Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

The Clean Conscience

We have some good news from Kakamega. We want to share with you some of the testimony of what's going on as you continue to pray for the ministry there. Charles is doing a great job, and I think you will sense the excitement in his heart as you hear the letter. We just rejoiced and thank God for your faithfulness and the work that has been accomplished there.

"To my true Dad in the faith, true parents in the Lord, Calvary:

Greetings to you in the name and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. I praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He is doing in my life, home, and the fellowship. His presence is real, His grace sufficient each day. He is worthy of all the honor and glory. Blessed be His holy name.

It is hard to explain in words what is going on here in Kakamega Calvary Temple because it is supernatural and marvelous. I marvel each day at what God is doing in our midst. His hand is chastening, purifying, and building us up in Him. His hand is providing for every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

We marvel at how God provided the fifty dollars from a prisoner in the United States. I shared this with the flock and they were filled with awe. The money is a definite answer to prayer and will help to meet needs here in Discipleship Training. We're very grateful for this particular offering and the other offerings that we receive from you. They go a long way in building God's kingdom here in Africa, supplementing the local offerings given by the faithful. I am teaching and exhorting the flock to give all they can give, and by God's grace they are doing well. Many have given their very lives to serve without salary in Discipleship Training, and the majority is faithful in giving their tithes and offerings as commanded by God in the Holy Scriptures.

Many of the youths are getting saved as we preach the gospel. Today after sharing on salvation in our morning Discipleship Training, 12 eleven to thirteen year-olds came to my office and said, 'Pastor, we want to be born again.' So I helped them to know and receive Jesus in their hearts by faith, and it's exciting. Praise God! [Twelve of them born again in that morning's chapel!]

In other areas of ministry, Men's Fellowship, Young Adults, Youths, Children's Church, Discipleship Training, etc., God is transforming lives and knitting the flock together by the Holy Spirit through the Word.

Twelve people have recently been touched by the love of God to go every Thursday to share the gospel and pray for the sick in the hospital. We're praying for an open door to reach out to prisoners in the prison with the good news that can set them free.

I've experienced God's gracious anointing in recent weeks as the Lord has enabled me to teach and preach. This past Sunday we experienced a powerful visitation of God as many in the PM service came forward to rededicate their lives to Jesus. We've also had many meaningful counseling sessions with some that are battling with various issues in their lives, and good testimonies are coming forth for what God is doing in individuals' hearts, homes, etc. Indeed, the Lord is building His church, the remnant. Right now I am preparing 25 new believers for water baptism, most of them young teenagers who have confessed Jesus as their personal Savior. Glory to God!

Occasional visits by our beloved Pastors Tony and Ronnie, and the encouragement and counsel I get from them regularly on the phone is a great blessing. Someday when God gives me a computer, it will help me to be on e-mail more regularly. [They have to go down to the post office to send e-mails out.] I am very blessed and very grateful to God for a true spiritual dad, true parents in the Lord, and a true family of believers in the Lord in Calvary Temple.

The one-hundred dollars a month additional support has gone a great way in blessing us, and we are so grateful. It will help us to meet the various needs. Right now we are working on desks, having constructed eleven. We still need fifteen more. Then we'll embark, God willing, on classroom partitions, bookshelves, etc., for Discipleship Training.

We thank God for you and thank you for your love, prayers, guidance, and financial support as we seek to fulfill the great commission that our Lord has given us. We love you and pray for you always.

Your son in the Lord,

Pastor Charles"

What a blessing! Twenty-five being prepared for baptism, and kids getting saved. That's what it's all about. That is a thrilling, thrilling time, and we're excited about what God is doing in the ministry there. The outreach in Nairobi is continuing. They are getting ready to start some larger campaigns, so be in prayer and believe for God's wisdom and the anointing there to go forth as they are ministering.

We're still working to determine what to do, actually, in Eldoret at this time. We're overseeing some fellowship there and trying to determine how much effort we want to put into that particular thing right now. Be in prayer with us. We need God's wisdom, His understanding, really, in how to deal with those areas. There's a lot going on. We're believing God for some great things, and it's definitely important that we hear from the Spirit.

