect, must be properly trained to be useful. Throughout history men have committed atrocities in all good conscience against others. Men have burned other men at the stake, slit the throats of others, sacrificed their children as burnt offerings, committed genocide, all in good conscience because the conscience was misinformed and untaught in righteousness.

Just because one has been taught from childhood that a thing is right, and has accepted it as fact, does not mean there is truth in the doctrine one was taught and came to believe. A conscience can be trained in sin and error just as easily as in righteousness, for the conscience itself is unable to determine truth from error. It acts like a computer in the sense that it can do no more nor less than what it has been programmed to do. It judges based on its training.

Sometimes, consciences need to be reprogrammed. If a person is in religious error, say as an example a militant Islamist who believes murder and terrorism is God's will, his conscience needs to be retrained and educated in righteousness.

The only trustworthy guide man has to live by is not his conscience but God's word. The Psalmist said, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105 NKJV) Man is to walk in (live by) God's word. Jeremiah, under inspiration, wrote, "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." (Jer. 10:23 NKJV) If it were in man to direct his own steps then conscience might well be a suitable guide, but that is not what the scriptures teach.

Mankind’s guide needs to be what the word of God says, for only God knows what is perfect in goodness, holiness, and righteousness. Jesus said to the devil, but it applies to all, for it remains true, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" (Matt. 4:4 NKJV) This was originally written in Deut. 8:3, by Moses, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and remains an eternal truth as long as the earth shall stand.

If it is said men have used scripture, God’s word, to commit atrocities, it is not scripture that led them to that. For example, where in your New Testament do you read of a commandment to burn men at the stake for heresy as was done in the Middle Ages? Christianity properly taught teaches love your neighbor as yourself. It never condones the mistreatment of another.

No, we cannot ignore our conscience. I do not argue that we can, for we cannot. I only argue that our conscience must be trained by the word of God as found in the New Testament, God's law for man today, and that we may need to retrain our conscience to bring it into accord with that word.

Saul, who was to become the apostle Paul, had to retrain his conscience when he met up with Jesus on the road to Damascus. His conversion experience (read about it in Acts 9, 22, and 26) immediately convinced him that the things he used to believe and by which his conscience had been guided were error and so he turned from them. Many today need to turn from their religious error which their conscience condones because it has been improperly trained.

The key to such a change is to be fully persuaded. One can change without violating one's conscience when fully persuaded like Paul was. No one can advocate violating one's conscience when not fully persuaded for that in itself would be sin. "Whatever is not from faith is sin." (Rom. 14:23 NKJV) We need to read and study God's word with an open mind and heart and be willing to accept whatever we find written there, even if it goes against what we have believed previously.

The conscience gives witness to the kind of heart we have and God reads man's heart (Acts 15:8, Jer. 17:10). It is only the pure in heart who will see God (Matt. 5:8). The conscience is a part of the heart (a part, not all). In John 8, we have Jesus being confronted by those who have brought a woman to him caught in the act of adultery. They are trying Jesus, attempting to put him in a tight spot, but he turns the table on them and says to them that whoever is among you without sin cast the first stone at her (John 8:7). The Bible then says, "Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one." (John 8:9 NKJV) What was convicting them? Their conscience, yes, but the conscience was the heart. Their hearts were pricking them.

We find the same thing on the Day of Pentecost when Peter preached the first gospel sermon and the first converts under the Christian dispensation were made. Peter preached to them in a way to convince them that not only was Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, but that they were guilty of putting him to death (Acts 2:23,36). The Bible says when they heard this, "they were cut to the heart." (Acts 2:37 NKJV) Their conscience was made to feel the guilt of sin. Until a man's conscience is greatly bothered by sin, and he must be made to feel sin's guilt for that to happen, he will not and cannot repent and be saved.

A guilty conscience is a blessing if a man will allow it and will heed its call and repent. The conscience is a witness to a man about the state of his heart. Thank God if you have a conscience that is not so hardened by sin that it does not bother you when you do wrong. Thank God it still works and is not seared.

The Bible tells us that the conscience can become seared. It speaks of those who speak lies in hypocrisy "having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” (1 Tim. 4:2 NKJV) If one continues to ignore their conscience, overriding its decision and doing what their conscience is telling them is wrong, eventually the conscience will cease to have any control over them. Sinning becomes easier and easier until finally it no longer bothers one at all. The conscience has been seared.

I do not want to be misunderstood. It is never too late to repent and turn one’s life around, even if one has been caught up in a sin that seems to have enslaved him or her. What is being said is that it becomes easier and easier to continue in sin the more and the longer one continues to ignore and/or override a properly trained conscience. The ultimate end if one continues on down that road is no conscience at all. That is a scary, scary thought. As long as your conscience is bothering you, there is hope of repentance. The great fear is that of coming to the point where the conscience no longer pricks one at all.

