Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Hebrews 10:22

"let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: and having our body washed with pure water," — Hebrews 10:22 (ASV)

Now come three exhortations: “Let us draw near,” “Let us hold unswervingly” (v.23), and “Let us consider” (v.24). The contemplation of what Christ has done should stir his people into action. First, we are to draw near to God “with a sincere heart.” The “heart” (GK 2840) stands for the whole of our inner life; and it is important that as God’s people approach him, they be right inwardly. It is the “pure in heart” who see God (Matthew 5:8). Furthermore, in view of what Christ has done for us, we should approach God in deep sincerity. The “full assurance of faith” stresses that it is only by trusting in Christ, who has performed for us the high priestly work that gives access to God, that we can draw near at all.

The references to the “sprinkled” hearts and the “washed” bodies should be taken together. The washing of the body with pure water is surely a reference to baptism. But the thing that distinguished Christian baptism from the multiplicity of lustrations that were practiced in the religions of the ancient world was that it was more than an outward rite cleansing the body from ritual defilement. Baptism is the outward sign of an inward cleansing, and it was the latter that was the more important. So here it is mentioned first. The sprinkling of the hearts signifies the effect of the blood of Christ on the inmost being. Christians are cleansed within by his shed blood (cf. the sprinkling of the priests, Exodus 29:21; Leviticus 8:30).