What does your conscience say?

So we should stop judging each other. Let’s decide not to do anything that will cause a problem for a brother or sister or hurt their faith. I know that there is no food that is wrong to eat. The Lord Jesus is the one who convinced me of that. But if someone believes that something is wrong, then it is wrong for that person. (Romans 14:13-14)

Van Gogh said that 'conscience was a man's compass'. Einstein reminded us, "Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it." Aquinas told us, "Every judgement of conscience, be it right or wrong, be it about things evil in themselves or morally indifferent, is obligatory, in such wise that he who acts against his conscience always sins." If conscience is so important to us, why do so many 'violate' their own conscience time and time again? To believe something is wrong, then pursue it anyway is a clear-cut violation of one's own conscience - the very 'tool' God gave each of us to help us avoid sin in the first place. If we focus on one 'rule' in a stricter sense than we do another 'rule', aren't we being hypocritical? Tattoos were prohibited under Levitical Law, but so were haircuts of certain styles and clothing made up of more than one type of material!

What Paul is saying is that if someone believes something is wrong, then it is wrong for that person. For the longest time, I wondered if God 'allowed' certain things that didn't seem to be outlined as 'good' or 'bad' in scripture. For example, you may not accept that God allows tattoos on one's body (Leviticus 19:28) Scripture asks God's people to live a holy and honorable life - using their bodies as his temple and keeping it holy. Does that mean tattoos are prohibited. Under the Law of Moses, God asked them not to apply marks to their bodies - why? There were people who worshipped false Gods, practiced vile deeds, who marked their bodies. Perhaps he was asking Israel to 'set themselves apart' from those who did this so they would be 'noticed' as set apart. Some would ask if this 'prohibition' continued into the New Testament church. I can find no reference to tattoos in New Testament writings, but...the issue is not whether tattoos are good or bad. It is what is in the heart of a man or woman. 

If someone has given their heart to the Lord, and in good conscience obtain a tattoo, who are we to judge them? As Paul told the Roman believers, it isn't ours to judge. Sometimes we get all wigged-out about stuff that clearly isn't all that important. Paul was dealing with a group of believers (church-goers) who didn't eat meat because it could have been offered as a sacrifice to some 'idol' and then sold in the market. The church was in uproar because some would eat the meat, while others would not. It isn't the 'rule' we look at - it is the heart. If the heart is right with God, and their conscience doesn't get 'pricked', is it okay to engage in the action? In some cases, yes, but we should also be very aware of how our actions affect the faith of another! Never violate your own conscience. Don't force your conscience on another. Be respectful of those who 'believe differently' than you - following a rule to the 'letter of the law', so to speak. We don't hold all the answers ourselves, but if we cannot in 'good conscience' pursue a course of action, while respecting the conscience of those around us, then we should not engage in that action. Just sayin!

Steer us right

For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. (Romans 2:13-15)

"Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune." (Carl Jung) That is the power of the conscience - it warns us something is out of 'tune'. When we begin to 'tune into' God's Word and his still small voice, our conscience will begin to alert when we are about to do or say something that is not in keeping with his will. It is learning to listen to that 'alert' and 'heed' its warning that gives us all that frustration!

Listening isn't heeding. Heeding is the condition in which one actually gives careful attention to what is being said or warned. It is more than a casual observation that something is not right. It is actually putting into application what one is warned about. When that 'niggling' comes deep within our conscience, it is like God is saying, "Listen up!". He is asking for us to exert some 'carefulness' with each step we are about to take. It isn't a moment for deliberation - it is a moment for determination.

So much of what we encounter in the way of compromise or sin in our lives is because we knew what was right to do, then deliberated way too long on 'if' the choice was good or bad. We let the appeal of the temptation overtake our reason. It is possible we argue a bit too much about what is right or wrong for us rather than just listening to our conscience confirm that it is wrong. The more we begin to ask God for his will, the more he will show us that will. The longer we dwell on the 'is this your will' question, the harder it can actually become to know it because we allow all kinds of confusing thoughts into our minds that cloud the clarity proclaimed by our conscience.

