HOW IS YOUR CONSCIENCE?

Paul writing to his spiritual son Timothy in 1 Tim. 1:18-19 NKJV told him
This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having FAITH and a good CONSCIENCE.

Now we know faith comes by hearing (and embracing the Word of God) (Rom. 10:17) but what is the conscience??

Man is a 3 part being (body, soul, spirit) 1 Thess.5:17, we sure know what our body is, our soul many Bible teachers tell us is our mind will and emotions, (The writer to Hebrews in 12:12 NKJV puts soul and spirit together ‘For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Residing in our spirit is our conscience, that difficult thing to define within us that helps us to recognise what is good and evil.

Here Paul tells us that as a Believer we need to have a GOOD CONSCIENCE, one that has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and educated by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to help us recognise what is good or evil.

Prior to our coming to Christ, our conscience was often a “red flashing light” warning us to stop, but like so many drivers in the world, we just keep driving and ignore the red light. Paul again writing to Timothy in 1 Tim.4:2 NKJV describes a group of backsliders “having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. We know (for example) that if a hot iron was placed on say our arm, not only would it burn and scar the skin but would kill the nerves beneath so that there was no feeling in that area.

As Believers we need to have a sensitive (educated by the Word of God) conscience, so that by God’s grace we can walk in victory and purity and holiness before the Lord.

I have mentioned twice in this blog, we need our conscience educated by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, as sadly we can have a conscience “educated” by those around us in the church, I have sure struggled in this area being part of the “Holiness & Pentecostal Movements” for 70 years, I was brought up in an atmosphere of “THOU SHALL NOTS” which led me into legalism and bondage. I am not going to list all the prohibitions I carried, but to say today, there are many things I sure could do, I don’t do because I choose in the light of the Word of not to do them, not that many of those things are declared sins in the Bible, but I choose as a Believer not to do them, not because of some made made rule!!!! ok?

Now we are believers, the Holy Spirit has flooded into our spirit and we are aware of His presence and blessing and as we study and meditate on the Word of God and let the Holy Spirit lead us, as Paul writes we can constantly EXPERIENCE A GOOD CONSCIENCE amen