Conscience

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2 Samuel 24:10 A Troubled Conscience

David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” 2 Samuel 24:10

As people do things every day, there are times that their conscience rises up with a feeling of whether what they are doing is right or wrong. Most people know when they are doing something wrong but ignore their conscience and rejecting doing what is right. Others will realize what they did was wrong and strive to change.

David had made a count of all his fighting men, something God said not to do. Immediately after the counting David was conscience stricken and repented before God for having sinned against Him.

Believers who have a heart that is seeking after God will know immediately when they have made a bad choice and sinned against Him. This is a sign from the Holy Spirit revealing when something is wrong and drawing them back to God.

If their action is to immediately repent, it keeps their heart soft and open to God and open to obeying God more and more. Sadly, many believers will ignore the feeling of conviction and continue in the sin, justifying it or just ignoring that it was a sin.

The more a believer does this type of action, the further from God he moves. It can get to a point where he no longer feels any conviction and lives in open sin. His heart becomes calloused against hearing the Holy Spirit’s conviction against sin.

True believers will have a heart open to God’s conviction and repent immediately. This is not to earn salvation, but because of what Jesus did for them. They strive to live the holy life God called them to live.

As a human being, you will have times that you will sin against God. Do not allow your heart to be so hardened that you do not recognize when you sin.

Know that every sin you commit breaks the heart of God and reminds Jesus of the stripes He took for you. Jesus is ready to forgive you.

Take time immediately to repent of any sin and seek God’s Holy Spirit to guide you and strengthen you to flee the temptation to sin the next time it comes around.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will hear the Holy Spirit speak into your life; that you will know when you sin against God; that you will repent of any sins against God; and that you will allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to live a holy life for God.

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1 Timothy 3:9 Hold To The Deep Truths Of Faith

They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 1 Timothy 3:9

Truth, to many people, is considered to be questionable and debatable. It depends on whose truth it is, what one’s experience is and what one’s reality is to know if something is true or not.

With this type of view, truth is not a constant foundation and everything changes on a regular basis. What many believe is true today, will change it to being false tomorrow, as they reject solid, eternal truth all around them.

Paul describes some requirements for men that are to be a deacon. Here he states that they must hold on to the deep truths of faith with a clear conscience.

Throughout the church there are many who waiver on what is truth. They bounce back and forth as to what is sin, what God requires and how a believer should live his life.

It is sadly common to hear a believer state that a lie is a lie, but then go ahead and ‘bend the truth’ so that they may save their job, reputation, or help someone else. Ignorance or changing of what God’s word says about lying is used to justify their words.

God’s word to man is the same yesterday, today and forever. It does not change as He does not change. True and eternal truth is found throughout its pages.

Believers, who are seeking to truly follow God, will seek and hold on to the deep truths of their faith. They will not allow themselves to change God’s word and truth to fit their situation, as the world does every day.

As a believer holds to God’s truth, he will have a clear conscience before God that he is believing, doing and saying the right things.

Every day you will be faced with situations that will challenge what you believe in God’s word. If you have taken time to read and study God’s word for yourself, you will know what the deep truths are.

God will guide you by His Holy Spirit in knowing the truth and give you the strength to hold on to it. Allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you in all truth, will keep your conscience clear of false teaching before both God and man.

Ask yourself today if you are holding to the deep truths of the faith or are you being swayed by the lies of this world.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the truth of God’s word; that you will hold on to the deep truths of the faith in God; that God will guide you by the Holy Spirit into His truth; and that you will live with a clear conscience before God and man.

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Acts 24:16 A Clear Conscience

So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. Acts 24:16

Conscience is the inner part of a person that knows whether a person is doing the right thing or the wrong thing. The conscience has a major part in a person’s life when things are said, done, or thought that no one else can see or hear.

People often have thoughts about others or do actions behind closed doors, thinking no one see or cares. However, their conscience will bother them, because they know themselves what they did. Some will ignore their conscience to the point of being able to do wrong with no sorrow.

Paul was being tried for stirring up trouble. As he begins his argument, he tells the leaders that he strives to keep a clear conscience before both God and man.

Those in the world strive only to please themselves. They want to make themselves happy no matter what, not always caring about other people.

Believers are different in that they are out to please God and in the process build others up. In pleasing God, they will do what it takes to build others up. This includes in both in their thoughts and their actions, both in person and away from others.