Knowing the will of God is important, but listening when our conscience tells us not to do something, or to forge full speed ahead is also a 'tool' God gives us in living upright and consistent lives. We may not have the Word of God right there when the choice stands before us, but we do have our conscience to guide us. If we commit our thoughts to God and fill our minds with his Word, it is possible our conscience might just 'steer us right' instead of wrong. Just sayin!

No greater gift

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. (Hebrews 9:11-14)

With his own blood - we are bought with a price we could not pay; given a gift we could not earn; and brought into a position we could never possess apart from Christ. One sacrifice - one time - for all time. We are secure because of his gift - the gift we received so many Christmas morns long ago. The old passed away and the new has come. What the 'old systems' of worship and good deeds could never do was done in one moment in time, but it lasts an eternity.

What all our good deeds (good works) and acts of 'contrition' could never do for us has been done through the blood of Christ - our consciences are made pure. If you have ever dealt with a sense of guilt because of your past deeds, something you have said or done that just didn't 'sit well' in your conscience, you know the extreme joy and peace that comes when you finally bring that thing into the light and get rid of it once and for all. The conscience has a way of holding onto the 'bad' we do, but it also reminds us of the 'bad' we are!

The purity of conscience Christ offers is not just a one-time deal. It is a lifetime of us feeling 'guilt' for misguided actions and poorly spoken words, bringing those things to him in full repentance, and feeling that 'load of guilt' lifted. Peace settles in around our souls and we feel 'at one' again with Christ. There is no greater gift we could 'open' this Christmas - for that gift has been given already. We just need to open up our hearts to receive the gift. Just those wrapped gifts under the tree this season, this gift is received when we accept it as ours. Just sayin!

Was I hungry last night?

I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. (Psalm 16:7-8)

We make a choice each day - will we enthrone Jesus in our lives, or will we take the reins and do things our way. We also choose if we will 'bless the Lord' by those actions. Do we just praise God for the things he has done in our lives, or do we choose to bless him no matter what comes our way? Tough question, I know, because to bless and exalt him for the 'good stuff' is a whole lot easier than to bless him in the midst of trying circumstances outside of our control. 

Guided and instructed - this is the reason for our exaltation. We are guided in the good and the unpleasant. We are instructed (taught) in the celebrations as much as in the trials and tribulations of life. His counsel (teaching) comes to us in the Word of God, but it is 'recalled' and 'cemented' in our lives through the action of the Holy Spirit who resides within us. He not only confirms our course, but he corrects it whenever necessary. It is indeed a good thing to celebrate this 'oversight' in our lives because we don't always do such a bang-up job with choices.

What is this 'at night my heart instructs me' thing our psalmist is speaking to in this passage? I have told you repeatedly how 'fickle' and 'unreliable' our hearts can be at times - choosing to follow the whim of our emotions rather than the sound reasoning God brings to our conscience. God gave us a conscience because he knew we would struggle with our emotions maybe more than we might actually like to admit. In the wee hours of the night, have you ever felt like your 'decisions' were kind of 'brought into the balance'? I have and I know it is the work of the Holy Spirit, interacting with my conscience - not to make me feel bad, but to help me see where my steps were a little bit disordered.

In the night hours, God speaks deep into our spirit through our conscience. Even when our 'unconscious' seems to be in control (dreamland), God's Spirit is hard at work within - teaching, bringing to mind wise choices, recalling scripture, impressing good things in our mind. Ever wake up with a scripture in mind, or feel like your spirit was just way more 'renewed' than when you went to bed? It is because God's Spirit did not abandon us to our own devices while we slept! When we take in the Word of God, our conscience will be fed the right stuff, even when we don't know we are 'feeding' upon that Word. 

If we want to be closer to God, we must begin to feed ourselves the things that will sustain us, even when we aren't aware we need to be 'fed'. Just sayin!

Whew! Glad that is off my mind!