Let's go ahead and pick up where we left off Sunday night. We were talking about the purifying and preparation of the conscience. As we were talking about the conscience, we heard the old adage, "Let your conscience be your guide." Your conscience can't be your guide. The Holy Spirit has to be your guide, and the Word of God has to be your guide, but the conscience is the early warning system that works in us. It's a very sensitive thing, and it gives us an understanding of what's happening in some of our thoughts and our actions, as to whether or not we're staying on course of the Word of God.

The conscience has not, in contrast to what a lot of people say, replaced the law of God. There's a misapplication of Romans, chapter 2, in a lot of people's teaching. It implies that the conscience has replaced the Word of God, and that within the Gentiles it substitutes for the Word of God. It does not. The Word of God is holy; it is pure; it is eternal, and it purifies the soul. The conscience has not replaced the Word of God. The conscience is fed by the Word of God. Innately within us, this force that we call "conscience" abides within every individual, whether believer or unbeliever, Jew or Gentile. The knowledge of God, according to Romans, chapters 1 and 2, is in every one of us.

The conscience can be sensitized or desensitized by how we feed it, like our faith and our flesh. It's important for us to realize that the conscience--that knowing, that innate knowing of good and evil, right and wrong--is dictated to by not only the Word of God and the Spirit of God, but our conscience is also influenced by tradition and environment. The conscience is something that's molded. It's prepared. It's strengthened or weakened by the attention that is given to it. It's an important tool in you and me walking in the Spirit, hearing the voice of God, and fulfilling the will of God in our lives. It's vitally important.

Let me read a passage from the second chapter of Romans to you. It's a parenthetical statement. I don't want to minimize parenthetical statements within the Scriptures as we have King James, but remember when you see many of these parenthetical statements that they can be insertions or thoughts upon the revelation. As you're reading certain portions of Scripture, keep that in mind. Most of the time, the parenthetical statements are true, but not necessarily inspired. We need to understand that. The reason they're set within parentheses here is because the originals don't necessarily have evidence of these statements.

In Romans chapter 2, verse 15, is this well known passage of Scripture. It's important for us to catch the spirit of it. The spirit of it, as I said, carries some truth with it and is something that we can learn from. Chapter 2, verses 14 and 15: "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts...." This is the conscience: that which is making us uneasy. It may be saying, "Yes, this is acceptable," "Be careful! Don't involve yourself in that," or, "Check your heart! Things aren't in order."

"...and their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another" (Romans 2:15b). The conscience has that capacity, and we need to understand that. The conscience can accuse or it can excuse. We need to make sure that our conscience is pure, because many times our conscience can tell us, "Yeah, this is acceptable" and it is not the Word of God. The conscience, as we saw Sunday night, can be what? It can be "defiled." It can also be what? "Seared."

The defiling and the searing of the conscience come when you and I willfully choose to oppose the greater truth, the voice of God, the Word of God. Get this real clear: your conscience is not the voice of God. Many people think it is. Your conscience is not the voice of God. Your conscience is influenced, as we said, by the atmosphere, by our traditions, by our upbringing, and by the environment. It's also influenced by the knowledge of the Word of God. Our conscience is influenced by the Holy Spirit which is working within every man to bring us the knowledge of God.

"The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1). We realize that the knowledge of God, according to Romans, is within every one of us. Every man, the Scripture says, is what? "Without excuse" according to Romans 1, verse 20. There is no man on this planet that has an excuse. Every man knows of God. Every man has sufficient dealing of the Holy Spirit within him to give him the knowledge of God sufficient to pursue God, to know God, to know truth and to walk in it. There are no excuses. If there are no excuses with those who are not filled with the Holy Spirit, if there's no excuse for those who don't have the Word of God, then where do you think we stand? Here is humanity, and we see that God is drawing men constantly to Himself by the Holy Spirit and through the proclamation of the gospel. Man has the knowledge of God within himself.

