Today, my title of the sermon is a biblically
informed and clear conscience. A biblically informed
and clear conscience. We'll be looking at many
scriptures, but the text that I will be reading
here at the beginning is first from Romans chapter
2, verses 12 through 16. For as many have sinned,
as have sinned without law will also perish without
law. And as many as have sinned in the law will
be judged by the law, for not the hearers of
the law are just in the sight of God, but the
doers of the law will be justified. 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.
Then we're going to turn over to the book of
Hebrews chapter 10 for the second reading. Chapter
10, beginning in verse 19. Therefore, brethren,
having boldness to enter into 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. Let us hold the confession
of our hope without wavering, for he who promised
it is faithful. Let's come before the Lord and
ask for his blessing on this time together in
the word. Father, we thank you for this wonderful
thing that you have placed within us, that of
the conscience. And Lord, we thank you for this
word. We pray, Lord, that you would enlighten
us, Lord, that you would sprinkle our hearts
from any evil consciences and that you would
give us and renew us and inform us, Lord, by
your word. We pray your blessing, Lord, in this
time together and ask that you would teach us
and lead us as your people. And we pray in Jesus'
name. Amen. preaching about the subject of the
conscience that God has placed within every living
human being. Now, when we speak of the conscience,
we must first ask the question, what is the conscience?
The ancient philosopher Plato said that it is
a divine spark of reason. But Thayer's lexicon
describes it as the soul as distinguishing between
what is morally good and bad, prompting to do
the former, that is to do good, and to shun the
latter, that is to avoid the evil, commending
one and condemning the other. Dr. Joel Beek,
he says, the conscience is that faculty of the
soul whereby a person is conscious of himself
as a moral being under the law of God. It approves
or disapproves of his own actions and feels obligation
to do what is right and avoid what is wrong.
Now, the conscience is not a separate organ like
your liver or kidney or heart in that way, but
it is a function of the soul and it is tied to
the heart that is the innermost being and mind.
A good illustration that is helpful is that the.
The conscience is like a compass, an inner moral
compass that helps you to distinguish between
right and wrong. It's an internal voice of judgment,
of guilt, or approval in response to your thoughts,
actions, and intentions. It applies a moral code
to what you intend to do, what you are doing,
or what you have done. Now, the conscience, though,
that is within us and God has placed it there
has been affected and subjected to the fall,
that is to sin. Therefore, the conscience is
affected by God's natural law apart from God's
word. It is the law that appears in creation
and it's written on the heart. By nature, Barnes
says, every man thus approves or condemns his
own acts. But the conscience may be enlightened
or unenlightened, and its use may be greatly
perverted by false opinion and by wrong doctrine.
It simply expresses judgment according to the
internal moral code, which is not fully accurate
or understood without the knowledge of God's
revealed word. The conscience brings conviction
of sin according to the moral code. Don't do
this. This is wrong. Stop it. This perceived
sin may or may not be sin according to God's
law, depending on the teaching and the enlightenment
that the person has. And I can give you a couple
of illustrations. So my father grew up on an
Amish farm in Pennsylvania. The Amish don't drive
cars. They drive horses and buggies wherever
they go. So that was the people that I grew up
around were of this persuasion. And so there
was lots of times that horses and buggies would
go by our road. It was a very common thing in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. And it's also
in other places. Now to the Amish man whose conscience
is not enlightened, if he were to just decide
one day to go and stop at the car dealer and
buy a car and drive it down the road, his conscience
would smite him. He would be under great conviction
that this is wrong. This is not according to
the church's teachings. And so I need to stop
this. That's just one illustration of how the
conscience may not be enlightened depending on
the teaching. There's some folks here who used
to be part of the followers of Jesus. The followers
of Jesus believed that people should not go to
the doctor at all. There's some groups of them
down in Marsing and a small one up in Cambridge
and others. That's one of their core tenets.
And so to take or to go to the doctor would violate
many of their consciences. This is not right.
