A Clean Conscience

Open Your Bibles to Romans 13.... We have been considering the first 5 verses in Romans thirteen the last few weeks and this morning we will narrow our focus into just one. Verse 5…

Lets read our text for today Verse 5… Romans 13:5

Romans 13:5 ESV

Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

Last week I said that there is a time to resist the governing atuhroites, but not to rebel. Because rebellion in the scriptures is often times condemned. The majority of time you see the word “rebellion” in the Bible it is in a negative context as rebellion against God himself.

Rebellion is the idea of rising up to stand against governing authroitites, as an enemy. To take authority that isn’t yours. This happens regularly in each sphere… This is a child rebelling against parents in the home( I know better than them), a church member rebelling against the Elders of a church through slander, or citizens in rebellion against the state. All of it, condemned by the scriptures.

But as I thought about this after Sunday, which I hope you do too. I hope you listen to the sermon and chew on it as you leave here and ask questions of the text... As I did that, in my mind was formed a question: what then am I to make of the reformation when the authority of the Catholic Church was gone up against by Luther and the new found protestants and a new denomination was made which disregarded the Catholic Church as a singular ruling authority; What am I to make of the American revolution? When members under one government rose up and went against their government in order to create a new one? How am I to think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the conspiracy party against Hitler?

Weren’t these all known as a rebellion? or a Revolution? or as Revolt?

So, I got to work studying through this and it led me to dig deeper into the life of Dietrich Bonhoffer. Bonhoeffer was a solid and brilliant Christian man who lived in Nazi German as a german citizen and pastor during the time of Hitler… More on that later. But my study led me to consider verse 5 in particular. The answer was there in front of my face…

One must be in subjection to governing authorities, not only to avoid God’s wrath, meaning not just to be a law abiding citizen. And if you glance back at verse four, this means fearing the government so that you don’t get a speeding ticket or a violation of some kind. We subject ourselves to the law for those reasons, but there is one deeper yet. And it deals with the conscience.

So, what is the conscience? The conscience is a part of your God given spirit. Titus 1:15 tells us that the mind is separate of the conscience, so the conscience is not simply where you think. It is where you judge right and wrong. The conscience is that part of your spirit that either condemns or clears you not only in your own head but with God himself

Romans 2:14–16 ESV

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

This text tells us that everyone, everyone, has the law of God written on their hearts. Conscience bears witness to this. There are some really good people out there that do not know Jesus… They will not be saved because they haven’t come to Christ, but they have obeyed the commond grace of the conscience that God has given them and shown themselves to be a “decent human being”.

However, 1 Timothy 4 tells us that consciences can be seared. Meaning, we have the ability to tell our conscience to go kick rocks… We have the abilty to disobey our consciene and choose wrong instead of right. And when done multiple times you form a habit that eventually creates a law your body follows.

Because of our sin nature, all of us would often rather say no to our conscience. When youre going 70 in a 55 and pass a speed limit sign don’t fool yourself, your eyes see it. Your brain just ignores it because it thinks its ok. Naturally, We don’t like self control, we don’t like selflessness, etc. This is where discipline, the christian paidea we talked about not too long ago helps develop the conscience of a child so they know right from wrong. Left without correcting they are simply left to fend for themselves, and their flesh will become their law… Meaning, their standard of judgment will be sinful rather than just and righteous. If noone ever tells them lying is wrong, and disciplines them for it to develop the conscience, they will continue lying.

But with the word conscience in the scripture you find the idea of a clean conscience. Paul said in Acts 24:16

Acts 24:16 ESV

So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

Why is it importatnt for us to have a clear conscience? Well, I have already told you through Romans 2... Because God will judge them. To disobey your conscience is sinful. This is a topic in 1 Corinthians and the later part of Romans. But we will have to move on…

Paul admonishes Timothy to wage the good warfare with a clean conscience. Peter commands us to appeal to God for a good conscience. But how does one get a good consceious? Well I am glad you asked…

Hebrews 10:19-25… It is right there in your bulletin.. Because of the blood of Christ, through the blood of Christ, in the name of the ressurection power of the Lord Jesus Christ who reigns and rules over the living and the dead, we have our evil consciences sprinkled clean and purified…

A clear conscience comes with benefits… we can draw near to the throne of God in full assurance of faith! You can come to God himself, knowing you have a good relationship with the creator and sustainer of your life, through the blood fo Christ. And through His blood, you can say, “I have a clean conscienous, no condemnation here”.... You know in your conscience, one might say the deepest part of your mind, that your sin is forgiven, and your mind has been freed of your guilt and shame through the grace of Jesus.

Our conscience condmens or clears us. Both in this life, and will clear of condemn us on the day of judgment.

However, why does Paul say to be subject to the governing authorties for the sake of conscience. Again, this goes along with what is right and what is wrong… The obedience of a Christ follower to this command shows love of God and neighbor…To obey because he knows best and you love him…Respecting governing authroities, and honoring them, and submitting to them rather than spit ting on their name, thinking poorly of, and rebelking against them demonstrates a love for Jesus. In the normal everyday life Submitting to the government and paying taxes, praying for them etc is shwoing the love of Christ, while tearing them down and holding them as an enemy etc, is not.

Here is a principle I want you to take away today....

Our respect for the authority put over us is a reflection of our fear of God.

