What does "full assurance of faith" mean (Hebrews 10:22)?

Answer. The answer to this question is found in v. 22, where we have the exhortation to "draw near." Two things are in this scripture - the title to draw near, and the practical condition of soul, without which the title cannot be used. The title lies in the words, "having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water"; the condition of soul necessary for the enjoyment of the title is expressed in the words, "a true heart in full assurance of faith." A true heart is one that has no reserves from God, nothing unconfessed or unjudged (compare 1 John 3:19-22); and full assurance of faith is entire confidence in the perfect and abiding efficacy of the one sacrifice of Christ, combined with unshaken trust in God and His grace, as displayed in Him who by His one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (v. 14.) Indeed, it is only when we are in the knowledge of God's grace in redemption that we can welcome the action of the light which exposes our hearts before God, and desire that everything which is unsuited to His presence should be removed. To sum up, then, the only thing to hinder our access, when we possess the title, is the neglect of self-judgment and confession, the absence of a true heart.

If the reference in the expression, "Our bodies washed with pure water," is to the washing of the priests at their consecration (Ex. 29:4), the teaching of this passage is very simple and significant. Washing with water is a symbol for the application of the word in the power of the Holy Ghost, bringing in death upon the natural man and his thoughts, and producing what is wholly new, according to God. The result is the new birth, or rather to be born of God. This conclusion is sustained by the fact that when our blessed Lord says, in John 13, "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet," He uses the same word as in this scripture. The heart "sprinkled from an evil conscience" speaks of the efficacy of the precious blood of Christ, which, when known through faith, as based upon God's testimony, gives no more conscience of sins. These two things together — being born of God, and "no more conscience of sins" — form the absolute qualification of a worshipper. No one who is without these has any title to enter into the presence of God. But this scripture speaks of another thing, viz., of a practical condition corresponding with the qualification or title. Hence the apostle says, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." A true heart is one that has been fully exposed in the light of God's presence, one therefore that has no reserves from God, no concealments, and nothing consciously left unjudged; and "full assurance of faith" is the rest of soul which follows upon confidence in God's grace and love. It is indeed only as we are established in grace that we can possess the true heart; for the more we know of grace, the more open-hearted our confession, and the more thorough our self-judgment. The instruction of the whole passage is, that if we would enjoy the liberty and power of worshipping in the Holiest, our moral condition must correspond with our title. We may really be born of God, and may know that God does not impute guilt to the believer, and yet we may not be able to draw near because we lack the true heart and full assurance of faith.

If the reference in the expression, "Our bodies washed with pure water," is to the washing of the priests at their consecration (Ex. 29:4), the teaching of this passage is very simple and significant. Washing with water is a symbol for the application of the word in the power of the Holy Ghost, bringing in death upon the natural man and his thoughts, and producing what is wholly new, according to God. The result is the new birth, or rather to be born of God. This conclusion is sustained by the fact that when our blessed Lord says, in John 13, "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet," He uses the same word as in this scripture. The heart "sprinkled from an evil conscience" speaks of the efficacy of the precious blood of Christ, which, when known through faith, as based upon God's testimony, gives no more conscience of sins. These two things together - being born of God, and "no more conscience of sins" - form the absolute qualification of a worshipper. No one who is without these has any title to enter into the presence of God. But this scripture speaks of another thing, viz., of a practical condition corresponding with the qualification or title. Hence the apostle says, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." A true heart is one that has been fully exposed in the light of God's presence, one therefore that has no reserves from God, no concealments, and nothing consciously left unjudged; and "full assurance of faith" is the rest of soul which follows upon confidence in God's grace and love. It is indeed only as we are established in grace that we can possess the true heart; for the more we know of grace, the more open-hearted our confession, and the more thorough our self-judgment. The instruction of the whole passage is, that if we would enjoy the liberty and power of worshipping in the Holiest, our moral condition must correspond with our title. We may really be born of God, and may know that God does not impute guilt to the believer, and yet we may not be able to draw near because we lack the true heart and full assurance of faith.