Look over at Romans 1, and we're going to look at a couple of passages here in Romans 1 and 2 to help us understand the conscience. In verse 16 of the first chapter, the apostle says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the [Gentile] Greek." Basically what he's saying there is that you don't have to have a working knowledge of the law like the Jews. To what advantage, then, is there to being a Jew? Paul says in this epistle, "Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God" (Romans 3:2). So we realize there is privilege and advantage to knowing the Word of God, but it's not necessary because God has placed His Spirit to draw all of us unto Himself.

When the gospel message is heard, the Spirit is there to quicken it, to give us the gift of faith to believe. The mind and the heart of man is illuminated, and then he has to momentarily choose to rebel against God's Word as it's being brought forth, as the gospel is being heralded. All of that is going on every time you and I are sharing the gospel with people. Isn't that kind of neat to know? Do you ever stop, when you're witnessing, to think about all of the dynamics of what's taking place? Over here you've got an angel holding this demon down. He's punching him out over in this corner, and demons are trying to get to this man. The angelic hosts are warring, and the power of God is illuminating the man's heart. That sword that kept those from entering the Garden has now turned upon the enemy, and people are being set free. All of this stuff is going on when you're sharing the name of Jesus. It's an exciting time. Don't get caught up in all that, looking around to see what's happening. Just preach the gospel.

He says, "For therein [in the gospel] is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). We don't live by our conscience; we live by faith. Your conscience will always be short of the information that faith will cause you to act upon. You're acting by faith, calling things that are not as though they were. Conscience will never have full understanding of what faith can apprehend. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

As he goes on, he says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen...." (Romans 1:18-20). Many of us say, "I didn't clearly see them while I was unregenerate." It didn't say they were "comprehended." It's not talking about them being in the soulical realm or the tangible realm. It's faith; it's the spirit realm. The things that the natural mind is incapable of comprehending, God still, at those momentary visitations of illumination, enables man to see clearly, and we know innately. Man knows God, not idols, not all of the things that man has created to defy, reject, and deny God. Every man knows God. All of the other religions have been created by man to disassociate themselves with the one true God. See them for what they are, and understand the religions for what they are. Understand man's condition in this state of depravity. Even depraved man has the knowledge of God.

We've talked about a desensitized nation. We've talked about young people growing up without conscience, and we talked about the change in the morals of our nation in just the last 50 years. We made reference a little bit the other night to how society used to be, where you didn't have to lock your doors. You could leave your keys in your car in your driveway overnight. You could walk the streets. Neighbors would help one another. We've seen the deterioration of our society as the worship of secular humanism has become the religion of our nation. Because of that, the conscience has been defiled. The conscience has been seared as it pertains to the understanding of the Word of God. What was it that affected our nation in that positive direction 50 years ago? It was our Judeo-Christian ethics, the Ten Commandments. You see the different Judeo-Christian influence behind our Constitution, and the way we've chosen to govern ourselves (which are all being distorted and disposed of). That's what made it a safer, better world. Even though they weren't born again, they were using those as reference points, the truth. Now what has happened is that we've replaced the God of the Bible with humanism and the worship of man himself, an existential thought where there are no absolutes and there is no truth.

It has come into our education hasn't it? The new math: two plus two is whatever you need it to be. It has gone that far. How about in many of our schools today? In the California school system, I know this for a fact. As my nephews were being raised there, in many of the classes, as they were experimenting in classrooms, you could spell a word any way you wanted to spell it. "Oh, is that how you'd like to spell that? Truth: m-y-s-e-l-f?" What has happened is that spelling doesn't matter. Grammar doesn't matter. It's just "what I intended to convey." We've come to that type of a world because of the existential thought process. There are no absolutes, and therefore all the laws have been done away with. So now, grammar, math, and many of these other things no longer have guidelines. There are no boundaries. There are no laws to hold this in, because we want self-expression. Every man spells as is right in his own eyes. Even I could have gotten a 100 on my spelling test if we were using that kind of a standard!