We mentioned Daniel last week, so this week let’s talk about David this week. Turn with me to 1 Samuel 24…

Just some back story, a man named Saul is chosen as King over Israel. Israel wasn’t supposed ot have a king, but hey, the complainers complained enough and God gave them what they wanted saying, this won’t fix your problems either…

Saul was a big burly manly man… gun toting, crossfit attending, loud truck driving dude...yet Saul was a coward. Not nessecarily when it comes to war but when it comes to integrity. Because of this the Lord rejects Saul in 1 Samuel 15… and quickly the next chapter the Lord anoints David as King. Even when David has not even killed Goliath yet. We know from the scriptures, David won’t become king over Israel for another 20 years… however, the storyline is thus, after David is chosen and kills Goliath he wins favor with the people and with Saul’s family, Saul becomes jealous of David. So much so that he seeks to kill him a number of times. David goes on the run, does not fight back, but runs from Saul. Now there comes a time in 1 Samuel 24 where we see David’s heart in his understanding of authority…

Saul goes into a cave to relax on his way back from a long days hike. It just so happened he unknowingly chose the cave where david and his men were. look at verse 4…

1 Samuel 24:4–15 (ESV)

And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ ” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.

Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”

Who was the Lords annointed here? According to the prior passages it wasn’t Saul. David, in God’s eyes had every right to kill saul. And yet, the situation was flipped around. Saul was seeking to kill the Lord’s annointed… Which is sinful! David was King in the eyes of God. Yet, David didn’t know that. It wasn’t official yet. His conscience knew the Saul was annointed and for him to disobey his conscience would be sinful, and rebellion against God. Yet, his conscience is clear. Let the lord judge, he says and avenge me. I’m not going to rise up against you, but God will… You see, a clean conscience needs no mercy. David feared God. His reverence for Saul is a direct reflection of that. He revered the holiness of the Lord, he loved God. And knew his standing with God was righteous and sought to keep it that way....

Now there is a second principles I want you to take away. This helps guide my inquiring mind about how to handle things like the american revoltuion and such…

If there were ever a time where an authority must be overruled it must be done through a clean conscious governed by the laws of God.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was a brilliant and Godfearing man born in 1906 in Germany. He grauated with his doctrate from berlin university at the age of 21 in 1927. Four years later he would be ordained as a lutheran pastor serving two congregations. Three years after that Bonhoeffer would become a leader in a group of pastors that were against the state church of Germany run by the nazi government. They would eventually become their own denomination.

Dietrich stood opposed to socialism in a number of ways but was never completely public about his opposition of the nazi party. It wasn’t clear outwardly, but inwardly, a storm of resistance brewed.

In 1940 he officially joined a conspirating resistance that had been formed and been planningthe assasination of Hitler for some time. Bonehoffer did not see what they were planning as rebellion, but as I said last week, resistence. Eric Mettexas’ book on Bonhoeffer helps show that his steps towards political resistance was not through some rebellious detour, he wasn’t a guy flexing his muscles showing how tough he was or trying to save Germany…

Bonehoffer believed that merely speaking the truth smacked of cheap grace. Bonehoffer’s best friend and closest disciple notes,

“Merely confessing with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, that government was a sword of God for the good of the people, that Christians are free to resist evil, and that what Hitler was doing was evil; Just confessing it to one another that the evil being done was wrong, without action, meant they were complicit with the murders...”

Bonhoeffer believed, as do I,

“Every Christian must bring God into his whole life, not merely into some “spiritual” realm. To be an ethreal(a light, or simply poetic) figure who merely talked about God, but somehow refused to get his hands dirty in the real world in which God has placed him, was bad theology”.

God moved Bonehoffer to take part in a conspiracy against hitler. This involved men who were very close to Hitler and worked with him. This group would attempt to kill hitler not just once, but five differnt times. They had planned to set someone else up in that place, and had even picked the person to take the leadership place.

One day bonhoffer was asked by a high commanding officer in hitlers ranks… “Shall I shoot? I can get in his headquarters with my revolver. I know here and when the conferences take place. I can get access”. Bonhoffer responded to him about logisitcs, working things out clearly and wisely, rather than brashly etc… But the man kept pressing, should I, Shall I, may I???

Bonhoffer answered that he could not make that decision for him. That he would have to take that up with him and himself alone. There was guilt if the situation was taken in a light hearted way. There was guilt, but Bonhoeffer knew in his conscieous, this was right.

What do we make of a well educated, noble familied, pastor, taking part in a conspiracy to assasinate the highest leader of the government? He was courageous, and willing to do what was right no matter the cost.

But the decison to resist was not “lets take this matter into our own hands for the sake of power”, it was not frivolous, was not showy, was not rebel rousing… It was quite, contained, careful, and God fearing… IN the end, Bonehoffer, would be caught, arrested, and shot with three other members of the resistence nearly 80 years ago on April 23rd, 1945… Just one week before hitler himself committed suicide.

Now, why do I tell you this? I use the example of Bonhoeffer because sometimes there is a need for resistance against governing authoritues at a grand level. Yet, the only justification for doing so is rooted in the fear of God almighty, and the conscience guided by the purification of the blood of Christ. Under these pretences we cannot call it rebellion, but resitence for the Glory of God and the good of His people.

Christ is Lord... does your conscience bear witness to this? Can you say, my life is built on the solid rock of Christ and that all of my life is surrendured to him? Can you say your conscience is clean and your sin forgiven? Can you say, the Lord is my shepherd, I seek not to move without him.... My friends, make Christ Lord today, be purified in the grace of God. Start walking with him today in righteousness. Chrsit gave up his life, his entire boyd for yours… Let us therefore live all of life, to all of Christ. If you need to know what it means to do this, please do not hesitate, stop me, call me, text me, do something… Repent and be baptized, for our days apart from judgment are shorter than we think.