Do you know what it is to "draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith?" And let me tell you "full assurance of faith" does not mean a very great amount of faith, but that which simply clings to Christ, and trusts in His atoning blood as its only ground of access there to worship within the veil.

There are three things spoken of in Scripture - 1st, "Full assurance of faith" (Heb. 10:22); 2ndly, "Full assurance of hope" (v. 11); 3dly, "Full assurance of understanding." (Col. 2: 2.) The "full assurance of faith" rests on the testimony of God. God tells me the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin, and I rest upon that testimony. There is more than this in the "full assurance of hope;" my soul counts upon a person who has made a promise. (See vv. 12-20.) Hence there is the leaning upon God (a different thing from merely believing a testimony), and, moreover, a looking "within the veil." It is founded upon what is perfectly immutable, not upon anything produced here, and which might be liable to change. Entering into that within the veil, God's throne must be shaken before my hope. Faith rests upon a testimony that has come out; but it carries me up, and hope reckons on Him who is there. The "full assurance of understanding" goes a step further. Not only have I an object on which my heart and conscience rest, but it takes up God's counsels; it "understands;" I can say, "It became God" to do this and to do that.

Full assurance of faith comes through laying hold of the truth of God by faith. Where saints are under bad teaching they will not have the full assurance of faith, that is under teaching that keeps saints at a distance from God, and that does not present the true knowledge of God.

To be found in the presence of God there must needs be the moral suitability of soul that is indicated in "a true heart, and full assurance of faith" (Heb. 10:22). The least defilement of conscience would keep us out of God's presence, so that we must have the conscience right before God regarding our walk and ways, the heart in this way answering true to the holy nature of God's presence. Moreover, we must have the full assurance that faith in God gives. Defective teaching, or ignorance of God's grace and Christ's work, will deprive us of the full assurance that God gives to those who rest in His word and on the finished work of Christ.

There is also the divine work that answers to the priestly ceremony on the day of consecration, "our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." As having come under the efficacy of the blood of Jesus, we are fitted for priestly service in the presence of God; and we have been "washed all over" (John 13:10), cleansed from the moral pollution that belonged to us as derived from Adam.

The drawing near has, of course, to be, with us, a spiritual realization. The ability to draw near is our privilege at all times. The conditions are given by the apostle. "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." We have the way secured, and the living Person of the Great Priest over the house of God, Himself on the throne of God, One who in the tenderness of divine grace ministers to our infirmities, and lifts us up above ourselves. On our part, therefore, we are to approach "with a true heart, in full assurance of faith," — that is the proper answer to the grace that has thus provided for us; with the "heart sprinkled from an evil conscience," which is the Christian purification of the conscience previously insisted on as necessary for the practical opening of the sanctuary. The "body washed with pure water" refers to what was done at the consecration of the priests (Ex. 29:4), and which answers to "the washing of regeneration" (Titus 3:5), the word of God bringing us out from a world in rampant insubjection to God, into whole-hearted allegiance to the Son of His love. This is the spiritual reality of which baptism is the expression outwardly; but "the washing of regeneration" is not baptism, which is the mere shadow, and not the substance.

All then is ready in the heavenly places whither Christ is gone. But the worshipper is also fitted for the sanctuary, as we have seen, by the perfection of the one Sin-offering. The subjective condition of the acceptable worshipper is expressed in verse 22. He is to come with a true heart, and with a full assurance of faith. Because the carnal worshipper was destitute of faith, his heart was likewise void of godly sincerity. For nothing frees the heart from guile but the discovery that God is entirely the sinner's friend. In Jesus this is seen and felt. The heart that has been emptied of itself, and filled with Christ, is fit to worship God. That worshipper only has full assurance of faith, who has entirely relinquished every thought of fitness in himself. The sure effects of such a faith must be a heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and a body washed with pure water. Knowing the value of the blood within the vail, the believer is soberly and consciously assured that he is indeed as he is said to be. It is not the consciousness of personal blamelessness and upright endeavour, that prepares him thus to speak with God. He is sprinkled by the blood of Jesus. His person is, moreover, pure for God; to be the acceptable instrument of His good pleasure. While "divers washings" left the carnal worshipper impure, the work of grace, whereby the laver of regeneration is effectively applied, has cleansed entirely the person of the saint. His body has been sanctified for use to God; though, as yet, unchanged into the fashion which it is to bear. The price of its redemption has been paid. Its transformation to the glorious similitude of Christ is near at hand. Meanwhile, it is to be the pure companion of the blood-cleansed conscience, the full-lighted dwelling of the Holy Spirit of adoption (Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Rom. 6, etc.).