I am not proud of those things I did 'before Christ', but there are things that taught me life lessons. There are things 'after Christ' in my life that have still been struggles and those things have taught me even bigger lessons. Lessons come in the oddest ways sometimes. I remember one lesson that came while holding a pen. Have you ever looked down, found you are using a really nice pen, then wondered, "Where did I pick this up?" Then, as quickly as you realize you have walked off with someone's pen, there is a twinge of guilt about having absconded with something which clearly does not belong to you! Or perhaps you have been in the grocery line, received a bundle of change from your purchase, then on the way to the car, you count it to make sure it is all there. To your surprise, there is an extra ten dollars in the mix! Some would face each situation with a triumphant, "SCORE!!!" Others would likely take a few moments to consider if anyone will really notice the missing pen, or argue the store has overcharged you at some point in history. Yet, the pen is not truly ours, and the extra money in our hand is making someone short in their till. In fact, the dilemma of "conscience" we go through is because we know it is not right to steal.

“You must not steal." (Exodus 20:15)

In a very "technical" sense, stealing is taking anything without someone's permission, or the right to take what it is we are taking. I never took the car keys in order to take the car on a joy ride when mom and dad weren't home, but I did my share of grabbing a few bucks from the cookie jar when I didn't think mom would notice! Even more telling about us is the ability to take something without even acknowledging an awareness of the issue in taking the item we are taking that clearly does not belong to us. I think God knows we may end up with a pen in our pocket on occasion, quite by accident, but I don't think he is very pleased when we justify why we are pocketing the extra ten dollars from someone's till! Nor was he pleased with the dips into the cookie jar! Look at our simple command: You must not steal. The one being addressed is "you" - that includes all of us. The imperative in this sentence are the words "must not". It does not say try your best not to, or if the circumstances are right, then don't. It is quite plain - we "MUST NOT" steal. We must not take what is not ours, or engage in any action that seeks to cover up using something without someone's permission.

What kinds of things do we "steal" on a daily basis? How about time? What we do with our time in secret is as important as what we do when we are being observed. How about credit? God tells us a laborer is worth his hire - in other words, if he is due credit for a job well-done, we ought to point it out. There are tons of things we probably "steal" everyday without really knowing we are doing it - especially when we consider it is taking/using anything without someone's permission, or the outright taking of what is not ours (even if by accident). God takes this whole idea of stealing so seriously. He made additional "rules" around stealing such as, "Take a man's ox and repay him five in return" (Exodus 22:1); "Take a man's sheep and repay him four in return" (Exodus 22:1); "A thief is to make full restitution - if not able, his life was to be sold in order to accomplish it" (Exodus 22:3). This principle of restitution is found throughout scripture. Clearly God wants us to 'own our mistake' and make a clear break from it!

So, if God takes it this seriously, shouldn't we? If we become aware of our sin, God's plan is for us to make restitution - to restore it. So, at the point I realize I am in possession of my friend's favorite writing instrument - it is time for me to let them know I will return it when we meet next, if not sooner. If I get the extra change in my grocery "bounty" - I may have to make a trip back to the cashier with the money in hand. God may ask you to point out where credit is due instead of hogging it all for yourself. He may ask you to do little extras around at time in order to "give back" what you have been taking away in non-productive time. Whatever it is, do it! The reward of a clear conscience is much better than anything else we could imagine! Just sayin!

Slinging a little mud

Have you ever had a little mud slung your way? I don't mean the literal stuff, like when we were kids after a rain storm and some good puddles formed the best playgrounds of a lifetime. I mean the kind that comes your way in the form of words intended to belittle or berate you. The mud-slinging might come from a source you know well, or from sources you know very little about. Sometimes it comes from those with an obviously viscous intent, while others may sling it just a little bit unconsciously, not really realizing the impact of their words. Regardless of the source, it can be difficult to endure.

