3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.
1 Timothy 1:3-7 NKJV
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Today we are going to look at how powerful our conscience can be. The conscience is a divinely given moral compass that can be swayed by many factors, such as our background, experiences, and thoughts. What is important is the truth that one has to inform their conscience.
As a human being, you have a conscience (your mind). It was formed by God when he bestowed upon you the faculties of self-awareness and logical thought. It’s important to note that the terms “con” and “science” are used to spell it. The Latin words scire, meaning “knowledge,” and con, meaning “with,” are the root of the word science. As a result, your reasoning is informed. What do you know? What you’ve been taught about morality. For the most part, what you’ve accepted as right or bad is what your conscience reminds you of.
“Without your knowledge,” your conscience reacts subconsciously. A person is only aware of what they have been taught when they perform something that is linked to what they were taught. When you agree with what you know to be true, you feel better about yourself.
However, if you do something that you know to be wrong, it can cause you to feel horrible about yourself. There is no such thing as a person who “does not feel.” A person’s ideals are reflected in their conscience, but not everyone’s is the same. What you believe shapes your conscience, which evolves along with your evolving body of knowledge and ideals.
God has given us a magnificent gift in the form of the conscience. Every human has been given access to His standards of right and wrong. He’s done this in order to help us lead the finest possible lives. Without a conscience, we would not be able to live in harmony with others.
A well-formed and well-informed conscience enables us to know ourselves and the world around us, and to act in accordance with this knowledge. When we look at our conscience this way, we learn that ethics are not inherent.
Timothy was tasked with delivering this message or charge (c.f. V.3) to the body of Christ. True salvation in Christ can only be achieved by proclaiming the truth and warning against error, which generates a love for God from a purified heart, a cleansed conscience, and real trust (Heb. 10:22) and love.
True Christians have a love for choice and freedom, which is defined by self-sacrifice and self-denial for the benefit of others (John 14 :35; Rom. 13:10; 1 John 4:7, 8).
Fake theology, on the other hand, just leads to disagreement and the resulting “disagreements.”
A good conscience is that which is excellent and gratifying and is referred to as “good” in Greek.
As a means of self-reflection, God endowed man with a “conscience.” To understand what is good and wrong, a person must know that God has written His law on his heart.
As the mind’s security mechanism, his conscience produces guilt when he breaks the rule, which causes fear, guilt, shame, and uncertainty as a warning of danger to the soul’s health (cf. John 8:9; 1 Cor. 8:7, 10, 12; Titus 1:15; Heb. 10:22).
In contrast, when a believer acts in accordance with God’s will, he is rewarded with the assurance, confidence, serenity, and joy of a healthy conscience (cf. Acts 23:1; 24:16; 2 Tim. 1:3; Heb. 13:18; 1 Pet. 3:16, 21).
The first step to building a sound conscience is accepting Jesus since he is the truth (John 14:6). Jesus gives us a fresh heart and intellect that can grasp and apply truth when He enters our lives. Things we used to take for granted are now seen as sinful.
In addition, we have the unchanging truth of God’s revelation in His Word. Our “monitoring system” improves as we meditate on Scripture. After that, we apply God’s standard of good and wrong to our thoughts and deeds.
It is also via the Holy Spirit that we are able to discern between what is right and what is wrong. It is also through him that we are able to understand the Scriptures and put them into context for our daily lives.
As a result of God’s provision, we have all that we require to cultivate the kind of moral character that is necessary for godliness.
My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones. Proverbs 3:1-8
There is power in the name of Jesus. The phrase “pray in the name of Jesus” is often used by Christians, and it refers to the practice of praying to God and asking for His help, guidance, or protection.
Two things about the death of Christ. The first was that since one person died for and in place of everyone else, everyone had died. What is this death at the end? Either the death they deserved because of their sin.
It’s odd how we often acknowledge that we take on too much, and try to accomplish things in our own strength, and need to rely more on Jesus. And yet we continue to do the same thing over and over.
The conscience is a divinely given moral compass that can be swayed by many factors, such as our background, experiences, and thoughts. What is important is the truth that one has to inform their conscience.
Life is rough for most people today. Just when we have hope of a life returning to normal, we are seeing things none of us have ever seen in our lifetime.
To grasp the magnitude of our deliverance, we must first comprehend where we came from. We are not exempt from the repercussions of our actions because we are descendants of Adam.
