The Conscience Of Man - Part 2 Series

Introduction

• Last week we started on a series about the conscience of man.

• We said that God has given each person on conscience.

• We said that we dull our conscience with sin and wrong choices.

• We discussed the difference between the conscience and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit only inhabits believers and He reminds us of scriptural principles. The Holy Spirit pulls us away from making bad decisions.

• We also discussed how our conscience is programmed. By loved ones, the world, the church and the Word of God.

• Let me ask you a question tonight. What do these things have in common: breaking your diet, lusting after someone, telling a lie, gossiping about a friend, and procrastinating? Your conscience should bother you when you engage in any of them.

• We defined our conscience as our moral capacity that enables us to distinguish between what’s right and what’s wrong.

• Let us continue in the study of our conscience.

(NKJV) 1 Peter 3 13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

1) There are seven different words associated with the conscience in Scripture.

a) A Good Conscience.

(NKJV) Acts 23 1 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”

i) Although Paul had once been a murderer, God had cleansed his conscience.

(AMP) 1 Timothy 1 12I give thanks to Him Who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able [for this], Christ Jesus our Lord, because He has judged and counted me faithful and trustworthy, appointing me to [this stewardship of] the ministry. 13Though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and was shamefully and outrageously and aggressively insulting [to Him], nevertheless, I obtained mercy because I had acted out of ignorance in unbelief.

ii) A good conscience is focused on the Word. We program our conscience with WORD!!!

iii) We must meditate on the scriptures to get the Word rooted in our entire being!

b) A Blameless Conscience.

(NKJV) Acts 24 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. 15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. 16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

i) We has been washed by the Blood of Jesus, we are blameless.

ii) Don’t take offenses, it weakens your conscience. It its us off track of the blessing of God.

c) A Clear Conscience.

(NKJV) 2 Timothy 1 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,

i) Someone with a clear or pure conscience doesn’t compromise his or her convictions.

(1) You won’t be swayed by false teaching.

ii) People muffle their consciences through drugs, alcohol, or other unhealthy behavior. Keep a clear conscience.

d) A Weak Conscience.

(NKJV) 1 Corinthians 8 4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. 7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.