This is where man has placed himself, and it's continually deteriorating. Rosie the Fool hosted a program last night on one of the cable channels talking about the "alternative lifestyle" and how all families are not alike. One hundred thousand letters of protest went in to the network saying, "We don't want to see this." If one hundred thousand letters of opposition came in against any other subject, it would have been pulled. But opposing this homosexual agenda, the networks basically said, "This is not about promoting homosexuality. It's about tolerance." I wonder how tolerant they would have been if it were somebody preaching the gospel. How did we get here? We got here by the defiling, the searing of conscience.

It's going to get worse. I want you to see this. As our society goes that direction, it creates a vacuum. Whether we like to believe it or not, we've talked about the fact that when you're living in Sodom you will be vexed, but you can purge yourself. You can clean yourself up, but just stepping outside the door you get dirty. If you're not aware of that, the layers are going to begin to build up. You're going to become desensitized, and you're going to begin to believe lies. It's very important that we deal with that.

Richard told me today that when we decided to give an extra week during the break, that everybody clapped. I said, "How loudly do you think they would have clapped if we'd have given six more weeks? How about twelve? Let's just forget about it!" The thing that concerns me is that we identify it for what it is. You can try to put any spin you want to it, but it's flesh. The only danger is not being able to identify it as that. Doing it is not wrong, because it's not excess. All things are what? "All things are lawful," the Scripture says, "but they are not all expedient, and we're not going to be under the power of any." Once you identify it for what it is, you're safe, but anybody that tries to put another spin to it other than "we want more play time" doesn't understand what's going on. It's very important that we understand what is in man, who we are, and how we relate to the influence of the world as people that are warring against sin in our members, people that are battling against all that is taking place in a world of vexation. It is very important.

We were discussing this some in the deacon's meeting last night. One of the people said, "It's the fact that there's this week. It's just that great opportunity. You might not get another opportunity." I just kind of laughed and I said, "Yeah, you don't get another opportunity for a whole six weeks, and then there's a week off. Then another six weeks, and another week off. It's 'once in a lifetime' every six weeks that we might get this opportunity." Listen to your flesh! See it for what it is. Identify it, and then you're going to be safe.

The conscience. What is going on in our society today that's influencing us so that our consciences, our philosophies, and everything else are being deluded from pure, biblical truth? That's just a little reference point that we make in light of who we are as individuals and where we are, but we all know what's right and wrong based upon our culture, based upon the knowledge we have of the Word of God, and based upon the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Look what happens when you lie against the truth. As I said, the only dangerous thing is not identifying it, not calling it what it is. When you begin to justify and lie against the truth, you're putting yourself into this type of a scenario. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22). Whatever it is philosophically that the world promotes, that the flesh promotes, that puts itself up as "wisdom" against God's standards, makes them fools. These are a people, then, that excessively were being driven by verse 21 of this first chapter: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God...."

Look at this next part of the verse. Get hold of it, beloved. We talked about it: "...neither were thankful." You see, we're back to Father Adam, given everything but the tree in the midst of the Garden. He was given everything else. He wasn't thankful for all that he had, just bummed out about what he couldn't have. That is man. If we can cultivate thankful hearts and rejoice in the presence of God, the call of God upon our lives, and the privilege of walking in the light of the Word of God as it illuminates our steps, breathing the fragrance of the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley and resting in the still waters of God's refreshing and His presence, a people that may not possess everything that the world has but have the treasure of the presence of God, how wise we are and how safe we are.

"Neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things [all of these idols that we see]" (Romans 1:21-23). This is where we are in our society today. You and I sit back and we say, "What is wrong with these people that they can't see what's going on? How can they make these irrational decisions?" Reason has a source. "Rational" compared to the Bible, or "rational" compared to the religion of humanism? From which camp are we reasoning? Their decisions make perfect sense to them because they are god. It is foolish to us. We see the folly. We see the defiance of God, and we ask the question, "How can they do that?"

