Introduction
• The last two weeks we have been talking 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.
• 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.
i) A good conscience is focused on the Word. We program our conscience with WORD!!!
ii) We must meditate on the scriptures to get the Word rooted in our entire being!
b) A Blameless Conscience.
i) We has been washed by the Blood of Jesus, we are blameless.
ii) Don’t take offenses, it weakens your conscience. It gets us off track of the blessing of God.
c) A Clear Conscience.
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.
i) If we participate in things that cause others to sin, we’re accountable to God.
ii) When your conscience becomes weak, your entire immune system is weaken.
iii) When you conscience is weak you will make bad decisions. The devil will throw hell at you to make you fail.
iv) Working the Word in your life strengthens your conscience.
e) A Defiled Conscience.
(NKJV) Titus 113 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. 15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
i) To defile means to taint, dishonor, corrupt, degrade and tarnish. That is why people make bad decisions and fall into sin and end up in hell!
ii) If you conscience is defiled or corrupted, your thinking and actions will be off course from the Word of God.
f) An Evil Conscience.
(NKJV) Hebrews 10 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 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.
i) Our conscience was evil before we got saved. The blood of Jesus has cleansed us.
ii) Worldly living causes us to obtain an evil conscience. Wrong teaching or no structure when we were raise as a child will cause us to get an evil conscience.
iii) Think of Charles Manson who killed so many people. Devil worshippers, KKK…Training and thinking wrecked their conscience.
g) A Seared Conscience.
(NKJV) 1 Timothy 4 1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
i) Sin hardens the heart until you don’t feel guilt anymore when you sin.
ii) To be seared means to be parched or dry to the bone. When you have no Word in your life, you are dry to the bone. Your conscience is dry and barren.
(1) Meditate in the Word and praying in the Spirit will quench your seared conscience.
2) How does a good conscience help us on a daily basis?
a) We have courage.
i) No matter what hardships and difficulties you face, you have confidence that you acted in the right manner. We choose to walk in love (Jesus).
b) We have peace.
i) We can remain calm and quiet and let the attack rage around you.
ii) We are not affected directly; we have Jesus on our side.
c) We have no fear. To be in fear means we are not in faith!
i) Because we have acted rightly, we have the Father on your side.
ii) A good conscience allows us to make right decisions that lead to right relationships that lead to a life of blessings.
3) What can we do to be able to trust our conscience?
a) Shout… I will trust Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.
b) We must make the Word of God our standard.
i) Surrender our right to do what we want; give God complete control of our life.
c) Cleanse ourselves daily through confession and repentance.
i) If we genuinely want to be delivered from sin, God will free us.
ii) Confess to the person you offended if you need to do so.
iii) You need to acknowledge your sin even if the other person was totally wrong.
Conclusion
• God wants you to have a clean, blameless, godly conscience so you can live with peace and confidence.
• With a good conscience, you can have an awesome testimony and be an effective witness, impacting people’s lives for Jesus Christ.
• There is a good conscience, blameless conscience, clear conscience, weak conscience, defiled conscience, evil conscience and a seared conscience.
• God has placed it in you to walk in His blessing! Use the Word, mediate, prayer, fasting and praying in the Holy Spirit will build your conscience.
• We must make the Word of God our standard.
• Surrender our right to do what we want; give God complete control of our life.
• Let us pray!
