The text says that Christ, through His blood, purifies our consciences. According to Hebrews 9:13–14, “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

It is used in the scrubbing and washing of our consciences and creates clean hands with which we are able to serve and worship the living God. The Word of God reminds us that one of the gracious blessings of the blood of Christ is that it cleanses our consciences.

If we can understand the need for cleanliness with doctors, how much more must be the case with those who would serve the Holy God? Yet all the scrubbing and washing did raise a question for me. Nevertheless, it was comforting to know that those who would be touching the inside of my mouth were required to wash and scrub thoroughly. In fact, when I’m hungry and dinner is on the table, three seconds usually suffices. I don’t think I have ever washed my hands for three minutes. A minimum of three minutes of scrubbing is required.

I learned how long doctors and nurses, especially dentists, are supposed to wash their hands before and after surgery. During this process, however, I learned something. While I did not relish the idea of having to have my tooth operated on, today I am more than thankful for it. Thankfully, I had a good dentist who did his best to make the experience as stress-free as possible.

Clean hands and a pure heart