It's not according to the teachings of the church
or the way we understand the Bible. The apostle
Paul, when he was persecuting Christians, he
thought he was doing God's service. His conscience
was not troubling him. He thought, this is great.
I'm going to go after them with all of my being
because this is part of what it means to worship
God. His conscience was wrong. Now, there are
a few illustrations of additional consciences
of unbelievers in the scriptures. The first time
the Greek word for conscience is used in the
Bible is in John chapter 8 with the story of
the woman caught in adultery. The story was this.
Jesus was teaching and the group of the scribes
and Pharisees brought a woman whom they said
was caught in the very act of adultery. Now there's
some question about this because the man wasn't
there. And so whether this was actually true
or not. We don't know, but the fact is they brought
her and said this woman was caught in adultery.
And so Jesus, rather than digging into it right
away, or they say, Jesus, Moses in the law commanded
that such should be stoned. So what do you say?
And they're doing this to test him to see if
they could accuse him. Jesus, however, just remained
quiet and he stooped down and he wrote on the
ground. And they continued asking him about this.
And so finally Jesus stands up and he says to
them, he who is without sin among you, let him
throw a stone at her first. And again, he stoops
down and he writes on the ground. Then we hear
these. And remember that these who were professors
to follow God, Jesus says their heart was not
right. They did not know God and they only inclined
toward evil and wickedness. They were like dead
men's bones. But here's what the scripture then
says. Those who heard it being convicted by their
own conscience went out one by one, beginning
with the oldest, even to the last. And Jesus
was left alone and the woman standing in the
midst. And Jesus then, when he looks at her and
he says, woman, where are those accusers? And
she said, there's no one, Lord. In other words,
they all left. And so Jesus says, again, using
the law here of two or three witnesses, he says,
I'm not going to condemn you either, but you
go and you stoop no more. So, or sin no more.
So when Jesus stoops and he writes in the ground,
those who hear him, those who saw, and they might've
read what he was writing, we don't know, but
they became convicted in their or by their own
consciences. Though they did not believe in Christ
and were far from God, they nevertheless had
a conscience. Now another is described of Gentile
unbelievers in Romans chapter 2, which I just
read, verse 14 to 16, that there are Gentiles
who were not exposed to the law of God as it
was revealed in the scriptures, and yet by nature,
they do some of the things in the law, and it
shows that there's a law, the law of creation,
the natural law we sometimes call it, that is
written in their hearts with their conscience,
also bearing witness and between themselves their
thoughts accuse or else excuse them. This again
shows that the conscience is something that God
gives to both believers and to unbelievers. This
is how, for example, many non -Christians still
know that abortion is murder. They know that
this is wrong or that it's wrong to steal or
to lie. This is because of the conscience, even
though ill -informed in many ways, still reveals
to them some of these things and holds them accountable.
So today, we're going to look in the Word of
God and see what God says about the conscience
and how it can be awakened and informed by God's
Word and then how we are to live in light of
having the conscience. the conscience in both
believers and unbelievers that might hear this.
To those who are still blind, I would urge you
to follow the example of Bartimaeus, the blind
man who sat at the side of the road and he cried
out for mercy. Jesus, son of David, have mercy
on me. So as we listen to the word, let us apply
it to ourselves and pray for God's grace and
his mercy. So first, the first point then is
what is the biblical terminology and the Old
Testament background for the conscience? The
word conscience is used frequently in the New
Testament. But the Old Testament has no single
word for conscience. But it uses the word heart
or the Hebrew word lev as the moral center. This
is why we read 1 Samuel 24 this morning. We read
here about David's conscience bothering him.
troubling him. But the Hebrew uses the word heart.
It came to pass afterward that David's heart
troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe.
And he said to his man, the Lord forbid that
I should do this thing to my master. So this
is one example in the Old Testament of the conscience.
Job also speaks it in chapter 27 and verse 6.