The reason is this, Beloved, and I want you to see that this is where our society is today. You can go out and protest whatever it is. Go out and protest to save the babies, and I want to tell you something. They're going to be more worried about Spotted Owls and whales. The tree-huggers are alive and well, and we scratch our heads and wonder, "What in the world can be done?" The answer is, "Nothing." We read in verse 24 that God has given them over to reprobate minds. This nation has been judged. It's not going to be judged; the nation has been judged. The full fruit has not come forth from the winepress yet, but judgment has been met not only upon this nation, but upon humanity.

"Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator" (verses 24-25). Understand that spirit that causes God to give you over. Then he injects here one of the ways to see this consequence of God giving people over. It says, "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections" (verse 26). Then it goes on and talks about "even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature" and "likewise also the men...men with men working that which is unseemly." We see this as part of our environment. The Bible says that men love to have it so.

Here we are, a people trying to keep a good, pure conscience in the midst of this, inundated, as we said Sunday, at every checkout counter, every billboard, every TV commercial, with lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life. Everything is telling you that you can have "more" and "better," and that "you deserve a break today." The worship of the creature, the exaltation of self, and the spirit of hedonism dominate this land that we live in.

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge [or in their conscience], God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. Being filled..." (verse 28-29a). That word "filled" means "absolutely presently functioning, right now, full with no more capacity" to defile the heart, the mind, or bring reproach to God. Man finds himself in that condition. Look at that. "Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death [eternal damnation], not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (verses 29-32).

We've said all that to say this. Here is the environment that we find ourselves in. Now, have a pure conscience. Don't let your conscience be defiled. How can you go to the checkout counter? How can you go to work? You sure can't turn on the TV! How do we protect ourselves in the days as it was in the days of Noah, these days of the coming of the Son of Man? Do we go to a monastery? How do we protect our children? What is a pure conscience? What is a good conscience? Is it one that has to separate itself from these pagan rituals? We have to identify them for what they are. We have to oppose them. We have to, as we remain in this world, preach the gospel to every creature. We have to go into what? The whole world. Do you notice it doesn't say come out of the world? It says, "Come out from among them." Don't be one of them, but go to them and preach the gospel. Go into all the world. It has to do with motive as to why I'm going to work and why I'm going to the market place. The good conscience understands why we're here and what our role is as ambassadors of Christ.

You're going to see that a good conscience--as we compare it in just a moment with the weak conscience, not necessarily the "defiled," or that which has been "seared," but the weak conscience--the good conscience is one that understands who we are in Jesus Christ. A good conscience is not one that's driven by traditional guilt. It's not bound by human, personal, disputable matter functions, but solely by the Word of God. In the midst of all this, it's important for us to grab the spirit of this first and second chapter of Romans.

Paul says, "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things" (Romans 2:1). Any judgment that you come up with, whatever your philosophical approach is, whatever you use as a standard of measurement to judge others, you're going to be guilty. We're all guilty. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," he goes on to tell us in this epistle. What he is saying in this second chapter is that there is going to be a certain divine judgment upon every one of us. There is absolute truth, and no man meets the standard of righteousness in and of himself or by any performance. There is only one way, and that is by faith in Jesus Christ, the acknowledging of the finished work.

Therefore, as Paul goes on and talks about our conscience, he says you have to understand something. You're always going to be guilty when you compare yourself to the law of God. If the Law is all that feeds your conscience, you're going to remain guilty, miserable, and condemned. Between you and the Accuser of the Brethren, you're going to have a bad day. But when you begin to come into faith and realize that a good and strong conscience is one that can approach boldly the throne of God through the blood of Jesus, having our conscience purged and cleaned by the blood of Jesus, and we acknowledge that regardless, I am not guilty but accepted in the beloved, I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, then we live free from a condemnation, and we allow ourselves to be affected not by condemnation, but by the process of sanctification because there's a desire now to be like Him. If I'm truly regenerated, I can no longer dwell in sin. If I'm dead to sin, then sin is dead to me. How can I live any longer therein? "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2). "God forbid," the apostle says, "that I continue to sin." The conscience is strengthened by reason of use as we now purpose to be more like Christ. The more we seek to do Christlikeness, the more habitually we walk in that process, and by reason of use we are able to discern good and evil. The more I obey the Word of God, the more my conscience is subject to the presence of God, and I realize that is truth.