We now come to the exhortation to "draw near," v. 22. Why should we stay away? all that would keep us from God has been removed by the death of Christ, in order that with holy boldness, we can approach the presence of God. On the one hand His blood has fitted us to go in and on the other, it has met the claims of God. We are fit to go there and God in His righteous and holy character can have us there. Christ has dedicated that way for us by going in, having become priest by His own blood. The way is said to be "through the veil, that is, His flesh," referring to His Manhood. It is by becoming man He has opened the way for us into the presence of God. Both revelation and approach are complete in Him. God was revealed in Him and as consequence, we go to God in the light of that revelation, in Him. He is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. God coming out in revelation in Him is seen typically in the rending of the veil of the Temple when He died. Our going in to God is seen more in the veil of the Tabernacle (Heb. 11:3). That is the building before us in this epistle, not the Temple. We have no record of the veil of the Tabernacle being rent! It is Christ in manhood, whether coming from God as Apostle or going to God as High Priest. We must of course free our minds from the material and get the spiritual import as seen in Christ Himself. Entering the Holiest means that we are consciously in the presence of God in the faith of our souls. In the presence of the God who has been perfectly revealed in His Son. When we get there we find ourselves in company with the Great Priest over the House of God. In answer to Aaron and his sons on the day of consecration, we have Christ and the Assembly in the blessing of the "Heavenly Calling" and in function as the new spiritual company, inside the veil. High or Chief Priest, would be relative to the company but Great Priest, would be absolute, because of Who He is. The first would tell us of His infinite grace in associating us with Himself but the second would preserve His Personal dignity for He is the "Son, perfected for evermore." Here then are the inducements we have to encourage us to draw near to God. The blood of Jesus has met the claims of God and put away our sins. He has opened up as a consequence a new and living way by going in to God. By becoming man, He has perfectly revealed God as the Apostle and still in Manhood, He has gone into God as High Priest. through that revelation we can know God and now in Him as the fruit of His work we can go to God. Then when we approach in the faith of our souls, we are conscious of being in His company as the Great Priest over the House of God. We join Him there as the Minister of the Sanctuary and He sustains us and leads in the worship of God. Now we have the exhortation, "let us approach with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience, and washed as to our body with pure water." In referring once again to Aaron and his sons, we learn that they were washed in water and then sprinkled with blood, Ex. 29:4, 29. The water for cleansing and the blood for expiation. The washing with water would give us a "true heart" as dealing with our state. The sprinkling with blood would give us "full assurance of faith" as dealing with our guilt. The word here translated "pure" is katharos, and really means clean. A concordance will show that the word for purge in Heb. 9:14; 10:2, is the same as that used here for "pure." In each case it means "clean." The twofold result is that we have a clean heart and a clean conscience. The first would give us a new state as the result of the washing by water, i.e. morally cleansed by the word. The second gives us a clean conscience as believing in the precious blood of Christ. The way has been opened up on the divine side by Christ making God known and going in to God. We are fitted on our side to lay hold of the privilege as having a clean heart and a clean conscience. Everything for God and for us has been done by Christ, who has thus accomplished the will of God in securing a company to approach the sanctuary to take up His praise and worship. May we know what it is to join Christ as the Great Priest over the House of God and as the Minister of the Sanctuary, that under His direction, as associated with Him in the presence of God, He might lead out our hearts in praise and worship for the pleasure of His God and Father.