He says, my righteousness I hold fast and will
not let it go. My heart shall not reproach me
as long as I live. In other words, he was saying,
I have a clear conscience. My heart is not reproaching
me. But then in the New Testament introduces
the word, the Greek word, 30 times, at least
30 times in the New Testament, which it shows
a heightened moral self -awareness through the
preaching of the gospel, a greater knowledge
of oneself. The Bible speaks of the conscience
in various ways. It speaks of a good or a clear
conscience, one that approves right, it condemns
wrong, and it's at... peace we see this in acts
24 16 and in first timothy 5 and 19 first timothy
1 verse 5 and 19 it speaks of a guilty conscience
or an accusing one one that condemns sin and
brings fear and shame we read of that in romans
2 verse 15 also in hebrews 10 verse 22 there
is a weak or a defiled conscience. This is one
that is overscrupulous. It is not biblically
informed, but yet it speaks quite loudly to the
individual. We're going to be seeing that in
Romans chapter 12 and 1 Corinthians 8. And then
there is a seared conscience. Seared with a hot
iron is how it is described in Timothy. It is
no longer... a sensitive conscience. This we
read in 1 Timothy 4 verse 2 and in Titus 1 verse
15. So this is the biblical terminology of the
conscience as it is used. Now the conscience,
number two, is used in salvation and conversion.
But in order for the conscience to be of use
in converting a person to Christ, it must be
enlightened through the law of God and through
the preaching of the word of God. The conscience
in one who is dead in trespasses and sins is
quickened. It is made alive and it is sharpened
through the work of the Holy Spirit who applies
the knowledge of sin. To the person showing them
their guilt before God and bringing conviction.
Conviction is when I have done wrong. I have
sinned against a holy God and I am guilty. This
is the conviction of sin. In order to understand
the need for salvation through Christ, the sinner
must see their sin and be convicted that this
is wrong. After conversion to Christ, the conscience
is informed. It is reoriented. As it were, the
moral compass is reset and the moral code of
the conscience becomes sanctified and in accordance
with the word of God. Some things are added and
some things are taken away. Again, I remind you
of the Apostle Paul. His conscience was no longer
telling him that he is doing God's service by
killing and imprisoning Christians. He's no longer
that way. The conscience is way different. Now,
however, a conscience is telling him how to do
good, which includes being free to eat at the
potluck meal with Gentiles. With those who were
former idolaters and who were not Jews. He no
longer also must go to the temple and offer sacrifices
because he understands that Jesus is the perfect
sacrifice. So his conscience no longer tells
him it's wrong if you don't go to the temple.
It has been changed. It has been clarified. It
is informed and reoriented. He is no longer persecuting
Christians. In fact, that would now violate.
fully violate his consciousness, his conscience.
Think of those who conscientiously have lived
in revelry and drunkenness or in lewdness and
in lust. In other words, they were just doing
it because they loved it and it felt good and
they liked it and their conscience wasn't bothering
them. But now they have put on the Lord Jesus
Christ and they make no provision for the flesh
to fulfill its lust. This is a change in conscience.
But in order to have a good and clear conscience
before God, our conscience must be informed by
God's standards, by his law and not by man's
law. The conscience is not the ultimate standard
of right and wrong. God's law is. And then the
conscience is the witness and judge that applies
God's law to the person, to the self. rather
than being uninformed. Here's how the conscience
works in salvation. First of all, it brings conviction.
The Holy Spirit awakens the conscience to sin
by impressing the law of God in the heart. This
is often through preaching or through someone
witnessing or through reading. The law of God
is impressed in their heart and the Holy Spirit
awakens the conscience. Paul declares, what shall
I say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not. On
the contrary, he says, I would not have known
sin except through the law. For I would have
not known covetousness unless the law had said,
thou you shall not covet. But sin, taking opportunity
by the commandment, produced in me all manner
of evil desire. Romans 7, verse 7 and 8. Jesus
says, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It
is to your advantage that I go away. For if I
do not go away, the helper will not come to you.
But if I depart, I will send him to you. And
when he has come, he will convict the world of
sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Excuse
me. The Holy Spirit awakens the conscience to.