The forensic evidence of the presence of God, the peace that comes from it, I know that my conscience is being purged by the peace that reigns in my heart, by the pursuit of God in my prayer, in my study. It has nothing to do with dos and don'ts. As we go on in this process, let me show you what the apostle is saying comparing the judgment of the law and the victory by faith in Jesus. Our conscience, he says, will accuse us or excuse us. Based upon what? The knowledge of God, the working of the presence of God in us.

Turn to Hebrews, and we'll finish with this for tonight. It will help you understand more clearly what I am saying. In Hebrews chapter 9, we want to look at verse 14, and at chapter 10, verse 22. Then we're going to look over at 1 Peter 3:16 and see what we can do here to button this thing down. Peter says this. Look over there for just a second. Look at 1 Peter, and then we'll go back to Hebrews. Peter says in the third chapter, verse 16, "Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation [living] in Christ." Good conscience is always accompanied by good living. This is important to see. It's by works. People will falsely accuse us of our motives. People will falsely accuse us of our actions, calling them "hate crimes." We're going to be accused for that, but when they watch our lives they see the consistency of our lives. They see the love that we have for one another. They see the love that we display toward our enemies. The coals that are heaped upon their heads deal with those that have still not been turned over to a reprobate mind.

They say all evil against us, and then they look at our response. What is it that you and I do when they say evil against us? What do we do? We count it all joy when they say all manner of evil against us for His name's sake. People don't know how to respond to that. Our conscience is not influenced by what people think--whether we're going to be accepted or not, whether this is politically correct. This nation's conscience is being reprogrammed into political correctness, and anything that doesn't adhere to that really is wrong. When we move contrary to that, we're the haters. We're the people that stand for God and speak toward the sin of homosexuality, as we saw the depravity of it in the first chapter of Romans. When you and I are there declaring the Word of God, they're saying, "This is a hate crime!" As we've shared with you, in certain parts of Europe there are six-month jail sentences for any kind of derogatory statement. I'd probably end up with a life sentence over there. Many people that have weak consciences are going to tell you, "You shouldn't say that. These people are human beings just like you. They have rights." If you even consider society's standard versus the declaration of the Word of God, then your conscience is being defiled.

It's not just about homosexuals. It's about your natural blood relatives and considering whether what you're going to do hurts their feelings, how they're going to respond to you, etc. Do you ask, "What will people think?" How about the biblical chastening of our children? How is that being accepted in society today? What does your conscience tell you about that? What does the Word of God tell you? It's important to realize that the world is going to be judging us at every juncture where we conflict with them, but verse 16 says, "Having a good conscience...." Do you know within yourself that His Word is true and every man a liar? First Timothy 1, verse 19 says, "Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck." If you let your conscience be influenced, if you walk in anything but faith, you're going to be shipwrecked. That's all there is to it. "Professing themselves wise, they've become fools," we saw.

So what about this Hebrews passage? What is it that we're looking for as the Spirit of God is talking to us about the proper conscience? Look at Hebrews chapter 9, verse 14, and we'll end with this for tonight. Hebrews chapter 9, verse 14: "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience [look at the next phrase] from dead [humanism, Pharisaism] works to serve the living God?" We're looking here at the purified conscience or the good conscience. The strong, pure conscience is one that realizes the renewing of the mind, biblical standards that are truth, and nothing traditionally or sociologically influences my determination, only the finished work of Jesus Christ. When people try to put their conscience off on me, regardless of traditional values, regardless of pharisaical principles, I have the assurance of the acceptance in the Beloved, the washing of my heart with the blood of Jesus Christ. I know that I'm in fellowship with Him and right standing with Him because of the free access of His presence.

