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Guarding
Our Conscience
How do we
feel about what we read in the newspapers and see on the television? How
do you react when you read of a rape, a drive-by shooting, a house
break-in, a gay-activist march, a verbal attack on conservative
Christians, the number of abortions each year, attacks on elderly ladies?
By comparison, how did you react to such things ten, twenty, thirty, forty
years ago? How would your grandparents have reacted to scenes like we
have today? Is your conscience being seared?
Today I want
to talk to you about guarding your conscience.
What is
conscience? Conscience is that motive of conduct by which we believe we
should be living. The Greek word “suncidesis,” pronounced soon-i’-day-sis,
G4893, is defined as moral conscientiousness. Conscience gives feelings
of remorse when we have done what we know we should not have done.
Its actions are involuntary, but we decide how to react to it, and
whether or not we shall override it. A clean conscience reflects one who
practices God's way of life.
Our
consciences must be treated well. Conscience, even more than our actions,
seems to be a factor in why God called us. God only calls those with some
level of conscience. Since God considers our conscience so importantly,
we must guard our consciences.
It is well
recognized that once a conscience is broken, it often can not be
repaired. Conscience has an element of morality. There seem to be times
in people's lives when they seemingly have little or no conscience over
many years, but sometimes something suddenly happens which seems to turn
on the switch of conscience and thereafter that person has a higher level
of conscience. That event is so important to that individual that the
event is never forgotten. Conscience is very important to every
individual.
Let's see
what Paul had to say about his conscience.
In Acts 23
Paul talked about his good conscience:
Acts 23:1
And Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, "Brethren, I have lived
my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day."
Paul had a
good conscience about his current relationship between himself and God and
between himself and men (outside men of the Council). This was the
conscience of Paul both before and after conversion because Paul believed
in what he was doing even before his conversion. :
Acts 24:16
"In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless
conscience <both> before God and before men.
In Hebrews
13, Paul describes his desire to have a good conscience over what he was
teaching:
Heb 13:18
Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to
conduct ourselves honorably in all things.
But Paul
also had a guilty conscience:
Rom 9:1-2 I
am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me
witness in the Holy Spirit, {2} that I have great sorrow and unceasing
grief in my heart.
In the ninth
chapter of Romans, Paul is describing the heart-wrenching story of his
experience in being a negative example to his fellow Jews by his
persecution of Christians prior to his conversion. At conversion his
conscious was modified by Christ’s direct intervention and the implanting
of the Holy Spirit.
So we can
have good consciences and we can have bad consciences. But there are also
dead consciences. Let's look at several scriptures which describe people
with dead consciences:
Prov 30:20
This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And
says, "I have done no wrong."
Her sins do
not bother her enough to lose her appetite as might happen to decent
people.
Jeremiah
also describes people who not only knew no shame, but refused to
acknowledge it.
Jer 6:15-17
"Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were
not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore
they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They
shall be cast down," says the LORD. {16} Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the
ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is,
and walk in it; And you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We
will not walk <in it>.' {17} "And I set watchmen over you,
<saying>, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will
not listen.'
As I said at
the beginning of this sermon, "How do you react to the events of
today?" Do you groan for the standards of yesteryear? There are many out
there with little or no conscience. How much of a conscience do you
have? Has it died too?
Eph 4:17-19
This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no
longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, {18}
being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God,
because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their
heart; {19} and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to
sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity [uncleanness] with
greediness.
Don't walk
as unbelievers walk.
Titus 1:15
To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and
unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are
defiled.
Have you
noticed that the above examples of people with no conscience all
seem to describe people guilty of sensual sins? And, as we just read in
Jeremiah, after these people and others hear of their sins, they resort to
rebellion to defend their positions.
People in
jail commonly have no conscience, and when they go back into society, they
do horrible things. We saw some years ago an example of this in Petaluma,
California where a man had been in jail, I believe it was 31 times, was
released from jail, then kidnapped a twelve year old girl from her home,
and killed her. Where was his conscience? And in school massacres by
fellow students; where were their consciences? Have there been periods in
our lives when we seemingly had little or no conscience? Or have there
been periods in our lives when we were fairly successful in quenching our
conscience?
We have all
heard the old adage: Let your conscience be your guide. Is this true?
Can our conscience ever be wrong? Let's see what Paul has to say about
correcting a sick conscience:
Heb 9:14 how
much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God?
