Sermon 082398

1Tim. 1:5-6                                  Love From A Good Conscience                   8/23/98

Series 24.4                                                                                                                          ABCC

I.    Introduction                                                                                                                      634

q      The great plan of redemption is for man to love God & his neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40)

q      This is likewise the goal of the scriptures & teaching of the scriptures (v. 5a) – self-denying & sacrificial relationships

q      Love must come from a pure heart – the scriptures/teaching must address the heart

q      Love must come from a good conscience - the scriptures …must address the conscience

II.    Understanding the Conscience

A.     Definition – to know in common with or together with; to understand along with

“An inner witness that testifies on the rightness or wrongness of one’s actions or motives…ISBE”  The conscience is where you agree with or disagree with yourself (Rom. 2:14-15).  It will agree with you & assure that you are right in what you are thinking or doing; or it will disagree with you & tell you that you are wrong – accuse of defend!

B.      The conscience has a wide range of conditions

Weak (1Co. 8:10), wounded (1Co. 8:12), seared (1Tim. 4:2), defiled (Tit. 1:15), evil (Heb. 10:22),

good (1Tim. 1:19), clear (1Tim. 3:9)

1.      Weak – a person lacking in scriptural knowledge regarding a particular issue in life (1Co. 8:10; Rom. 14:1)

2.      Wounded  – a person who commits what they perceive to be a sinful act simply because they see another Christian doing it (1Co. 8:10-12)

3.      Defiled or evil  – a person who continues to do what they believe & know is sinful (1Co. 8:7; Tit. 1:15)

4.      Seared  – a person that has become insensitive to right & wrong; embraced false teaching/lies (1Tim. 4:1-2)

Love From A Good Conscience, pg. 2

5.      Good – a person who is convinced that their thoughts & actions are right before God (1Tim. 1:19)

6.      Clear or blameless  – a person that is not aware of anything in their life that brings reproach to God or themselves (1Tim. 3:9)

C.      Facts about the conscience

1.      A sinner’s guilty conscience cannot be permanently relieved without faith in Christ (Rom. 8:1-2; 5:1; Heb. 10:19-22).  Therefore faith & a good conscience before God cannot be separated (1Tim. 1:5,19; 3:9).

2.      The conscience informs you of right & wrong toward God & man (Ac. 24:16)

3.      A person with a perfectly good conscience may be wrong in their actions (Ac. 23:1) – Paul before conversion!

4.      Your conscience may not trouble you until after you’ve done something wrong (1Sam. 24:1-5)

5.      The conscience needs to be educated, informed or taught = scriptures (1Co. 8:10-11)

6.      The heart & the conscience are designed to work together (Rom. 2:14-15; 1Tim. 1:5)

You must never stop listening to your conscience; it is the nerve system or the sensitivity system of your soul.  The conscience will often tell you things that you don’t want to hear – it tells you when you’re right or wrong - it brings guilt & comfort.  Even when you don’t feel guilty, you still may be wrong or in error – so your conscience needs to be educated by the scriptures & the Spirit of God.  How have you been treating your conscience?  Are you sensitive to guilt?  Can you easily live with guilt?  What is your conscience saying to you right now?  Are you at peace with yourself or do you have a war going on inside?  Do you know that you have outstanding issues with God or your neighbor?  The scripture teaches that you should not disobey your conscience because that puts you on the road to hypocrisy & destruction!  Will you obey your conscience today?