Understand what sin is by impressing the law
of God on the heart. Secondly, then, as one reaches
out by faith and believes in Jesus Christ for
salvation, he understands that the justification,
that the blood of Jesus cleanses the conscience
from sin and from dead works. From sin and from
dead works. The writer of Hebrews brings this
out as he says in chapter 9 verse 13. If the
blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of 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.
Cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve.
the living God. He continues in chapter 10. 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. From
an evil conscience. And our bodies washed with
pure water. And then the conscience is also used
in sanctification. The conscience is progressively
renewed by the word of God and the spirit of
God as we are sanctified. And as we grow in our
understanding of God's word, it helps us to put
evil deeds to death through the spirit. So the
conscience is involved, the enlightened conscience,
in both conviction, in justification, and in
sanctification. Number three, Christians are
to strive to live with a good and clear conscience.
We are to strive for this, our conscience being
enlightened. Now we are attempt to attempt as
much as it lies within us, as much as we are
able to, by the power of the Spirit, to walk
according to the Spirit and not according to
the flesh. We're to live with a good and a clear
conscience. Paul calls this a conscience without
offense. In Acts 24, he says, 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 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 this
being so I myself always strive to have a conscience
without offense toward God and man This is something
that is fought for. It is pursued. It is followed
after. This is something every Christian here
should seek to have a clear and a pure and a
clean conscience and to keep it that way. He
continues in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 where Paul
says, Our boasting is this, the testimony of
our conscience that we conducted ourselves in
the world in simplicity and godly sincerity,
not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of
God. By the grace of God. We have this testimony
of a good conscience. To have a good conscience
is to live honorably. Hebrews 13 verse 18, the
apostle there says, pray for us for we are confident
that we have a good conscience in all things
desiring to live honorably. Now let's unpack
this a little more. To live honorably, to have
a good conscience and live honorably is to live
beautifully, finely, excellently, and rightly,
commendably. nobly and in a good place that doesn't
that sound like something we all would like to
live in that kind of a place a place that is
beautiful and fine and excellent and right and
commendable and noble and in a good place yes
that is what we desire to have a good conscience
in all things desiring to live honorably Let's
stop and think how this can impact us. Think
of this first of all, how living like this with
a clear conscience and living honorably could
affect our home, our children growing up in an
environment like this. Because when mom and dad
are loaded down with sins and live with guilty
consciences, the effect on the family is destructive
and oppressive. But when the parents have a clear
conscience before the Lord and they love one
another and they learn of God through his word,
the effect on the family is amazing. Where there
was once strife or beatings or hatred and jealousy
and contention and outbursts of wrath and envy
and bitterness and disobedience and all sorts
of other sins, now instead there is love and
joy. and peace, long -suffering, and kindness,
and goodness, and faithfulness, and gentleness,
and self -control. What a difference in the home
and a glorious effect on your family, on your
children, and your grandchildren in the future.
This also, to have a good conscience and to live
honorably, is how we as Christian believers should
live with one another. In the Christian congregation,
we should be characterized this way. A place
where one walks in and is surrounded by a covenantal
love of God. and of each other with clear consciences
as we warmly greet one another and visitors who
come in. And we show the love of God in an enlightened
and a good conscience. This shows in our faces
and our demeanor, in our delight to be called
to worship our triune God, to kneel before him
and to confess our sins, and then to hear of
our forgiveness in Christ. And we receive instruction
from God's word. and then we get to feast at
his table and to eat a meal with Christ and then
to be sent forth with a blessing and a benediction
to live and to love honorably in this world.
This is the glory of living with a clear conscience
and in an honorable way in the congregation.
And we could go on in the workplace and in our
relationship with other people and in our larger
family relationships to live with a clear conscience
and to live honorably is something that is glorious.
A clear conscience comes after it is being enlightened
by confessing our sins before a holy God and
receiving forgiveness and cleansing. I have talked
many times or have preached the need to have
short accounts. That when we sin against one
another or we sin against God, don't let them
build up. We're all human. Yes, we do sin one
against another and against the Lord. But don't
let it build up and build up and build up and
cloud your conscience and it gets cloudier and
cloudier. No, keep short accounts. Deal with
it right away. When you see a sin, when you're
convicted of something through the conscience
and the power of the Holy Spirit, then deal with
it. Right away. Go to your wife. Go to your husband.
