LOVE IS THE NEW COMMANDMENT (2) – THE GIFT OF CONSCIENCE

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book of Mark 12:28-34; Heb 4:11-16; Rom 1:1-16.

LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENT OF ALL (Mark 12:24-34)

A religious scribe came to ask Jesus a question. This happens at the end of a discussion between Jesus and the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection. They wanted to trap our Lord, but God can never be trapped. Jesus said to them: “Is this not why you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures [that teach the resurrection] nor the power of God [who is able to raise the dead]?” (Mk 12:24; AMP). Our Lord clearly rebukes their ignorance of the Word of God. They did not believe in the power of resurrection. In the midst of all these deceived people, a wise man stands. He says: “Which is the first commandment of all?” The word ‘first’ means ‘the principal, the chief, the greatest, the most important commandment of all’. Jesus answers him saying: “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment”. This are direct quotes from the Books of Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and Leviticus 19:18. Lesson: our Lord quotes from the Old Testament. This is a reminder that the Bible is one Book!

Moses told the people of Israel that in the Promised Land, they should obey God’s commands. They will fear God and hate sin. Their obedience will be rewarded with a long, fruitful, and prosperous life. “Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut 6:1-8). It is the duty of the parents to teach their children God’s laws. Moses says that God’s commands should be written on their hand, forehead, on their doorposts and gates.

First, Jesus says that God is One! All other religions have many idols. Each little god has his own commands to obey. Lesson: it is impossible to be a faithful pagan. Jesus tells them that God is only One and His Word is in the Bible! Christianity is simple! Love is simple! According to our Lord, who is God Himself, LOVE is the most important command of all. “God is Love” (1 Jn 4:8). What God expects is not some religion, but genuine spiritual sacrificial Love, for Him and for other people. The principle of Love as a command is now introduced by our Lord. To be fulfilled, the Ten Commandments direct us to LOVE! What is this particular command? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” God says that they should love Him with all their being, body, soul, and spirit. Then Moses says: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.” In other words, the commands are not just some religious activities. They must be obeyed first in the heart. They are spiritual laws. But what happened? Most of Jews obeyed the commands only outwardly. They became very religious, busy with ceremonies in the temple. Most male Jews, even today, when they go for prayers, carry God’s commands in a little black box on their foreheads, called Phylacteries. They write God’s commands on leather strips and wrap them on their arms. They also write God’s commands in a little metal box called Mezuzah and nail it to the doors or their gates. Each time they come home they touch it. They pay the price to teach their children God’s commands. These activities they do habitually, even without thinking about God. They are spiritually detached from God’s Word. This religious behavior leads to pride and hypocrisy. These are the people who resisted Jesus and eventually condemned Him to death.

Jesus then added the second command: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. This is a quote from the Book of Leviticus 19:18. “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the Lord. ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Lev 19:11-18). God commands His people, that for His sake, they should be kind and generous with one another. God forbids stealing, lying, cheating, slander, grudging, and gossip. In other words, God commands that you should not hurt or exploit anyone. God positively commands that His people should love their neighbors as themselves. Since then, the Jews obeyed even this command, but only partially. What they understand by the word ‘neighbor’ is a fellow Jew. As in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, they did not regard a Gentile Samaritan as ‘neighbor’. They hated the Gentiles. But Jesus says that any human being in need is a neighbor who is to be loved and helped (Lk 10:29-37). Lesson: It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that a man can obey God’s command to love God and to love his neighbor! Selah!

We see that LOVE is now the new commandment that fulfills the Ten Commandants. Jesus quotes two different verses from the Old Testament. He did not add anything new to God’s written Word. What is new is that for the first time in the history of mankind, our Lord combines these two verses together. He commands us to love God first and love men second. This is brilliant. Love applies to God first, because He is our creator and God. The result is that God’s love helps us to love ourselves. From the overflow of that love, we now extend it to other people. This is always the correct order: God-you-neighbor! You cannot love people without loving God first. And you cannot love others if you hate yourself. True worship is not just some religious activity. It manifests especially in loving humanity. Here you see that true religion is deeply personal. It is not just some ceremonies in the church. It touches the heart. It makes men to be better men. Unbelievers cannot love God or man. All children of God love their families and neighbors. Lovers are leaders! They change their environment for better! Love is the mark of a true believer. God’s commands are beyond our ability, but if you are willing to obey, God gives you the ability! No more excuses! Selah!