Isn't this
saying that our consciences can be wrong and must, therefore, be purged
and reeducated in the way of Christ? Do we continue in dead works because
we are afraid to change from worldly traditions to the way Christ
commands? How accurate is the information coming from our conscience?
Where did we get a conscience, anyway? How do we remove a wrong
conscience?
Heb 10:22
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled <clean> from an evil conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water.
No,
brethren, we may shamefully recall past sins but should not have a guilty
conscience after baptism. At baptism we are washed from our guilty past.
We must keep that ever in mind. This is particularly important to do when
others bring up our sinful past.
Some give up
because they can't purge their conscience of past evil works. Many live
in fear because they cannot shake their evil past. This is a conscience
of guilt. If any of us have this overwhelming guilty conscience, we
should consider and depend upon what Peter had to say on the subject:
1 Pet 3:21
And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt
from the flesh [we do that every time we bathe], but an appeal to God for
a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
John also
commented on deceptive thoughts or conscience. Except in John 8:9, John
uses the word "heart," G2588, meaning thoughts or feelings of mind,
instead of "conscience," G4893, meaning moral consciousness; i.e.
distinguishing between what’s good and bad morally. Keep these definitions
in mind for your own Bible study and as we read:
1 John
3:18-24 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in
deed and truth. {19} We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and
shall assure our heart [thoughts] before Him, {20} in whatever our heart
[thoughts] condemn us; for God is greater than our heart [thoughts], and
knows all things. {21} Beloved, if our heart [thoughts] do not condemn us,
we have confidence before God; {22} and whatever we ask we receive from
Him, because we keep His commandments [why can't Sunday-keeping
Christians see this?] and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
{23} And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son
Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. {24} And the
one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know
by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
We must be
examples by deed, not talk. How many talk about loving others but don’t
demonstrate that love with actions? If we feel condemned, God can handle
it. He is bigger than our guilty feelings. Our responsibility, after
baptism, is to keep His commandments so that His Spirit will reside in us.
Chapter 8 of
1 Corinthians describes the guilt some had in eating meat sacrificed to
idols. Let's read chapter 8 and try to relate how our conduct or deeds in
any element can impact the conscience of those who are weak - those whose
consciences we are violating:
1 Cor 8 Now
concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge.
Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies ["I don't have to be concerned
with that!" vs "I understand that you are offended."] {2} If anyone
supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
{3} but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. {4} Therefore concerning
the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such
thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. {5} For
even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed
there are many gods and many lords, {6} yet for us there is <but> one God,
the Father, from whom are all things, and we <exist> for Him; and one
Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we <exist> through Him.
{7} However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed
to the idol until now, eat <food> as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and
their conscience [moral consciousness] being weak is defiled. [In
other words, it does not matter that they know their conscience is wrong.
They are bothered by it even though they may know they shouldn't be.] {8}
But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not
eat, nor the better if we do eat. {9} But take care lest this liberty of
yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. {10} For if someone
sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his
conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to
idols? {11} For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the
brother for whose sake Christ died. {12} And thus, by sinning against
the brethren and wounding their conscience [moral consciousness] when it
is weak, you sin against Christ. {13} Therefore, if food causes my
brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, that I might not cause my
brother to stumble.
What seems
to be sin for one is not sin for another, but, as we read in 1 John 3, we
must be examples by deed. We must not only deal with our own conscience
or feelings. We must be aware of the feelings or conscience of others.
As Paul says in verse 12, we sin against Christ when we cause someone else
to violate their conscience.
This same
principle is described in a slightly different way in Romans 14. Again,
the example is eating foods which others think we should not eat. But
apply these scriptures to the offending of others who are weak in
something we would take on faith.