If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.  1 Peter 3:18 MSG

If with heart and soul you're living as you have been instructed in the Word of God and in those times when God speaks deeply into your heart, then you are doing well. You might not always make the right choices, but you take quick steps to rectify it when you don't - quickly acknowledging it, asking God's forgiveness, and seeking to learn from those missteps. This kind of living doesn't make you above attack - it might even make you a little bit more of a target than you might think. People don't understand those who make choices that are different from theirs at times. They have a hard time with consistency themselves, so they find fault with others that seem to 'have it all together'. 

The object of our lesson today is our conscience. God gave us this little 'built-in monitor' because he knew we'd face hard choices - choices that need some type of 'governor' to help guide the actions that follow. Conscience is subject to change, though. If we continually ignore it, we find the 'monitor' still exists, it just 'goes off' a little less over the course of time. That might mean we find ourselves in a place where our conscience would have once brought immediate conviction - helping us to determine the direction as 'wrong' for us to take - but now it becomes kind of common-place for us to pursue that direction without any feelings of remorse or regret.

Conscience must be maintained. It must be enlightened each and every day by spending even just a little bit of time alone with God and in his Word. These two simple actions go a long, long way toward maintaining the integrity of our conscience. In fact, these actions also help to develop a more 'acute' conscience - we become more aware of how certain actions lead to compromise or failure in our lives. The conscience is not the only 'monitor' over our lives - we also have the Holy Spirit of God resident within us. These 'dual-monitors' kind of work simultaneously - but where our conscience may fail us on occasion - the Holy Spirit of God will not!

We all want to make right choices. I don't think any of us has chosen to be rebellious because we just woke up one day and determined to go from being righteous to being totally rebellious. Rebellion starts with one choice. Once we ignore the conscience, even once, we set a new precedent in our minds and emotions. We might not like it, but that compromise alters the future choices we will make unless we take that compromise to God and ask for his help to 're-tune' the monitor of our conscience. To live above 'mud-slinging' is one thing - to be deserving of that mud-slinging is quite another!

Conscience may not get much attention from the pulpit these days, but if we are honest here, the conscience is that one thing which helps us to acknowledge our missteps. We find ourselves always making adjustments to our course because our conscience is somehow alerting us to the danger within the choices we are making. We don't want to rely upon it solely, but when we do so in combination with the help of the Holy Spirit, the clarity that comes when we spend time alone with God, and the power of God's Word getting into our lives, we find there is an integrity built into our lives that others just may not understand. That can make us an object of a little 'unfair' mud-slinging on occasion, but I'd rather have you sling mud and me not deserve it than to be so mired in the mud that I never notice you are slinging it in the first place! Just sayin!

Conscience - why were we created with it?

Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new.  Do not throw me far away from Your presence, and do not remove Your Holy Spirit from me.  Give back to me the deep delight of being saved by You;  let Your willing Spirit sustain me. (Psalm 51:10-12 VOICE)

Sin creates a "void" in our lives - a palpable void that yearns for what has been lost and agonizes over the turmoil it creates. There is no escaping the sense of "uncleanness" which envelopes the inner man, because it is that sense which draws us into places of deep and meaningful confession, repentance, and restoration!  Did you ever stop to think why God made man with a conscience? We could have been created with that portion of our thinking / sensing / intellect being left out of the equation, you know. I kind of think an animal such as a lion doesn't have much of a conscience, simply because they wouldn't be able to pounce on an innocent young animal or an aged older one as their next meal and walk away smacking their lips if they did! Man is created to "sense" the "void" created when we do what God has declared will bring harm into our lives, is clearly off-limits for us, or is just not beneficial to our overall emotional or spiritual well-being. To deny this sense for too long is to sink deeper and deeper into a pit of guilt and despair, leaving the body, mind, and spirit ravaged.