The believer also knows in his spirit or conscience when he is doing the right thing or the wrong thing. His goal is to keep that conscience clear before God and man, always doing the right thing, whether in thought, words or actions. His goal is to please God, which also means he will always do right to every person.

The only way for a person to do this is to strive to flee all sin and to do what God has called him to do at all times. He knows that God knows what he has done and what is in his heart. When God is pleased, his heart will have a clear conscience.

God sees and knows all of your thoughts and actions. As He sees these things, what will He see? Will it be a person who is striving to live like Jesus? Or will it be one who is living like the world?

As you seek yourself, your spirit or conscience knows the truth to those questions. Do you have a clear conscience before God and man that you are always striving to do what is right?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that you will do what is right before God; that you will live and speak as Jesus lived and spoke; that you will repent of all sin before God; and that you will obey God in every area of your life.

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Hebrews 9:14 Why Christ Cleanses Us

 

White rose and heart

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered by himself unblemished to God, cleanse our conscience from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:14

People go through life often wondering what their purpose is. They want to know why they are on this earth. Many will claim to live, laugh and have fun as long and as much as one can. Others feel it is to raise great wealth to pass on to their family. Yet, many do not really know the real reason or purpose of their life here on this earth.

Many people hear about Jesus and repent of their sins and believe Him for salvation, yet, still struggle with their purpose on this earth. People will often repent of their sins just to get into heaven. They have heard of hell and do not want to go there, so they repent and are saved, but then stop there.

Jesus did offer His life and blood on the cross to remove all sins. He will save all who repent, but that is not the only purpose of the removing of sins. He removes those sins and the guiltiness of those sins so that the new believer can serve God.

When a person is living with sin, he cannot serve God. God cannot be around sin or work with it. Jesus removed sin to make it possible for the person to serve God with a clean heart.

Serving God is found in living a holy life for God, loving every one, and being a witness for Jesus. Doing these things will be found in words and actions. It will be found in a changed mind and heart.

As a believer, Jesus has removed your sins and will save you. Until you step into the doors of heaven, you have a work to do on this earth. It is to serve God on this earth.

You find ways to serve God by turning from sin, loving every person, and being a witness of what Jesus has done.

Yes, you are saved, but what are you doing with that salvation?

Seek God to find ways that you may serve Him each day. Who can you love? Who can you be a witness to?

As you do these things, you will find your purpose on this earth–to serve the living God.

I pray today that you will know the salvation Jesus provides; that God will reveal His purpose for your life; that your life will be one to serve God; and that you will be His witness to all around you.

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Acts 24:16 A Clear Conscience

Bench By Stream

So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. Acts 24:16

Paul had been going around Jerusalem preaching the gospel message. Some people grabbed him and took him to the officials saying that he was stirring up trouble in the city. Paul answered what he was doing and that always strived to be innocent of any wrongdoing before God or any person.

A clear conscience is one that believes that one has never done anything wrong to anyone. Most people in the world feel as though they are not doing wrong to anyone regardless of what they are doing. People tend to believe that they are in the right in what they are doing whether it is good or bad.

There are others who don’t care what other people think about their actions. These people will do whatever they want, when they want, without concern for others.

Most people suppress their conscience and deny what they know to be wrong or ignore what is right.

Believers will often fall into this same type of thinking in their own lives. They will feel as though they are following God, regardless of how they are treating others.

Paul took both God and other people in consideration in what he did. He wanted to be clear of any wrongdoing with both God and man.

When a believer has a clear conscience before God, he should also have a clear conscience before man. God wants every believer to love every person, both enemy and friend. When this is done, no harm will be done, no bad words will be said, and all that will be shown is love.

One should not strive to keep a clear conscience before God and ignore other people. And one should not keep a clear conscience before man and ignore God. It has to be both.

As you look at your life, ask God to reveal where you may have done something wrong, both to Him and to others. Strive to make it right.

Also as you deal with other people in your life, live your life in a way that honors God and others. Strive to live a life that has done no wrong to anyone else in any way. Always show love, grace and mercy to everyone you meet. This way your conscience will always be clear of anything wrong.

I pray today that you will repent of any wrongdoings to God; that God will strengthen you to always chose the right action; that you will be clear of any wrongs done to others; and that you will be the example of Jesus on this earth.