Rom 14 Now
accept the one who is weak in faith, <but> not for <the purpose of>
passing judgment on his opinions. {2} One man has faith that he may eat
all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables <only>. {3} Let not him who
eats regard with contempt him who does not eat, and let not him who does
not eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. {4} Who are you to
judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and
stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand. {5} One man regards
one day above another, another regards every day <alike>.Let each man be
fully convinced in his own mind. {6} He who observes the day, observes it
for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks
to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives
thanks to God. {7} For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies
for himself; {8} for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we
die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. {9}
For to this end Christ died and lived <again>, that He might be Lord both
of the dead and of the living. {10} But you, why do you judge your
brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For
we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. {11} For it is
written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY
TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." {12} So then each one of us shall give
account of himself to God. {13} Therefore let us not judge one another
anymore, but rather determine this -- not to put an obstacle or a
stumbling block in a brother's way. {14} I know and am convinced in
the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks
anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. {15} For if because of
food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do
not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. {16} Therefore do not
let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; {17} for the
kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and
joy in the Holy Spirit. {18} For he who in this <way> serves Christ is
acceptable to God and approved by men. {19} So then let us pursue the
things which make for peace and the building up of one another. {20}
Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed
are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense
[feeling he is doing something wrong]. {21} It is good not to eat meat or
to drink wine, or <to do anything> by which your brother
stumbles. {22} The faith which you have, have as your own conviction
before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
{23} But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because <his eating is>
not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
Notice
verses 13 and 21 again. We must not offend someone else's or our own
conscience. All of us must live within our faith, otherwise we sin.
Conscience is a great tool for overcoming if it is used correctly.
This same
principle - the principle of not offending the conscience of others - is
written by Paul in 1 Cor 10:
1 Cor
10:27-32 If one of the unbelievers invites you, and you wish to go, eat
anything that is set before you, without asking questions for conscience'
[moral consciousness] sake. {28} But if anyone should say to you, "This is
meat sacrificed to idols," do not eat <it>,for the sake of the one who
informed <you>,and for conscience' [moral consciousness] sake; {29} I mean
not your own conscience, but the other <man's>; for why is my freedom
judged by another's conscience [moral conscience]? {30} If I partake with
thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
{31} Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the
glory of God. {32} Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the
church of God;
Verse 27 is
a problem for some. Does it mean we can eat any kind of meat that's set
before us on the grounds that we don't want to offend our host? This was
the rationale Herbert Armstrong reportedly used when he went to China and
ate pork with the Chinese leaders. The context of verses 28 and 29 makes
it clear that verse 27 is talking about meat offered to idols. We need to
keep three things in mind when reading verse 27:
1. We would
usually not have to ask if the meat were pork or other unclean meat. It
would usually be obvious. However, we would not know if it had been
offered to idols.
2. It would
not be harmful to us to eat meat offered to idols but might be to the
conscience of the host if he thinks, thereby, that idol worship is OK.
3. The
point made in verse 27 is that it refers to the eating of meat offered to
idols, not clean versus unclean meat.
1 Tim 3:8-9
Deacons likewise <must be> men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted
to much wine or fond of sordid gain, {9} <but> holding to the mystery
of the faith with a clear conscience [moral conscience].
Paul is
talking here about qualifications of deacons but notice verse 9 again. We
all need to live within our conscience. We need to know that what
we do is correct with God. If there is a doubt whether a thought or deed
is sinful or borders on sin, as perceived by ourselves or a brother, we
must avoid it. We can wound our conscience by violating it one
time too many. It is even possible to destroy our conscience.
1 Tim 1:5-7
But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart
[thoughts] and a good conscience [moral consciousness] and a sincere
faith. {6} For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to
fruitless discussion, {7} wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though
they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about
which they make confident assertions.
Verse 5
clearly shows that there is a difference between a pure heart [thoughts]
and a good conscience [moral consciousness.]
Do we ever
find ourselves theorizing about the ramifications of the Law on someone
else's conduct? When we do that, we must be sure that everything we say
is oriented toward love of that person and their feelings Skip down to
verses 18-19
This command
I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies
previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight,
{19} keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and
suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.
In these
verses again, Paul admonishes Timothy to do everything with a pure heart
[thoughts] and good conscience [moral consciousness] and sincere faith.
In verse 19 Paul again refers to some who have violated their conscience
so many times their faith was destroyed. It is dangerous to stray off
course. A shipwreck is a very final event.
1 Tim 6:3-6
If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound
words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to
godliness, {4} he is conceited <and> understands nothing; but he has a
morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out
of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, {5} and
constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth,
who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. {6} But godliness
<actually> is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.
These verses
point out that we are not to use our knowledge of God's word, when
discussing it with others who have a different belief, if it leads to
strife and contention. This is not godliness. As verse 6 points out,
godliness is a means of great gain only when accompanied by contentment.
In other words, our conscience must be at peace. Our conscience can not
be at peace if we have just offended someone due to our insensitivity or
self-righteousness.