The conscience is indeed a witness of the heart, and it will either accuse us or else excuse us. In Rom. 2:15, Paul speaks of the Gentiles who did not have the Law of Moses during that Old Testament dispensation of time and says in part of them, "who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them." (NKJV) The conscience gives rise to those thoughts for good or ill, depending on how we have reacted to what we deemed to be right, thus bringing either peace of mind or the burden of guilt.

Our conscience tells us about the state of our heart. When I see myself in my heart (my conscience making that possible), going off in the wrong direction, I need to act on that and turn again to righteousness. Conscience talks to us and, if properly trained, prompts us to turn around and return to God.

In Rom. 9:1, Paul spoke of his conscience "bearing me witness" meaning, in his case, his conscience was confirming the truthfulness of what he was writing. When we live the truth and tell the truth, our conscience becomes a character witness on our behalf. Men may not be able to read our conscience, but God can, and we know our conscience and thus are given confidence by its approval.

In 2 Cor. 1:12, Paul speaks of the "testimony of our conscience" thus the conscience bears testimony. When it bears good testimony to us, we have peace and confidence, hope and faith.

I want to close with one last verse, 1 Peter 2:19, "For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully." (NKJV) Our hearts ought to be so tender towards God that we are willing to endure all wrong to maintain a good witness of our conscience before God.

Not everything can be bought with gold. Some things, in fact, many things, are of more value than gold. Things like a good name, good character, a good hope, love, faith, forgiveness, and a good conscience toward God. You can take these things with you when you die. These are the things that matter.  

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The Relationship of The Blood of Jesus and Baptism

All who claim to be Christians believe we are saved by the blood of Jesus.  All believe that for the Bible clearly states it, "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Eph 1:7 NKJV)  There are very few, however, who realize where God has placed that blood spiritually speaking. 

Christianity is a religion of the spirit.  No man is saved by coming into physical contact with the blood of Christ.  This is simply a truism accepted by all.  We do not each get a microscopic drop of literal blood placed on our souls.  So the question then becomes where has God placed the blood in a spiritual sense?  It does matter; it is a matter of salvation. 

In the Bible, blood stands for life.  God speaking to Noah and his sons after the flood said unto them, "You shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." (Gen 9:4 NKJV)  Again, God speaking to Moses in Lev. 17:11 says to Moses, "The life of the flesh is in the blood." (NKJV)  And, then again, in Lev. 17:14, "The life of all flesh is its blood." (NKJV) 

In the New Testament Judas when he had betrayed the Lord, felt remorse, and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders saying to them, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." (Matt. 27:4 NKJV)  What did he mean by using the phrase "innocent blood?"  He meant he had betrayed innocent life.  Blood stood for life. 

When Pilate washed his hands before the multitude who wanted Jesus put to death and made the statement, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person" (Matt. 27:24 NKJV) what did he mean?  Was it not I am innocent of putting to death this innocent man?  Blood stood for life. 

Jesus was God's sacrificial lamb who, as John the Baptist said, takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)  This required the shedding of his blood, the taking of his life.  Jesus said, in instituting the Lord's Supper, "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matt. 26:28 NKJV)  We are justified by his blood (Rom. 5:9) and "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Eph. 1:7 NKJV) 

When Jesus died on the cross his blood was shed in that his life was taken.  Jesus had shed some blood prior to his death.  There was the scourging he endured, the crown of thorns on his head, the nails driven through his hands yet, all of that being true, he had not yet shed his blood in the Bible sense of the giving up of life itself.  Surely no one believes we were saved by the literal blood of the scourging, thorns, or nails. 

When Jesus uttered his last words on the cross and gave up the ghost his blood was then shed in Bible parlance.  John, in John 19:33-34, in speaking of what happened while Jesus was on the cross after his death said, "But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." (John 19:33-34 NKJV) 

This event, the piercing of his side, had symbolic importance for the sacrifice of himself had already taken place, his life already given for ours.  Remember Lev. 17:11?  "The life of the flesh is in the blood."  With his side being pierced the life of Jesus was now gone for the whole world to see.  His blood was shed in every sense of the word.  Where was the soul-cleansing blood of Jesus shed?  In his death, when he died on the cross, but now it was evident to all he was dead.  