No wonder our psalmist asks God to create in him a "sense" of being brand new - as though the sin didn't ever exist and the effects of it never embraced the depths of his being. In essence, we sense this "void" as though we were no longer "useful" in God's hands - so as David cried out so long ago, we join in that plea to God to be taken back from the "discard pile".  Sin not only creates a deep sense of void, it also leaves us feeling "unworthy" or "of no further value" in our relationship with Jesus. It separates us much like a really heated argument in which tempers flare and ego takes center stage in relationship will send two individuals to their respective "corners" to sulk and stew about whatever it was that caused the riff in the first place. It drives a wedge between us and there we begin to drift apart, not really content to do so, but kind of too reliant upon our egos to admit our fault or failure.

As David finishes this plea, his words are more than musings in the dark of night. His words are telling evidence of a heart broken, separated, with dawning awareness of just how far his sin has taken him into the depths of despair and "loneliness".  What sin has taken away, he desires to have back. The distance sin has created he desires to have removed. Inside he aches for restoration - outside his body is showing evidence of the effects of the sin. His physical framework cannot support the strain of what his emotions, thoughts, and conscience have been wrestling with for way too long. Sin creates a "sense void", but it also carries a very physical pain with it. We cannot escape the "effects" of sin until we escape sin!

Our conscience may just be the one thing that helps us recognize the void and turn again to the one from whom we have been estranged through our sinful deeds. It may just be the very thing that begins to help us sense the pain of sin so that we desire deliverance from it. I don't know if that is why God created us with a conscience, but I am grateful he did - because without it, there is no telling where I'd be today!  Just sayin!

Don't think you can constrain me!

Have you ever done good and found out someone was talking behind your back about what you did in a not so positive way?  In fact, they are kind of making fun of you for being a goodie-two-shoes, or just "brown-nosing".  It is unfortunate, but people will be people - this is one thing we can count on!  Not everyone will understand why you do what you do when God moves you to do something out of the ordinary for someone else, nor will they always see it as done just because you wanted to bless someone.  In fact, they will likely see it as you trying to get ahead, or maybe as though you are trying to "one-up" them.  Either way, don't get all weird about their reaction to you - they don't understand your purpose and they drift into this criticism of your actions because they don't know your heart.  The important thing is that you are acting in a way which honors God and with the intent of being an extension of God's grace in the lives of the ones you touch today.  Your "blessing" doesn't come in someone else understanding the purpose of your actions of love - it comes in you being obedient to be a blessing in the lives of those around you!  The tendency of human nature is to offer criticism about things we don't understand - we cannot avoid criticism in life - it is just going to come.

Why would anyone harm you if you eagerly do good? Even if you should suffer for doing what is right, you will receive a blessing. Don’t let them frighten you. Don’t be intimidated, but exalt Him as Lord in your heart. Always be ready to offer a defense, humbly and respectfully, when someone asks why you live in hope. Keep your conscience clear so that those who ridicule your good conduct in the Anointed and say bad things about you will be put to shame. (I Peter 3:13-16 VOICE)

As kids, we may have heard that little saying, "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but names will never hurt me."  Anyone other than me ever think, "You're crazy man...words get to the core of who I am quicker than a few lashes from a stick"?  Words, especially those intended to show disapproval of one's actions, can eat away at us like acid on a fine paint job.  They just don't stop at being heard - they get at us because our minds have a tendency to rethink them time and time again.  One of the reasons people criticize another is this feeling of being "intimidated" by the actions of the other person.  They are made to "look bad" because another thought to do something they didn't, or they just couldn't find a way to show their "skill" like you did, so they are jealous of your talent.  One of the very skillful tools they will use is their attempt to intimidate you with their words and even their actions. In essence, they are working to "constrain" you - something pretty hard to do when God is directly behind all of your actions in life!

Intimidation is meant to disquiet you internally - it is something which works at the core of our thoughts and begins to affect our emotions.  This is the power of intimidation - it gets a foothold into our emotions and when our emotions get stirred up, there is no telling where the power of those emotions can take us if we don't get a grip on them.  The way our writer tells us to deal with intimidation is by keeping God in the center of our hearts - exalting him as Lord in your heart.  If we are to have a good defense against criticism and intimidation, we need to have a good offense - God at the center is probably about the best one I know! It is hard to dishearten someone who has God at the center of their hearts!  If we get God at the center of all we do, there really is nothing for anyone to criticize, is there?

