"The Conscience Within Man" – Basic Building Block #6
Date: Jan 27, 2009 Posted By: Rick Warzywakwww.muiczone.com
THE CONSCIENCE WITHIN MAN
Observation: A complete understanding of the conscience is necessary for a strong faith walk in the Lord. It is likened to a moral measuring gauge. To sear or ignore this conscience is a pathway that will lead one to living apart from God, where rebellion will enter in. Learn to recognize it!
Conscience: It is internal or self-knowledge; or judgment of right and wrong; or the faculty, power or principle within us, which decides on the lawfulness or unlawfulness of our actions and affections, and instantly approves or condemns them. It is called by some our moral sense.
Scripture Study Reference # 1
"I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men (Acts 24:16)."
Key Application Point: A pure conscience is true freedom!
The conscience is something God has put within us that must be addressed in winning and keeping these present and future generations. The sensitivity of the conscience and its role needs to be carefully studied, and how it affects us must be taught. The conscience is our lie detector and has a definite purpose. There is a direct connection between our conscience and the moral law that was previously presented. The moral law in our heart and our conscience work together as a glove on a hand. A pure conscience gives us peace inside and freedom.
One year I took my family to Florida in January. I would preach the Gospel on various campuses throughout that state. I traveled to the University of Central Florida. It was a warm day, and I rejoiced and began to preach the Word. It wasn't very long before a gathering of some 100 students began to settle in and listen to what was being proclaimed. The afternoon was filled with a question and answer period, and the usual opposition cat calls. I also observed that one young lady sat down in front and listened for hours, never asking anything. She was being affected in ways I could not determine.
The next day, I came out to preach in the afternoon and the crowd assembled again, but not as large as the previous day. After a few hours, a young man, who was much larger in stature than I, burst out of the crowd with his jugular veins popping in his neck with his face beet red. He was visibly angry, and I decided again to use the wisdom given in Proverbs that soft words turn away wrath. He began to scream at me that his girlfriend would not have sex with him anymore because of what I had said. I explained to him that his girlfriend loved God more than sex and was obeying her conscience. I also explained she valued her relationship with God and eternity more, and that he should be appreciative. He did not hit me, but was very close, and he walked away shaking his head in disgust. That young lady was the one sitting in front the previous day; she was impacted by her conscience and made the right choice.
Point to Ponder: "Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obligated in conscience to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow man; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God. . . What a utopia, what a paradise would this region be." ? John Adams
Scripture Study Reference # 2
"For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel (Romans 2:14-16)."
"This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck (1 Timothy 1:18-19)."
"Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5)."
Key Application Point: The conscience has a purpose!
Our conscience has a purpose and is easily impacted. It was designed to be affected by what we think and by our actions. It acts like a filter that God has refreshed when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Living in a world that is being inundated by television, movies, entertainment, radio, video games, and other forms of media has certainly affected the conscience of man. It has been desensitized, and sin has been made to look acceptable and good because of these forms of mind, eye, and ear invasion. Our conscience filter gets clogged and we slowly become overcome by the ways of the world, which is a very subtle and deceptive process.
Point to Ponder: "Most people are bothered by those passages of scripture as they don't understand. But for me, I have always noticed that the passages that bother me are those I do understand." ? Mark Twain
This is why knowledge and the right use of the moral law works hand-in-hand with conscience. The moral law is the double yellow line on the highway. If you cross over it one too many times, a fatality or an accident could occur. Think of moral law as a stop sign on the road: It is not wise to run stop signs. Our conscience operates an on-duty policeman or watchmen. It will tell us if we're not conforming to the moral law of God's kingdom.
Point to Ponder: "A nation that won't be ruled by God will be ruled by anarchy." ? Winston Churchill
Imagine a radar screen that detects unlawful activity or even illegal entry. The warning light goes off when the boundary line is crossed. The Holy Spirit works in conjunction with the conscience (Romans 9:1) to detect transgression. The conscience needs to be studied on a scriptural basis. Bible verses regarding the conscience must individually be thought through and applied to our lives. What does this Word really mean? We need to recognize where we have not listened to its inner promptings in our decisions and choices we have made in the past. Not paying attention to our conscience will lead us onto a path of spiritual destruction.
Scripture Study Reference # 3
"For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:13-15)."