The religious Pharisees have complicated God’s Law with many of their own smaller laws. I read that they added 613 additional laws to the Ten Commandments. Clearly, no man could obey all of these. The ordinary men became confused. “God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor 14:33). Lesson: In the church, there must be submission and beautiful order. The word confusion means disorder or disturbance. This happens when people are rebellious, proud. They all want to be leaders. They talk at the same time. The church is not a noisy restless crowd. It is like an army where everyone knows his position, submitting one to another in love. This scribe was not supposed to be confused because he was a Pharisee. But he too felt that their laws were too oppressive to the common men. His conscience worried him. See the power of a good conscience! The religious rulers gave the impression that God is a tyrant, a bully, or an oppressor. And this was a lie. Jesus simplified the Law. He introduced the simple commandment of love. It was easy to understand, remember and practice. Love is the primary motive in our relationship with God with men. The commandment of love destroyed the stronghold of religious oppression. That is one reason why the religious rulers hated Jesus and wanted Him dead. It is because He removed their authority in interpreting the law. Selah!

The scribe answered ‘wisely’. He said that Love is greater than all the outward religious ceremonies. He saw the priority and power of love. Jesus was impressed with his answer. He said: “You and not far from the Kingdom of God”. By these words, Jesus now displays love towards him. He gives him the encouragement and the warning of Love! Clearly, Jesus compliments him. Why? Because the man is honest. He spoke his mind. His conscience bothered him and he wanted help. He was not a hypocrite like the majority of the Pharisees. He had the courage to separate himself from their wickedness against Jesus. Many people are too cowards to be honest before Jesus. But this man spoke the truth. Love loves truth! He did not try to trap Jesus in His words like his colleagues. He wanted to know the truth. He was an intelligent man who clearly studied the Word of God. Lesson: any time you see a truly intelligent and honest man, that man will end knowing the only living God. Jesus told him he is ‘not far from the Kingdom.’ That means some people are closer than others from the narrow gate. Like this man, they need to first seek God’s Kingdom and pay the price to enter. They need to repent of sins and surrender to Christ, who is the King of the kingdom. Jesus’ answer is a compliment. It is also a warning. Because a man can die one step away from the gate of heaven. To be almost saved, is to be unsaved. We don’t know if this man became saved or not. But face to face with Jesus, with the King of God’s kingdom, he heard the truth that alone sets free.

Lesson: Many people go to church, seem very committed to religious activities, but are not born again. Many people have postponed entering eternal life, even to their dying hour. This is a warning for all of us, not to postpone giving our lives to Jesus. Because tomorrow is not promised to any man. I pray that you make peace with God today, until you have the assurance of your salvation. It is possible to waste the grace of God. It is possible to go to church, listen to sermons about the grace of God, sing songs about it, and still, not appropriate it in your spirit. “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:1, 2). There is an acceptable time and a day of salvation. That day is today! It is right now! There is a danger of hearing truth and not acting on it. The heart will become hardened. Unbelief is a stronghold. Postponing becomes a spiritual habit. Truth not acted upon starts to fade away from the memory.

GOD’S WORD IS YOUR SURGEON, JUDGE, PRIEST, AND KING

“Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness]. For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account. Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior]. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. Therefore, let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment]” (Heb 4:11-16; AMP). We are warned against the sin of disobedience to God’s Word. There is no mercy for the unrepentant rebellious sinner. The punishment is that they cannot enter the rest of God. The punishment manifests as slavery to anxiety. Work on earth is never satisfying. That promised rest is found only in Christ, who is also the Living Word of God. You see here that God’s Word is a Person. Only a Person is alive and active. God’s Word enters into man thru his ears and works inside. He works as a surgeon. He judges your thoughts and motives as a judge in his court room. Nobody can stop God’s Word. There is no shield to block it. It is sharp like a double-edged sword used in battle. The Word does a unique, vital, delicate surgery. It separates the soul and the spirit. Nobody else can do this work! Man is a spirit (like God), has a soul and lives in a body. Man is like an egg: The shell is the body, the white is the soul, and the yellow yoke is the spirit. The spirit has the greatest value because it is made from the same ‘material’ as God. It is in the yoke that the seed is. The soul is the personality of the individual man. Next to the human spirit, the soul has value. Lastly, the cheapest of all is the body, made originally from dust. For your information, how much is your dust worth? The human body is made mostly from oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. The total price for these elements in a corpse is about 5$ (4000 Naira)!!!