Another component of being "strong against intimidation" is this concept of keeping a "clear conscience".  I think this has to do with us "staying current" with God as it comes to our actions which may not be entirely "spot on".  In other words, we don't allow our compromises and slip-ups to "pile up" until we find the need to make some huge "altar confession".  We simply ask God to forgive us, help us change our focus, and then move on in obedience to what he desires for us.  We don't allow compromises to "mount up" because when we do, we open the door to allowing those side-ward glances to become the path we will follow with greater and greater consistency.  In time, our conscience no longer responds to the prompt to stop.  So, the advice of our writer is to keep a clear conscience - stop when you feel the prompting to stop, confess you are tempted to give into something which is playing upon your heart-strings at that moment, and ask God to show you the way to turn away from that compromise.  

Even our own conscience can be a little intimidated at times - especially when it listens to the tugs of our heart-strings more than it listens to the truth we know somewhere deep down in the inner core of our being!  It is a fine balance to walk through this life in such a way that neither our own conscience, nor the criticisms of man can derail us or constrain us from doing right.  Just sayin!

Deferring to another's conscience

Throughout the ages, there have always been the questions of what is right and wrong.  In a sense, man struggles with his conscience to determine if what he feels is right is also right in a broader sense - as it applies to his brothers and sisters.  In some instances, what our conscience will allow would be the undoing of another.  So, to this end, we need to remain sensitive to the fact that conscience alone cannot dictate our actions.  We need the input from scripture and the confirmation of the Holy Spirit within.  These are often still not enough, though - because even with the best of intentions we can cause another to stumble by our allowed actions.  We have to become sensitive to the "conscience" of another - not shutting down their beliefs, but allowing them to come to the revelation of truth on their terms.

In strict logic, then, nothing happened to the meat when it was offered up to an idol. It’s just like any other meat. I know that, and you know that. But knowing isn’t everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings. Real knowledge isn’t that insensitive.  We need to be sensitive to the fact that we’re not all at the same level of understanding in this. Some of you have spent your entire lives eating “idol meat,” and are sure that there’s something bad in the meat that then becomes something bad inside of you. An imagination and conscience shaped under those conditions isn’t going to change overnight.  (I Corinthians 8:7 MSG)

I think this may be what Paul had in mind when he drafted this letter to the Corinthian believers.  He was asked this question about meat offered to idols and whether it was okay to eat it since all idols are merely objects of a man's making and not really "gods" at all.  The premise is that we believe there is one true God and we serve him wholeheartedly.  Yet, there are those who have been taught a set of "rules" which they have lived by for a long time. These rules form the basis of their beliefs and they are what drives the conscious decisions of those individuals.  Such was the case with the religious Jewish believers.  They had followed strict rules for so long - believing some things were forbidden, such as eating meat offered to idols.  In their mind, the meat was considered unclean because it had been involved in some type of worship to a "made-up" god and not the one true God.  To partake of it would be to allow something "bad" to enter one's body - so they struggled with the idea of being free in Christ to eat it if they desired.

Paul lays out a broad premise for understanding this set of "arguments" - but until the conscience is free from the beliefs one has formed and adhered to for so many years, the individual cannot in "good conscience" partake.  In fact, our partaking may even cause that individual to become a little "undone" because they see us as a fellow believer and don't understand why our conscience doesn't stop us from partaking.  To this end, we are reminded of the need to be sensitive to the fact that we are all on different levels of understanding as it applies to our walk with Christ.  Some have been able to shed the "rule-keeping" mindset and walk in liberty as it applies to some things.  Others hold a little tighter to their background and upbringing. Regardless of where we are, we cannot cause another to struggle or stumble because we have liberty, or feel a little bound.