"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, 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 (Heb 10:19-22)."
Key Application Point: The sacrifice of Jesus Christ cleans the conscience!
No matter what we have done, the blood of Jesus Christ, because of his death and resurrection, has made us clean through repentance and faith. Our conscience is made clean and new; it is rewired and refreshed where it is able to detect those things that are displeasing to God.
After my wife and I got saved at 30 years of age, we had a bonfire at our house and a celebration with friends. My wife and I burned all of our record albums and poured out the liquor cabinet. She burned the New Age, astrology, and occult books. We saw things differently now as our eyes were opened, and we responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit working with our conscience. We were given a new life!
Scripture Study Reference # 4
"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; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil (1 Peter 3:15-17)."
Key Application Point: Your conscience will face challenges!
Living according to the direction of God, with a refreshed conscience, can be difficult and challenging. The conscience has many purposes and can be affected in a number of ways. These present and future generations must be taught how to recognize its design and mission. The conscience can be either weak or strong (1 Corinthians 8: 7-12). It can be pure or polluted (2 Timothy 1:3; Titus 1:1-15). It is a recorder of sin and rebellion against God (Hebrews 10:2). The conscience is an inner force that can bring individuals to make choices that result in persecution because they decided to make a stand instead of bowing down to pressures from the world. This is called living by the conviction of your conscience, as opposed to living by preference of what is convenient to us at the time. People who live by preference flip flop, depending on the pressures around them. It is these people who want to "look good" in the eyes of others and extract some type of benefit. We need for people to live by conviction, and not preference.
Conviction: The act of convincing, or compelling one to admit the truth of a charge; the act of convincing of sin or sinfulness; the state of being convinced or convicted by your conscience where you will stand and not waver in your choice of action--living by conviction.
Preference: The act of preferring one thing before another; an estimation of one thing above another; a choice of one thing rather than another because of some outward influence and pressure. Living by preference based on outside influences results in double-mindedness.
A person with a weak conscience - not strengthened by the Word of God through faith and understanding - is easily tossed to and fro. A person in this state will easily bow to peer pressure, as well as to other influences around them. Fear is behind this condition. We have a tendency as humans to take the path of least resistance. As we stand up and live according to God's Word (dictated by the Holy Spirit and conscience), we will soon notice that the world has a different standard. Difficult but right choices will have to be made, where we will be tempted to compromise. If we stand for truth, it results in persecution or being ostracized. The fear of man and the fear within us cause many to stumble and live apart from the truth of God.
I had the opportunity to work with a young man who had a true conviction in the Lord, Jesus Christ. He was a football player at a campus in Michigan. As he was attending school, he had indicated to me that at one time in a class, a particular professor began to show a pornographic film. The students were to critique the film for discussion. The student rose up in the classroom and objected to having such a movie shown. He said because of the conviction of his conscience and faith in Christ, he could not watch such a thing, even at the risk of getting a lower grade. He walked out of the classroom. The professor was later reprimanded for his action. How many times does this take place in our universities or in society, where people who profess to be Christians never stand up?
The conscience was designed to burn inside of our inner man to prod us to move forth for the sake of righteousness. We must learn to recognize that slow burn and take immediate action when it comes upon us. We must learn to run from sin, as Joseph did from Pharaoh's wife when she sexually tempted him. Yes, he was imprisoned, but later he was very blessed. We will all be tested, but the blessing brings favor of the Lord.
A person who lives by preference will always bow down to the pressures outside of them. It is a life of selfishness, where no righteous stand is made. It is a lukewarm or cold position. It is very evident in the scriptures what Christ says about these particular individuals. A person who lives by preference will not pick up the cross, deny himself, nor follow Jesus Christ. They literally operate out of fear of man and live selfishly.
It is an honor to live by conviction of conscience, according to the standard of the Word of God, yet there is a price to pay. We must encourage and exhort the present and future generations, and give them confidence to stand for truth. Remember, the Word of God is more precious than anything that exists in the world.
Scripture Study Reference #5
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:1-2)."
Key Application Point: - Your conscience can be hardened and nonresponsive!
Searing of the Conscience: What is the searing of the conscience? It is a state of hardness, callousness, and being cauterized to insensibility where moral direction is lost.