Notice what
second Timothy has to say about this:
2 Tim
2:14-16 Remind <them> of these things, and solemnly charge <them> in the
presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless, <and leads>
to the ruin of the hearers. {15} Be diligent to present yourself approved
to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately
the word of truth. {16} But avoid worldly <and> empty chatter, for it will
lead to further ungodliness,
Timothy also
warns those of us living in the end days that there will be evil teachers
who try to pull us away from the faith that is acceptable to our
conscience by telling us that "it doesn't matter."
1 Tim 4:1-2
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away
from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of
demons, {2} by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own
conscience as with a branding iron,
Titus
1:13-16 This testimony is true. For this cause reprove them severely that
they may be sound in the faith, {14} not paying attention to Jewish myths
and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. {15} To the pure,
all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing
is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. {16} They
profess to know God, but by <their> deeds they deny <Him>, being
detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed.
How many
people do you know who profess to know God but by their deeds they deny
Him? Perhaps they are hypocritical, perhaps they are ashamed to admit
they don't really know Him, perhaps they are self righteous, perhaps they
have been deceived....whatever the reason, we know from verse 15 that both
their mind and conscience are defiled.
Rebellion
can damage consciences too. There are an increasing number of "free
spirited" people - those who don't want anyone telling them what to do -
in the world today - especially in so called "liberated" areas, and in
so-called “liberated” churches.
1 Pet
3:14-16 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness,
<you are> blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE
TROUBLED, {15} but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always <being>
ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account
for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
{16} and keep a good conscience [moral conscience] so that in the
thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in
Christ may be put to shame.
In 1 John
3:9-24 - again remember that John uses the word "heart" for "thoughts or
feeling of mind":
No one who
is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he
cannot sin, because he is born of God. {10} By this the children of God
and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice
righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
{11} For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that
we should love one another; {12} not as Cain, <who> was of the evil one,
and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his
deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. {13} Do not marvel,
brethren, if the world hates you. {14} We know that we have passed out of
death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides
in death. {15} Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know
that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. {16} We know love by
this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our
lives for the brethren. {17} But whoever has the world's goods, and
beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the
love of God abide in him? {18} Little children, let us not love with
word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. {19} We shall know by this
that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart [thoughts] before
Him, {20} in whatever our heart [thoughts] condemns us; for God is greater
than our heart, and knows all things. {21} Beloved, if our heart
[thoughts] does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; {22} and
whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and
do the things that are pleasing in His sight. {23} And this is His
commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love
one another, just as He commanded us. {24} And the one who keeps His
commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He
abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
How do we
know that God abides in us? If we know that we have God's Spirit,
if we feel God's spirit working in us, motivating us, inspiring us,
we know that God abides in us.
In
concluding this sermon about conscience, let's read about David's
conscience following his sins of adultery and the murder of Uriah:
Psa 38 (A
Psalm of David, for a memorial.) O LORD, rebuke me not in Thy wrath; And
chasten me not in Thy burning anger. {2} For Thine arrows have sunk deep
into me, And Thy hand has pressed down on me. {3} There is no soundness in
my flesh because of Thine indignation; There is no health in my bones
because of my sin. {4} For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy
burden they weigh too much for me. {5} My wounds grow foul <and> fester.
Because of my folly, {6} I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go
mourning all day long. {7} For my loins are filled with burning; And there
is no soundness in my flesh. {8} I am benumbed and badly crushed; I groan
because of the agitation of my heart. {9} Lord, all my desire is before
Thee; And my sighing is not hidden from Thee. {10} My heart throbs, my
strength fails me; And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me.
{11} My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my
kinsmen stand afar off. {12} Those who seek my life lay snares <for me>;
And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, And they
devise treachery all day long. {13} But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a dumb man who does not open his mouth. {14} Yes, I am like
a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth are no arguments. {15} For I
hope in Thee, O LORD; Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God. {16} For I said,
"May they not rejoice over me, <Who>,when my foot slips, would magnify
themselves against me." {17} For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is
continually before me. {18} For I confess my iniquity; I am full of
anxiety because of my sin. {19} But my enemies are vigorous <and> strong;
And many are those who hate me wrongfully. {20} And those who repay evil
for good, They oppose me, because I follow what is good. {21} Do not
forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! {22} Make haste to
help me, O Lord, my salvation!
Brethren,
let's do those things which will guard our consciences. Do not allow
yourself to become callous to the feelings of others or to sins, whether
they are your own or others.
Sermon given
by Wayne Bedwell
December 1,
2007
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