In other words, we need to learn to use knowledge well and to apply it first in our own lives, then allow another to see that knowledge lived out, but not to allow it to be a battleground in their own life.  This is tricky business because what my freedom gives me liberty to do may not be that easy for the next person to understand - especially if their background has left them carrying a load of guilt over just that thing!  Sometimes I know it is okay to do something but I clearly know another is struggling with it - in those instances, I need to allow my actions to be dictated by the other person's conscience. This may seem a little controversial to some, but if it offends another, my actions should defer to the other.  

All Paul wants us to see is that knowledge is a good thing - for knowledge can set us free from things we have held so tightly as the way we are going to do things in our lives.  When we actually grasp onto the truth as God presents it, then we are able to lay down those "rule-keeping" conscience-based decisions which only keep us in bondage.  But...we cannot expect everyone to be on the same level of learning as we are and we cannot cram learning down their throats.  We need to defer to them - knowing we will have opportunities as God opens the doors to us to share the truth we have been given, but with sensitivity and understanding.  Just sayin!

Changing of the Guard

Conscience:  the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action.  Truthfully, the conscience is made up of morals and principles we amass while growing up which act to define the actions we will allow in our lives and those we will reject because they don't align with this set of morals and principles.  Whenever we are asked to violate our conscience, we might just feel a little anxious, fearful, or even guilty.  In the strictest sense, the conscience has a "prohibiting" effect - if the conscience becomes a little "dulled" with the wrong set of morals or principles being applied, it can serve to guide us into some pretty awkward circumstances.  This is why we don't trust our conscience alone - it is only ONE tool used in the myriad of tools God gives us for our spiritual, emotional, and physical safety.

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.  (I Timothy 1:19 NLT)

Look at Paul's advice to Timothy as he begins his ministry - keep your conscience clear - don't deliberately violate it.  At first, this may not seem like much, but the smallest compromises in either our morals or our principles can lead to the bigger ones.  Our inward motivations dictate our outward actions - think it long enough and you will act upon the thought!  The other guiding influences in life are the Word of God, his Holy Spirit residing in us, and the sound teaching of godly people.  Violate all of these and the road will be a really rocky one!

Conscience requires discipline - in order to form the right set of morals by which we make judgment calls.  If your morals haven't been the best as you were growing up, or because you made compromises later on in life, there is still hope.  Morals are just the "rules" of conduct by which we live - if you put Christ in charge of defining these, you can actually see them change!  For example, you may have been raised in a home where criticism and nit-picking were just the "norm".  In the community of believers where you now associate, this may not be considered very loving or kind.  When we submit these "learned traits" to God, he goes about helping us "unlearn" them.  Trust me, I know for a fact the things we have to "unlearn" are way harder than the ones we have to "learn"!

You begin to realize the "changing of the guard" in your conscience whenever you begin to see the wrong choice before you make it - you realize it as a wrong choice.  This is a good transition point - learning to heed it is another!  Conscience is "situational" at times - we go with it when it is the easiest choice, but we sometimes don't heed it when it is the toughest!  So, how is it we get our conscience to not sell us short?  I think it comes by keeping our eye on the three indicators of "right" or "wrong" in our lives - God's Word (what does it have to say about what it is we are about to do); God's Spirit (when is he giving us that internal "niggling" to respond or deny the response); and last, our conscience.  Notice, I put conscience last.  It is the least reliable source, so it doesn't deserve placement over God's Word or his Spirit!

Conscience can help us recognize sin in our lives - but not always.  We need the other sources of "recognition", as well.  Once we recognize sin, there is but one response which is correct - turn away from it.  This is what we call repentance.  The most important thing in seeing a change of conscience - the "changing of the guard" so to speak - is in determining who will be the center of our existence.  If it remains us, we will fail repeatedly.  If we instead choose to make Christ center of our world, the changing of the guard becomes reality!  What does this look like?  Perhaps it is learning to take a little time before we respond - just so we can be sure we are responding to the "right" voice.  Maybe it is taking time to think about what we have learned from scripture - the "what does God say" principle.  

No guard is worth their weight in gold unless that guard actually preserves, protects, and pursues what is right.  Just sayin!