Go to your children, parents. If you sin against
them, then yes, it does not put you down. It
does not demean you to go and confess that you
have sinned against your children. Do it and
do it right away. Say, I have sinned against
you. Will you please forgive me? Let us keep
short accounts. by confessing our sins before
a holy God and then one another as needed and
receive forgiveness and cleansing. David illustrates
this so well with his cry from the heart after
his great and grievous sin of adultery with Bathsheba
and then the murder of her husband. He says in
Psalm 51, Create in me a clean heart, O God.
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not
cast me away from your presence, and do not take
your Holy Spirit away from me. Restore to me
the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by your
generous spirit. There's a beautiful song that's
actually in our hymnal. It's one that I want
to learn and sing sometimes as part of our confession.
Furthermore, 2 Corinthians chapter 4 brings out,
In having this clear conscience, we renounce.
the hidden things of shame. We renounce the hidden
things of shame. Paul says, we have renounced
the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness
nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but
by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves
to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
To renounce is to speak out or to put off. It
is to refuse or to deny. It is to interdict and...
Here it means to renounce and to disown and to
spurn with aversion. The apostles had such a
view of God's truth and the glory of Christ that
they discarded and despised all things that were
crafty and deceitful and fraudulent. They cast
off disgraceful conduct, underhanded dealings,
nor did they handle the word of God deceitfully,
he says. And so also should we renounce sin and
false doctrine that could cater to the flesh
and corrupt the mind. Let us take care to deal
with... setting sins with zeal and fortitude.
We renounce the hidden things of shame. After
the conscience is enlightened by God's law, then
a good conscience now encourages and facilitates
love for God from a pure heart and with sincere
faith. First Timothy chapter one, verse five.
Now the purpose of the commandment is love from
a good heart, from a pure heart. from a good
conscience, and from sincere faith. In other
words, the goal of God's law is that we would
love with a pure heart, that we would have a
good conscience, and that we would have sincere
faith. From which he says, some strayed, have
turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers
of the law, understanding neither what they say
nor the things which they affirm. But we know
that the law is good. If one uses it lawfully.
The telos. That is the purpose. The goal. The
end of God's law. It's the Greek word telos.
And it's very wide spreading here. It's the purpose.
The goal. And the end of God's law. Is that we
would love purely. And that we would have an
honorable and a good conscience. One that is
informed. Paul charges Timothy and he says, this
charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according
to the prophecies previously made concerning
you, that by them you might wage the good warfare,
having faith and a good conscience. Having faith
and a good conscience. Now, this brings out to
us that. In order to live with an open heaven
and with a clear conscience and with great joy,
we must understand how to love. We need to understand
how to love purely. To love God, to love his
word, and to love his people. This is not burdensome,
it is not tyrannical, and it is not like a straitjacket.
There is, dear brothers and sisters, a fullness
of life and of joy and of joviality and life
that comes from a walk with God, from a love
of him and of his law with a pure heart and a
good conscience. Of all people, Christians should
not be creatures who are morose and sad and long
-faced and dreary and dull or downcast. We understand,
of course, there's times of lament and mourning
and of grief and sorrow, but they should not
last. They should not be that which characterizes
us. There is righteousness. There is peace. There
is joy in being filled with the Holy Spirit.
And that should reflect on you and your attitude
and your relationships with God and with other
people. In summation, Dr. Beeky, says it this
way, a good conscience is the fruit of a heart
sprinkled with Christ's blood, informed by God's
word and governed by God's spirit. It's a well
said, good summary of that. Number four, the
conscience in a Christian believer can be weak.
It can be over scrupulous and it can be defiled.