The soul is made of three parts: mind (capacity to think rationally), emotions (capacity to feel love, hatred, etc) and the will (capacity to decide, to make choices). At a deeper level than the soul is the human spirit, also divided into three parts: intuition (the spiritual capacity to know something without any evidence or help from the mind), communion (the center that connects with the Holy Spirit and helps us to worship God) and the conscience (the center of knowing what is right and what is wrong). (To remember easier the soul is MEW and the spirit is ICC). “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen 2:7). Man is a combination of dust and God’s Spirit. God made man from cheap material available on earth. He did not use gold or diamonds to make our bodies. He used dust as Potter uses clay to make beautiful pots. The fragile body is a reminder that God created us humble. To live, we must depend on God. At the end of life, the body goes back to dust. The expensive part of man is the spirit and the soul which are formed thru God’s Breath or Spirit. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2 Cor 4:7-10).

Lesson: The weakness of the body reminds us of death. Jesus died for us. We died with Him. The power we have, the expensive treasure, is located in our spirit. We look fragile but we are strong. The enemy thinks that he can kill us anytime. We suffer painful trials. We not only survive, but we also become stronger in faith, more like Jesus. God’s child is a mystery the world does not understand and cannot defeat! Selah!

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So, God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth… Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So, the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Gen 1:26-28, 31). Originally, the spirit of man, which alone connects with God’s Spirit, was leading him. Intuition told Adam and Eve what to know about God, about life in general. It made them spiritually intelligent and wise. The center of communion helped Adam to always worship God, to love His voice, and His Word. Conscience was the leader in making all decisions. Therefore, the spirit led the soul. The mind, emotions and the will were totally under the leadership of the spirit. The will decided only led by intuition and conscience. The body cooperated with the soul and spirit. It was the perfect God’s design for man on earth. God declared that the creation of man was ‘very good’. To this man God gave His blessing. He gave Adam the power to rule and multiply. Adam and Eve had authority over all the animals including the snake in the Garden. The devil used the snake to tempt Eve. She was not supposed to submit to the counsel of the snake. Why? Because she was in charge. The snake was to be her servant, and not her master. The only person she was to submit to, was God and her husband. By taking the advice from a lower created being, she lowered herself too much. This is sinful, slavery, and false humility. In this way, she submitted to the devil. Adam joined her in her deception. This is called ‘the original sin’. It affected all humanity. God judged them. The snake was cursed to forever stay in the dust.

When sin entered, God’s perfect arrangement in man was damaged. Man still carries the image of God, but that image is broken. In his sinful state, man’s spirit is so weak that it cannot control the soul anymore. The conscience works but it is not perfect as before. The soul was to be under the control of the spirit. The spirit was the king of the castle, the soul was to be the personal servant, and the body was the worker. Now, the soul has rebelled. The personal servant locked the king in his chambers and took control over the workers. Sinful man is now ruled by his own mind, emotions and will. The body obeys the soul and commits sin. The spirit’s voice, the royal conscience, is almost silent, but it still whispers within. What is the solution? The Son of God became Man. He died for sinners, to save their souls. He gave sinners life in their dying spirit. The spirit now rules the soul and the body as it was in the beginning. To be born again is not just some religious decision. God’s Spirit activates the human spirit. Man was dead in sin. He is now made alive again. A child of God needs to learn how to walk led by God’s Spirit. This is a walk of faith led by God’s Word. Every step forward strengthens the conscience, helping the will to make godly decisions. Walk like Jesus!

The Word of God is the only power that can separate the soul and the spirit. The soul has lost the power to silence or manipulate the spirit. The spirit-king now rules in his domain. The Word of God judges all thoughts and decisions thru the conscience. In case you disobey God’s commands, the Word and your conscience will judge you. You must repent. Go to the High Priest, Jesus Christ. He will meet with you at the throne of mercy and grace. He will forgive and cleanse you again. Then you move on doing exploits for Jesus, the Living Word! Halleluiah!    

THE GIFT OF CONSCIENCE (Romans 2:1-16)

Apostle Paul writes here about God’s judgment. It is based on God’s Law. Before Christ, the Jews alone knew the Law. But they took it for granted that just by knowing the Law, they will be free from God’s judgment. But Law must be obeyed. They will be judged according to their knowledge. Lesson: We must be doers of God’s Word and not just hearers. The Gentiles (the non-Jews, people like us) do not know the Law. They are ‘a law to themselves’. What does that mean? God will judge us according to our conscience. Our conscience is now our Judge. Selah!