On a campus in Tampa, Florida, where I decided to spend one January preaching on various campuses to escape winter, an interesting scenario developed. The preaching of the Word went forth and a young man began to mock us and God as if he was possessed. He cried out heavenward and began to call God every foul name you could imagine, he laughed and challenged God to strike him dead on the spot with lightning if He existed. Amidst a foul tirade of offensive words, he repeatedly called out for God to prove Himself and strike him dead. I noticed that the crowd stepped back for a moment (as well as myself) just in case a flying bolt from heaven was on its way, or the earth opened up ? I seem to recall an instance in the Bible of that occurring. Part of me said, "Show him, God!" But I knew better and prayed for mercy instead. He wasn?t toasted, by the way, but displayed a conscience that was seared to the highest degree. He had no fear of God in the least, and mocked us throughout the day.
How the conscience is seared, calloused, or numbed must be taught. It is a very subtle process to which we all can fall prey. We can easily be desensitized to sin and rebellion. When we do not retain God in our knowledge, mankind becomes very depraved. Man begins to call good evil and then evil good (Isaiah 5:20). How does this happen? The law that was written in our heart (Romans 2:14-15) becomes oppressed by outside influences. Then a process of self-justification takes place, which makes excuses for our wrongdoing. Consequently, we then begin to believe the lie. Everybody else is doing it, we may reason. The self benefit, peer pressure, and good feeling override what we know to be true.
Point to Ponder: A dulled conscience will make a molehill out of a mountain of sin.
Constant exposure to nudity, violence, foul language, unlawful activity, traditions of men, vain philosophies, and attacks against God's Word breaks down the barriers of our conscience. Inhibitions erode. Haven't I just described the society we live in? Please think about what I am about to say: "If we just throw bread to the masses and entertain them, they won't realize or see what is happening." This occurred in Rome at the Coliseum, as the decadence and depravity increased and civilization was destroyed. America, look to the One who rules and reigns on high. Let God arise in our land.
We must learn to process everything in the light of God's Word and correspondingly make our choices. When we continually repeat wrong choices, a habit is built within us that is very hard to break. It all begins with searing the conscience, which in turn leads to a hardened heart. Instructing these present and future generations in matters of conscience will enable them to keep their faith shield up and better prepare them to face the pressures of the world.
This day was a very vivid and memorable one to me. The morning started out in Midland, Michigan, meeting a friend in a hotel lobby. We were teaming up on a project -- to put together a mailing of the Jesus Video by Bill Bright. I looked at the television on that September 11th and saw the World Trade Center Towers being hit by planes carrying terrorists.
My plan that morning was to go to a smaller, new campus, which I did not realize was a private one. I began to preach the Gospel and tensions ran high as the impact of 9-11 was setting in. The police immediately removed me and said I had no legal right to be there; they indicated it was a private campus. They literally escorted me off campus as if I was terrorist and followed me by car until I left.
I proceeded to go to Central Michigan University. There classes were cancelled because of the proceedings of that day. The campus was abuzz with activity and I began to preach the Gospel, well aware of the sensitivity of the day and planning to capitalize on this possible new openness. The students were listening; there were open ears to hear as much was based on internal fears. News continued to unfold throughout the day. As I was preaching, a young lady came up to me and nearly accosted me, spewing many profanities and screaming that I was taking advantage of the day and should not be there. She was right in my face saying, I was preying upon their fears. She walked away in tears, with an anger vented towards me. Her conscience was afflicting her about something. The day was a good one and a prayer meeting was called for that evening, so I decided to stay over and attend. Over 800 students showed up. I wondered, why now? The answer was rather simple to figure out: Fear and insecurity were in the air.
About that mystery girl who was so upset with me. Two weeks later I returned to the campus and she passed by, but only yelled some profanities. After another two weeks, I was preaching again on that campus and my peripheral vision caught her listening to me about 40 yards away. I knew that her conscience was being stirred. When I returned a few weeks later, the girl approached me directly and apologized and hugged me, which totally shocked me. She was apparently involved in an affair with an older man and he broke it off. She was under the conviction of sin and very hurt by it all. I shared information regarding God's forgiveness and the salvation message, and she understood. I believe she had made a profession of faith, as she was very friendly and cordial upon my subsequent visits to that campus.
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