Sometimes, The conscience does not understand
Christian liberty. The whole chapter of Romans
14 deals with the Christian brother who is weak
in the faith and has a weak conscience. Paul
uses two examples of the weak ones in chapter
14. And I'm not going to read the whole chapter,
but I'm going to just point this out. It's a
good study for your edification. Number one,
the weak one cannot eat other things like other
Christians, but rather he can only eat vegetables.
That's in 14 verse 2. So he cannot eat other
things, other wonderful things, or even meat
like other Christians, but only vegetables. And
number two, The other example Paul uses is one
who esteems some days above others versus the
one who esteems every day alike. Now, this is
probably written to those who were still following
the Jewish feast days versus those who were not.
I do not think that this is referring to the
observance of the Lord's Day, clearly called
the Lord's Day. And so in every day being alike,
we still understand the Lord's Day. These were
the two examples that the Romans were dealing
with. This matter of the one who would not eat
meat but only vegetables versus those who really
enjoyed their steaks. And then the other example
of those who observed every day alike versus
those who observed various feast days and such
like. Now in this, Paul gives two things. He
says, number one, we are commanded to receive
the one who is weak in the faith. but not to
doubtful disputations that is in verse one we're
to receive them so and we understand that there
are other believers who have whose consciences
are different than ours in some matters and as
long as they are in the faith we are to receive
them we look at that and we understand there's
a weakness here but we're still to receive them
and paul later says Who are you to judge your
brother? He stands before God. He will stand
at the judgment seat before Christ and so will
you. And so you don't condemn one another. You
receive them. He also says we are not to judge
them. We are not to put a stumbling block in
front of them. which is causing them to stumble
and lose their way in the faith. He's not referring
there to just a like or a preference or a dislike.
He's referring to something here that we do not
cause them to stumble, to lose their way. A stumbling
block would be that which leads a brother to
violate his own conscience, thus partaking against
it, or he might be stirred to anger, disgust,
and apostasy from the Christian faith. So how
do we help him? We first of all receive. That's
the first thing. The second is we seek to enlighten
the conscience from God's word. because the conscience
needs enlightened. And so there are some, especially
in their upbringing or various teachings that
they might have, where they need to be enlightened.
Apollos was one where he still, he didn't understand
the way of salvation completely. And so he preached
the word of God and he was a powerful and eloquent
preacher, but he didn't have everything right
in his understanding. So Aquila and Priscilla
hold him aside and they taught him the way more
perfectly they instructed him on where he was
wrong and that really helped him and he became
a mighty man in the faith so we seek to enlighten
the conscience from god's word it's weak it needs
to be strengthened but not violated and here's
why violation of the conscience makes it defiled
and this should not be To him it is sin, and
since he cannot do it in faith, it is sin to
him. Romans 14, verse 23. But he who doubts is
condemned if he eats, because he does not eat
from faith. For whatever is not from faith is
sin. So sin is the violation of God's law. We
understand that. But sin is also doing something
that might not violate God's law. but it is not
done from faith and it is a perceived sin in
the mind of the individual. So because to him
it is sin, we do not urge him to defile his conscience.
We rather seek to enlighten the conscience from
the word of God. In this case, in such cases,
he is not to defile his conscience in the matter,
but can be instructed and guided to a better
understanding. There are so many things that
this can apply to. Paul gave this here in these
first two, but then he speaks of more in 1 Corinthians
8. And there's certainly, as we look at various...
Shall I say Christian but religious systems where
they build whole things based on tradition and
not on God's word. And so then they bind men's
consciences. They bind people's consciences to
this. And this happens in many different ways.
And so I'm going to give just a few illustrations
of how this can be. And so how we're to understand
this and help one another. So we have the first
two. are the ones mentioned in Romans. The first
one is the one mentioned in Romans 14, being
a vegetarian versus eating meat. Later in the
scripture, we're taught that we are supposed
to teach that God gave every creature and he
gave it for food and it's to be received with
thankfulness and prayer and thanksgiving. So
that's one. There's also that of eating clean
or versus unclean food. foods according to Leviticus
and not according to the change that happened
where that eating of clean and unclean found
its fulfillment in Christ. And in being able
to be distinct between Christian and unbeliever
rather than just within Israel. And that's a
whole long subject in and of itself. But that
was another thing. Some think that it was okay
to eat both clean and unclean foods. Others say,
no, we still have to observe the dietary system
here. And so we can only eat clean foods. That's
a big one in some places. Of foods, Paul says
in Romans 14, verse 14, I know and am convinced
by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean
of itself, but to him who considers anything
to be unclean, to him it is unclean. You're not
to command him to eat that which is unclean.