The word conscience in Latin means ‘science (or knowledge) with somebody’. Conscience helps us to know God and ourselves. Conscience is an inbuilt spiritual sense of knowing what is good and what is bad. It affects the soul of man (his mind, emotions and will). Conscience has also been described as an internal court of law. There is a judge, a guilty person, lawyers, witnesses, and the jury. This internal drama is on and helps us to obey God’s moral laws. Even if the voice of the conscience is silenced for years, it cannot be totally stopped. One day, suddenly, the conscience comes out from its prison and shouts even more. Like God, conscience cannot be bribed or manipulated to change her stand. You either make her your friend or it becomes your enemy. If the conscience is obeyed, peace is restored to the mind. If the warnings of conscience are ignored, the pain of guilt manifests as: anxiety, loss/increase in appetite, losing or gaining weight, sleeplessness, stomach pains, indigestion, being moody or oversensitive, inferiority complex, feeling overwhelmed by life, fear of the future and fear of death, suicidal thoughts. Selah!

Conscience is part of a man’s spirit. The soul of man is made of three parts: the Mind, the Emotions, and the Will. With our soul we think, feel, and make decisions. Inside the soul, there is the spirit. Man’s spirit is also made of three parts: The conscience, intuition, and communion. The center of intuition helps me to know the truth deep within, even without thinking about it. For example, I meet a man. I suddenly ‘know’ that he is an evil man. I can’t prove it, I don’t understand it, but I ‘know’ it. The center of communion is the place that connects with God and helps me to worship God in spirit. Conscience is the center that tells me what is right and what is wrong. We are told that God judges the unbelievers according to their conscience. Even for the Christians, the conscience is a great monitor. Inside your heart you have God’s Law, and God’s Love. These two directly connect with your conscience and faith. “The purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (1Tim 1:5). A good conscience helps you to love God and man. It also increases your faith.

The conscience is a gift from God. It helps man to know the difference between God and the devil, between good and bad and make decisions of moral conduct. Conscience is the greatest protection we have against hypocrisy. Conscience will argue with you when you don’t practice what you know, or what you preach. The conscience warns you when you only study God’s Word theoretically without applying it in daily living. There is no way you can win the battle against your conscience. She will speak and warn you to your grave. This is the greatest lesson: listen and obey your conscience. Never fight your conscience! Obey it! Then you will have peace! Selah!

There are different types of consciences:

*Good, pure conscience, without offence towards God and man.

The believers hold “the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience” (1 Tim 3:9). “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 9:1). “Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Ac 23:1). “I confess to you, that according to the Way which 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 men” (Ac 24:14-16). The words ‘without offence’ mean a clear, blameless conscience, free from any unrepented sin or guilt. Paul says that in the presence of the Holy Spirit, his conscience bears him witness that he is not a liar. His conscience does not condemn or trouble him. He does not feel guilty. He has peace! His conscience is like a cup that is not damaged. In it, he holds faith, hope, and love.  

*Weak, defiled, easily wounded conscience.

“Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. However, 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. 9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble” (1 Cor 8:4-13). Love is sensitive not to hurt another man’s conscience. The weak Christian is afraid of idols. If you are a mature believer and you are not afraid to eat food dedicated to idols. That is good. But please be careful! A baby Christian may try to imitate you, but his conscience is weak and will worry him. Love thinks of others and not only of itself. Lesson: For the sake of love, I limit my freedom so that a weaker brother will not fall into sin. Love always thinks of others! “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work” (Tit 1:15, 16).

*Seared conscience

“Now, the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Tim 4:1-3). “A bad conscience is a snake in your heart” (Jewish proverb). A seared conscience is the worst type. In the past, doctors used hot metal to burn the flesh to stop bleeding. This process is called cauterization. The blessing stops but the scar destroys the sensation of feeling. In the same way, a seared conscience has no feeling; it is paralyzed and useless. The sinner does not feel guilty when he commits sin. This is a very dangerous situation. If you resist your conscience for a long time, you can damage it beyond repair. Not only that the conscience does not tell you the truth, but it will now advise you to commit sin and you don’t feel repentant. This process happens through deception of lying demons, using false teachers who preach wrong doctrines. Even the Christians can be affected. They ‘depart from faith’ and backslide. It affects the desire to have a happy marriage. It influences the choice of food. Many strict diets are the result of such lies. To make progress in life, there is a need for spiritual warfare. Paul says: “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1 Tim 1:18-20). Ignoring the voice of conscience damages your faith and testimony as a Christian. Be careful to live with a clean conscience before God and man! That is power! Amen!