Look over at chapter 10 in Hebrews, down at verse 22. "Let us draw near with a true heart in [what?] full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from and evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water [of the Word]. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)" (verses 22-23). Interesting. What is the context of this? It's the perpetual priesthood of the presence of God. It's not an entering in once, and then we're guilty for the rest of the year. It's knowing that the work has been accomplished. It's knowing that all things are lawful to me, that my acceptance is in the Beloved, that I am a king and a priest and that I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. I don't look for the conscience to confirm my position in Christ. My position in Christ enhances and purifies the conscience. Any time you're feeling guilty and beaten down, you're moving away from faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. You're moving back into the misappropriation of the purpose and function of the conscience. The conscience in the believer should spend more time affirming your course, because the Spirit is leading you, than it would accusing you. If you're living a life that's primarily accusatory, self-accusatory, then you're not walking in the Spirit. You're still in works. You're still in fear, and you need to experience the liberation of the blood of Jesus.

Father, we thank You for the Word of God. As we continue to understand this principle, we thank You for the Spirit that indwells us. We thank You that our conscience is constantly being strengthened and made aware of the purity of the Word of God. The good conscience is one that does not fear the Word, but says, "I love the Word of God. It is pure, holy, and just. The Word of God, my schoolmaster that led me to Christ."

There is no longer any condemnation to those of us who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. For the law of spiritual life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death, praise God! I hear a voice, but everything around me is speaking contrary to it. That voice just says, "Be at peace. You're in faith." Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. The Spirit has led you here. The Word has confirmed your decision. Why would you let anything else rob your peace?

The weak conscience: the inability to eat meat, the bondage of self-righteousness. You've heard the teaching before, don't misunderstand. We're not saying that we're free and at liberty to go out and do whatever we want. We're not. We do not have liberty. We are dead. We are slaves to righteousness. We are no longer our own. We are bought with a price, but there is no reason for you to live under condemnation. There is no reason for you to join with the enemy in self-accusation when you are walking in the spirit and not fulfilling the lust of the flesh. Not seeking it, not giving credibility to it, not tolerating sin in your presence without opposing it, you walk in that liberty free indeed. Father, bring us to that peace we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord. What do we do then, just go on out and just indulge in everything that's around? Of course not. Abstain from every appearance of evil. Flee youthful lusts, but don't think that brings you your righteousness. That's not what will strengthen us. The abstinence does not strengthen us. Faith in the finished work, the fact that we're invincible, that no one shall pluck us from His hand, is what strengthens us. I don't run from the world, afraid that it's going to suck me in and somehow all of a sudden I'm going to become this raving maniac. I'm safe in the Beloved. It is not abstaining; it's the pursuing while we're abstaining. I abstain from that so that I might pursue this: the washing of the blood of Jesus, the purifying of the water of the Word of God. My conscience is strengthened by reason of use to discern good and evil. The more I do good, the more I understand evil. The more I obey, the more I know the condition of the flesh of man. Conscience, "accusing" or "excusing," that was reference to the Gentiles. My conscience does not accuse or excuse, it confirms that I'm right in Christ.

Let's sing this together and just rejoice in His goodness. Thank You, Father. "There is none like You...." Thank Him this evening for His presence in your life. Rejoice that His goodness is known to you, that you've not despised Him, you've not rejected Him, and you've not gone the way of the world. You didn't seek Him; He sought you. Those that choose to no longer retain God in their knowledge, He turns them over, but I want to tell you something. Those of us that seek Him and desire to know Him will find Him, and He'll reveal Himself to us. "When you seek Me with all of your heart you'll find Me." It's our delight, Father. Let us taste of Your goodness. There is none like You. You're our joy, Lord, our very present help in trouble, our glory and the lifter of our heads. A people turned over and then a people purchased, called the inheritance of God, sealed in our foreheads. Sons of God, heirs and joint heirs. What a contrast to those who have accepted the love of God in Christ! Free indeed, free indeed. Thank You, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody and say, "If God is for you, who can be against you?" Go in peace. God's love go with you.

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