You're not to force him in this because it would
defile his conscience. There are other matters,
drinking alcoholic beverages. The scriptures
prohibit drunkenness, but wine is also considered
a blessing from God to be enjoyed. This can apply
to differences in music, styles of clothing,
and other matters of how to use God's creation
and our own creative abilities. And I'll get
into some of these a bit more later. Then there's
also the thing of eating food that was offered
to idols. Now, we don't have much of an issue
with that today. But in the Bible times, in the
New Testament times, it was a really big deal.
What would happen is that there would be food
that would be offered to idols in the temple
in all over the Roman Empire. So after they did,
of course, the idols didn't eat the food. And
so rather than the food going to waste, they
would bring the food back out and then they would
take it into the marketplace and sell it. And
so some Christians said, it was okay for us.
This food was offered to idols, but an idol wasn't
anything. So we're going to eat this food that
was offered to idols and we're going to use it
for good and we're going to thank God for it.
Other Christians were like. Oh, I don't know
about that. That's violated food. There's something
unholy about that food, so we can't eat it. So
1 Corinthians 8 deals with all of this different
stuff and how to deal with this. Ending up finally,
and I don't have time to read it, but Paul says
here, 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. 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. But beware. lest somehow
this liberty of yours become a stumbling block
to those who are weak. So what could happen is
somebody goes and says, oh, I just love this
food that was offered to idols. This is just
so great. I thank God for it. And over here was
somebody who was struggling with it and saying,
no, that was offered to an idol and I can't.
And so he's going to stumble. He's going to lose
faith because of it. Don't do that, Paul is saying
in that whole chapter. He finally breaks it out
and says it this way. It's okay to eat food that
was offered to idols if you buy it at the marketplace.
But you never go into a temple and partake of
it there because that would be idolatry. That
would be partaking in idolatry. And if you are
together with unbelievers and they give you food
and say, this was offered to idols, then you
don't eat it for conscience sake because in their
mind, the mind of the unbeliever, you're partaking
in idolatrous worship. That's how he sorts it
all out there in 1 Corinthians chapter 8. Now
one can also become zealously over -scrupulous
in other matters, in things that are not clear
or plain in the scriptures. There can also be
a perfectionist bend where everything becomes
rigid without room for grace. Here's a few examples.
refusing to eat breakfast until you have had
a full 30 minutes or an hour of prayer and Bible
reading beforehand. This is what I'm going to
do. I can't do this. Even if I'm going to be
late for work, I can't do this. Or even if I'm
starving or a mother with a child and she needs
to nurse the baby and how all of that is. We
make these rigid things in our mind and then
we start having a guilty conscience if we do
it. This is what I'm calling over -scrupulousness.
Um, or it could also be becoming extremely literal
in everything you say, not allowing for any figures
of speech or metaphors or similes or poetic language,
just being very, very literal because didn't
Jesus say, let your yes be yes and your no, no.
And so consequently we become extremely literal
in everything. Now, yes, we are to be speaking
the truth, but the Bible uses so many of these
ways. And so also can we. Or, here's one, pausing
in mid -conversation to mentally take back any
word that might be interpreted as gossip or exaggeration
or uncharitable, being extremely scrutinizing
of every word that you say in a way that is not
good. It also might be feeling compelled to evangelize
co -workers daily or to add Bible verses to every
email, fearing that silence about faith is denying
Christ. And it can also be not simply enjoying
the food that God gives because the enjoyment
might lead to gluttony. I'm sure that you can
think of more examples of this, but I've just
given you a few examples here of over -scrupulousness.
