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.
With a true heart - without hypocrisy: 'in truth, and with a perfect heart;' thoroughly imbued with "the truth" (Hebrews 10:26). See Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 7:19.
Full assurance (Hebrews 6:11) - with no doubt as to our acceptance when coming to God by the blood of Christ. As "faith" occurs here, so 'hope' and "love," Hebrews 10:23-24.
Sprinkled from - i:e., so as to be cleansed from.
Evil conscience - a consciousness of guilt unatoned for, and uncleansed away (Hebrews 10:2; Hebrews 9:9). Legal purifications, with blood of animal victims and with water, could only cleanse the flesh (Hebrews 9:13; Hebrews 9:21). Christ's blood purifies our hearts and consciences as well as our 'body.' The Aaronic priest, in entering the holy place, washed with water (Hebrews 9:19) in the brazen laver. Believers, as priests to God, are once for all washed in BODY at baptism. As we have an immaterial and a material nature, the cleansing of both is expressesd by "hearts" and 'body'-the inner and the outer-so the whole man. The baptism of body, however, is not mere putting away of material filth, nor an act operating by intrinsic efficacy, but the sacramental seal, applied to the outer man, of a spiritual washing (1 Peter 3:21). 'Body' (not merely "flesh," the carnal part, as 2 Corinthians 7:1) includes the whole material man, which needs cleansing, being redeemed, as well as the soul. The body, once polluted with sin, is washed, so as to be fitted, like and by Christ's holy body, to be spiritually a pure and living offering. On "pure water," the symbol of consecration and sanctification, cf. Ezekiel 36:25; John 19:34; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 John 5:6. The perfects, 'having ... hearts sprinkled ... body [to soma] washed,' implying a continuing state by a once-for-all-accomplished act-namely, our justification by faith through Christ's blood, and consecration to God, sealed sacramentally by the baptism of our body.