Concise thinking about our Conscience

Service Notes

Greg will lead the service

Dylan will preach 10 minutes from James

Tonight’s Proverb

Proverbs 28:1 “1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: But the righteous are bold as a lion.”

Introduction

Famous Painting

Dirk Willems was an Anabaptist. This was dangerous in 1569, especially in the little town of Asperen, Holland. Many of his friends there had given their lives for their faith. Dirk himself was imprisoned in a castle for the same reason.

The castle was gated and surrounded by a moat. As winter set in, however, the moat froze over. Dirk tied some rags into a rope, slid out the window, and dropped onto the ice. Quickly he crossed the moat and raced across a meadow.

Not quickly enough. A guard saw him fleeing and went after him.

As they raced across the dutch landscape, Dirk cut across a dangerous section of ice. Though he made it across, his pursuer did not. He crashed through the ice, crying out for help.

Dirk was faced with a difficult choice. Helping his pursuer could result in torture and death. Many of his fellow Anabaptists had ended their lives in just that sort of glorious martyrdom for Christ.

Dirk proved himself a disciple. "For me to live is Christ; and to die is gain." He rescued his pursuer, pulling him from the frigid waters.

The obvious question is: did the guard let him go?

Unfortunately, though the guard was willing, the Roman Catholic burgermeister (mayor) told the guard to mind his oath, and Dirk was returned to the castle. This time they were more careful, and soon after Dirk was sent to his heavenly reward by the fires of his persecutors.

We should live a life that reflects the Gospel of Christ

Phil 1:27-28 “27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.”

Gal 2:14 “14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”

Let your life be an advertisement for how valuable the gospel is. / Ever watch a commercial and have no idea what it was about. Let us not live lives like that.

One of the ways that our lives show the worth of the gospel is when the gospel makes us bold and courageous and unafraid. Phil 1:28 “28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.”

Tonight we will look at this specific aspect of how the Gospel transforms us.

Bold as Lions

Proverbs 28:1 (KJV 1900)

1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: But the righteous are bold as a lion.

There is a correlation between wickedness and fear on the one hand, and righteousness and courage on the other hand.

Doesn’t mean the wicked cannot be bold. Proverbs 14:16 “16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: But the fool rageth, and is confident.”

Nor does it mean the righteous will not battle being timid and cowardly. Boldness requires enabling by the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:31 “31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

Paul needed to remind Timothy we have been called to a new life. 2 Tim 1:7 “7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Why does the wicked flee when no man pursues?

This speaks of a confusion and fear that properly belong to the wicked, not to the godly and wise. This is both because they are under God’s displeasure and because they lack the strength and courage of the Holy Spirit.

What is the conscience?

My first thoughts about “conscience” take me to Jimeny Cricket in the Pinocchio cartoon. The Cricket talk about there are times the wrong things seem right and the right things seem wrong.

When you get in trouble and you don't know right from wrong, Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle! When you meet temptation and the urge is very strong, Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle! Not just a little squeak, Pucker up and blow. And if your whistle's weak, yell "Jiminy Cricket!"

Take the straight and narrow path And if you start to slide, Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle! And always let your conscience be your guide! And always let your conscience be your guide!

Four New Testament truths about our conscience.

Our conscience is a God-given capacity for human beings to exercise self-evaluation. Paul refers several times to his own conscience being “good” or “clear” Acts 23:1 “1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” Acts 24:16 “16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.”

The conscience is seen as a witness to something Romans 2:14-15 “14 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: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)” Romans 9:1 “1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,”

The conscience is a servant of the individual’s value system. An immature or weak value system produces a weak conscience, while a fully informed value system produces a strong sense of right and wrong. Romans 14:5 “5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”

A conscience that is “seared” or rendered insensitive as though it had been cauterized with a hot iron. 1 Tim 4:1-2 “1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;” Eph 4:19 “19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

Example of an unclear conscience causing a man to flee

Genesis 3:8 “8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”

We find Adam afraid of the presence of God. Genesis 3:9 -10 “9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

Tell-Tale Heart

True! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses — not destroyed — not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily — how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

Never before did Adam have to flee at the arrival of God.

Adam now he flees when no one is pursuing. Why? Because his conscience condemns him and he hears this condemnation in every breeze that blows and every creak in the door and every whistle on the field; he sees it in every shadow and every flashing light; and he feels it in the presence of God.

Woe to the wicked who cease to hear the footsteps of God in the garden.

Thatcher and Ben Mize speaking about how humans were different than animals and why that allowed them to be the best long distance runners. Humans have a conscience. They carry guilt and shame for doing wrong regardless if they have read in a book or been taught what they are doing is wrong.

“The proverb implies that the wicked, prompted by a guilty conscience or a fear of judgment, become fearful and suspicious of everyone.” (Ross)

But the righteous

In contrast to the wicked, the righteous are bold. God’s righteous ones stand even when one comes against them, and with God’s strength they are bold as a lion.

What we need to know about lions: Proverbs 30:30 “30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, And turneth not away for any;”

David speaks of the blessing of the heart to the righteous

The righteous are blessed. Psalm 32:1-2 “1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile.”

In what ways are we blessed. Psalm 32:10-11 “10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: But he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”

Our imputed righteousness makes us free from fear.

Hebrews 10:22 “22 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.”

Our hearts no longer condemn us. 1 John 3:21 “21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”

They are right with God, because of his grace, not because of their merit. And our boldness with God and with men shows the worth and the value of the gospel. Hebrews 4:2 “2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

How will we stand bold with a clear conscience.

1 Peter 3:14–16 (KJV 1900)

14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

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 in Christ.

Respond to reviling with gentleness and fear of God.

Return good for evil. 1 Peter 3:9 “9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”

Respond with fear, not man but God. 1 Peter 3:15 “15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

it is not the fear of man that motivates but the strong desire/ fear to properly represent the reason of hope we have been given.

We have been bought with the greatest of price. 1 Peter 1:17-19 “17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Have a good conscience.

We do this by being gentle and fearing the bringing reproach to the name of Christ.

Friday night we had a Blameless Night. We saw that our life should be lived before God.

Our following Christ changes our lives and allows us to live blameless among another and this world.

Be not afraid, neither troubled.

Not just a matter before others. It is a matter of the death and resurrection of Christ.

1 Peter 3:21 “21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

Peter exhorted them to have the courage to commit themselves to a course of action by taking a public stand for Christ through baptism

The act of public baptism would “save” them from the temptation to sacrifice their good consciences in order to avoid persecution.

For a first-century Christian, baptism meant he was following through on his commitment to Christ, regardless of the consequences

Baptism publicly associated them with the resurrection of Christ.

The blood of Christ that purges our conscience.

Question: When your conscience rises up and condemns you, where will you turn?

Answer: Turn to the blood of Christ. Turn to the only cleansing agent in the universe that can give you relief in life, and peace in death.

Hebrews 9:14 “14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

The Gospel allows our gentle response. Our gentle response demonstrates that we live in the fear of God and not man. This is the definition of living with a clear conscience.

Look at where David turned. This is the only place and way to turn away from our sin and find forgiveness.

Psalm 51 (KJV 1900)

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: And my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, And done this evil in thy sight: That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, And be clear when thou judgest.

5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou delightest not in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: Build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: Then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.