The answer to all of this is joy and grace. God's
rich is unmerited favor to us, and it is also
overcome with experiencing the joy the delight
of God's gifts that is all through the scriptures
so yes we don't get drunk that's sin we we don't
do that but it is also good and fitting for one
to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of all
the labor in which he toils under the sun all
the days of his life which God gives him for
this is his heritage Ecclesiastes 5 and verse
18 remember that at the peace offering In the
Old Testament, God told the children of Israel
that when they go to the place of worship and
they give the peace offering, they shall spend
the money for whatever you desire, oxen or sheep
or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite
craves, and you shall eat there before the Lord
your God and rejoice, you and your household.
Psalm 104 verse 15, 14 and 15 remind us that
God is extolled as the one where he causes the
grass to grow for the livestock and plants for
man to cultivate so that he may bring forth food
from the earth and wine to gladden the heart
of man to make his face shine and bread to strengthen
man's heart. There's one other thing that can
be helpful. God speaks to us from his word and
his word is authoritative. in everything that
it speaks. But God also gives great liberty,
things to which he has spoken in principles,
but we have the liberty to choose how to apply
them. For example, we are told to work and not
to steal or take from others, but there are many
ways to fulfill this. And all are open to believers.
You might be a farmer, a painter, a lawyer, a
doctor, an accountant, a merchant, and a host
of other professions. As long as that work or
business does not violate God's law. For example,
you should not own or work in a business that
is built on theft. Or one that might exist to
promote adultery or fornication like a brothel
or a prostitution ring. Those are obviously forbidden.
But other than work that is unlawful, we are
free. in God's providence to use our gifts with
wisdom as we see fit. Some things are lawful,
not expedient, and it's not wise to do them at
this time, but we still don't have to be conscientiously
opposed to them. Let us remember these three
things. 2 Corinthians 3, 17. Now the Lord is
that spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord
is, there is liberty. Free conscience and yet
liberty. 1 Corinthians 8, 9. Take heed, lest
by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling
block to those that are weak. And Galatians 5,
verse 13. For you, brethren, have been called
unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion
to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
In our liberty, we can get so zealous that we
actually do feed the flesh. And that, he says,
we must be careful. Number five, the conscience
can become seared. I'm not going to say much
about this other than false teachings and repeated
violations of one conscience can lead to a hardened
and a seared conscience. You know what happens
when you sear with a hot iron or on a grill,
you sear a steak and what it does is it keeps
the juices inside, but it creates like a crust
on the outside. You don't want a crust on your
conscience. Your conscience is to be free and
open before the Lord, an open mind, an open conscience
before him for the Holy Spirit to convict and
to draw you. That is what we desire. This seared
conscience is spoken of in 1 Timothy 4, verses
1 through 5. I urge you not to yield to teaching
that either takes away your liberty in Christ
or one that is libertine. That is, it denies
the law of God and just does whatever it wants
to. Both of these are deadly, soul -destroying,
and damnable. By believing lies, people are led
astray. They deny the Lord. They blaspheme the
way of truth and bring on themselves destruction.
But dear brothers and sisters, your conscience
must be informed. guided and trained by the perfect
law of liberty, the law of God that sets boundaries
and guidelines, but also gives great liberty.
Last of all, we understand that conscience is
infallibly bound only by the scripture. I could
get into various... Churches looking at the way
conscience is understood in Roman Catholics or
in Anabaptists or in Pietists and some Charismatics
where conscience instead of guided by the word
is by inner light apart from scripture. But the
way to understand conscience is that it is bound
to the scripture. The church guides, but it does
not override. God alone is Lord of the conscience
and has left it free. from the doctrines and
the commandments of men which are in anything
contrary to his word. Conscience is before the
Lord. I will close with these words from Romans
12 verse 2 and Acts 24 verse 16. Do not be conformed
to the world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind that you might prove what is that
good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
And let us affirm with Paul in Acts 24, 16 to
always strive to have a conscience without offense
toward God and men. Let us awake to righteousness
and to not do sin. Let's pray.