So, we know where Jesus shed his blood--in his death, at the moment he died.  This then tells us all that if we are to come into contact with that blood we must enter into his death.  For me to come into contact with that saving blood, spiritually speaking, I must get into Christ's death.  Paul was very clear on where and how you and I do this.  He says in Rom. 6:3, "Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" (NKJV) 

He goes on, "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Rom 6:4 NKJV)  When is a person to walk in the newness of life?  After baptism.  Can one walk in newness of life unless the blood of Jesus has cleansed him?  Newness of life comes to a man upon being raised from the waters of baptism.  God placed the cleansing blood in the waters of baptism.  In that act, when done from a heart of faith having repented of one’s sins, the blood of Jesus cleanses a man or woman from all sin. 

But, objection is made by man and it is said baptism is a little thing.  Is the blood of Jesus a little thing?  If one can be saved without baptism into the death of Christ then one can be saved without the blood of Jesus.  

Paul in 2 Cor. 5:17 makes this statement, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Co 5:17 NKJV)  Bearing that in mind what did Paul say to us in the passages just under consideration?  Did he not say, "Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus … ?" (Rom. 6:3 NKJV)  Yes, he said we were baptized into Christ. 

In Christ how?  By being baptized into him.  Where is one a "new creation?"  In Christ.  How can a man be a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) unless the blood of Christ has cleansed him?  In Christ, I am cleansed, a new creation, but I am baptized into Christ.  I get into Christ by baptism.  The blood of cleansing then spiritually speaking is found in baptism. 

In talking to Timothy, Paul says this is a faithful saying, "For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him." (2 Tim. 2:11 NKJV)  We died with him by being baptized into his death. (Rom. 6:3)  Paul says if we did that we shall live with him thus the blood of Jesus must be contacted in the waters of baptism.  It is only through his blood that we have life.  But, what if we did not die with Him in baptism?  I will let the reader answer. 

Then Paul says in Eph. 5:25-26, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word." (Eph. 5:25-26 NKJV)  Does anyone believe the church Jesus loved and gave himself for has not been cleansed by his blood?  But, the text says he cleansed the church with the "washing of water by the word."  Thus the blood was in the waters of baptism. 

There is an interesting passage in Heb. 10:22 where the writer is admonishing those to whom he wrote.  He says, "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." (NKJV)  Let us couple that with what Peter spoke of concerning baptism in 1 Peter 3:21, "There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (NKJV) 

To have one's heart sprinkled from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:22) is the same as to have a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21).  Peter says this is accomplished in baptism while the Hebrew writer speaks of our bodies being washed with pure water.  They are one and the same.  The clean conscience is acquired through being baptized.  Peter goes so far as to say baptism saves us.  The blood of Christ must then be found in the waters of baptism.  That is where the conscience is cleansed.  The conscience cannot be cleansed from God's standpoint without the blood of Jesus.  It is cleansed in baptism.  This is the only logical deduction one can make. 

I realize an article like this is going to be very, very unpopular.  People want no part of baptism being a salvation issue.  Passage after passage teaches that it is (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21) plainly and clearly.  In fact, when God's word says "repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Act 2:38 NKJV) one wonders how such a passage can be misunderstood by rational men.  

A question that arises in my mind is this.  Let us suppose for the sake of argument that God wanted to tell men that they must be baptized to have their sins forgiven and to be saved.  Since the language he used is not adequate to satisfy the mass of mankind how would you, if you were him, phrase it to make it clear to all readers?  What words would you use to convey the idea?  Remember what he said as stated was not adequate to convince men.  You would have to use other words.  What words would you use? 

People are not rational when it comes to religion.  In religion, emotions generally rule.  Men and women often cannot see the truth because as plain as it might be they are not willing to face up to it, because they do not want to see and know the truth.  Perhaps truth condemns them or their family and maybe some of the family has already passed on while living in error.  In other cases, truth may prohibit them from living the kind of life they would prefer to live.  Add to those things change can be very uncomfortable.  It may be much easier to continue as you are versus changing with the unpleasantness that can bring in relationships.  Whatever the cause a refusal to accept truth gives them a comfort, temporary though it may be, that they cannot find in the truth itself. 

I want to close with this.  You and I might wish it was some other way.  Some cannot bear the thought that they have family now gone who if what I have written today is the truth never accepted the truth and died in error.  We worry about them and we are not willing to accept the truth because of where we think that would place them.  My advice is to leave those matters with God for he will do what is right.  If they end up in the wrong place in the life to come do you think you will bring them joy by meeting up with them there?  You would only add sorrow to sorrow, guilt to guilt. 

But, I have to ask you one other question, a momentous question.  Are you going to pass error on to your children and grandchildren after you?  If Mom and Dad died in error they are now in God's hands.  Let him deal with the matter.  As for you, you likely have children, grandchildren, a spouse to be concerned about, some or all of these.  Will you lead them down the road of error because of the past?  If so you will likely get what you deserve.  How could it be otherwise? 

Did Jesus command baptism?  If he did (you know he did) you know your duty.

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