Another function of the conscience is to remind man of the last judgment. The pain of a wounded conscience, of remorse or godly sorrow, is the greatest pain of all. The reason why men fear death it is because they already feel the pain of the conscience convicting them of sin. It is said that the greatest things that makes a man know that God exists is when he sees the stars in the night sky and when he discovers that he has a conscience. When a man obeys God’s Law, his conscience is happy. The man feels the presence of God around him. When man disobeys God’s Law, he not only feels the voice of his conscience convicting him of sin, by he feels God is angry with him. The connection between conscience and God’s voice has been observed for ages. The great crisis in life happens when man has to decide the path to move on. The will stands at the junction. There are two options. One according to God’s will, obeying His Law. The other is to disobey God and His Law. Conscience advice and warns the will to take the path of obedience. Often, to obey God and conscience, is totally different than what man likes in his fleshly nature. It may also be different than the opinion of friends and family. But the will of God must be done. That is the only way to please the conscience and have peace. Many of the martyrs chose to die than to disobey their conscience. The saints of old said that when the Holy Spirit convicts a sinner of his sin, He uses the conscience to bring the fear of death. This leads to repentance, confession or sin and salvation.

In the Old Testament, the word ‘conscience’ does not appear. But the actions of the conscience working are there. For example, when Adam and Eve sinned, they hear God’s voice. Their guilty conscience makes them afraid of God and they hide behind the trees. “Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Gen 3:9,10). All the murderers like Cain, King Saul, King Ahab, King Herod, and even Judas, felt the pangs of a guilty conscience but they chose to suppress it even unto death. For example, when news about Jesus doing miracles came to Herod, he said that Jesus is John the Baptist. Why? Because he killed John trying to please a dancing girl and his guests (Mk 6:14;29). He liked John and regretted killing him. His conscience terrorized him to the hour of his death. But he died unrepentant. This is a horror story and a warning for all!

Conscience is a delicate instrument that must be respected. Church leaders have been guilty of trying to tamper with men’s conscience. The manipulation of conscience can be a destructive force within the Christian community. We should not tamper with our own conscience or the conscience of others. To make people feel guilty using man’s laws in the church is sin. This false guilt is a great burden on many. For example, telling people that not paying tithes, they will go to hell, that is sin. On the other hand, keeping quiet when men commit adultery, giving them false peace, that is also sin. “It is the nature of all hypocrites and false prophets to create a conscience where there is none, and to cause conscience to disappear where it does exist” (M. Luther). The pastor must preach God’s Word without fear or favor. He must be sensitive to the presence of God and his own conscience. He must keep a reasonable social distance between himself and the people he leads. This is to avoid emotional manipulation that damages people’s conscience. A damaged conscience destroys the power to love God and man. Our Lord has warned us of the rise of sin in the last days. “Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt 24:11-14). Lawlessness damages the conscience. Love then grows cold.

Who had a guilty conscience? Adam and Eve, Jacob when he cheated on Esau, Joseph’s brothers. David had a guilty conscience when cut Saul’s robe, when he killed Uriah and when he numbered Israel. Peter felt guilty when he denied Jesus. A guilty conscience is hell on earth and points to hell beyond. It is a heavy burden. A man with a guilty conscience is lonely. He has no true friends. He is always hiding. Until we deal with our sin, the conscience will still fight you. How do you feel when you don’t pray for one full day? Or when you use vulgar words? Or when the bank officer gives you more money than he was supposed to give you and you keep silent? Jesus convicted the accusers of the woman by their conscience. They all dropped the stones and went away (Jn 8:9-11).

In the US there is a Conscience Fund. People who feel guilty for cheating the US government of taxes can go to any post office and pay there. The fund was created in 1811 and received US$5 during its first year and over US$5.7million since then. At Niagara Falls there is a place called redemption point. If you swim past that point, you will die. In 1883, an English man called Matthew Webb, a champion swimmer, tried to beat that point. He drowned in the waters. Be careful to obey your conscience! God speaks thru it! “God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? He removes the mountains, and they do not know when He overturns them in His anger” (Job 9:4, 5). “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (PV 29:1).

How to repair the conscience? Go to Jesus! It is His gift to you! Repent! Confess your sins to God and man. Conscience can be repaired and trained only by God’s Word. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb 10:22). “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb 9:13, 14). Love helps you clear your conscience. Love rejoices with the truth! A good conscience is a soft pillow. It is a continuous heart feast. “having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed” (1Pet 3:16). Your conscience should have a loud voice to warn you! No sleeping tablet replaces a clean conscience.  Pray with David: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness, according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Ps 51:1, 2).

Finally, let Martin Luther speak to us. This was Luther’s defense of his writings at the Diet of Worms in 1521. When accused of blasphemy against the Pope and King, he said: “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason-I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other-my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen!” Worship the Lord!