Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 

Biblical theology has practical implications. Look at the word ”since”, (coming twice in verses 19 & 21), and then the logical conclusion drawn out in verse 22.

Let us pray!

In the ‘New Living Translation’ our passage reads:

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

We have been cleansed both inwardly and outwardly: washed by Christ’s blood internally, and by the waters of baptism externally

You may recall that in Acts 9:11, a man by the name of Ananias was commanded to go to the newly converted Saul of Tarsus with these words:

‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 

The fact that he was praying was an indicator of his new spiritual state. It is always a mark of conversion. One of the most practical implications of experiencing the Cross is that we pray; indeed, that we have the desire to pray. It is as natural as breathing.

So…let us pray.