No 15
(Our conscience, final part)
This is the last of a study about our
conscience. Up to now, we have seen that
it is a warning system that God gave us.
The Apostle Paul, in his letters, gave warnings about the effectiveness
of our consciences. He warned about : a)
Muddying it “Howbeit there is
not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this
hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is
defiled” (1 Cor 8:7) b) Callusing it “For if any man see thee which hast
knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him
which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols”
(v10) c) Wounding it “But when ye sin so against the brethren,
and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ” (v12)
d) Burning or searing it “Speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim
4:2). The battle, in our lives is fought
on the inside, not the outside. There are three types of people in the world –
Those who are in the battle; those who watch the battle pass in front of them
and those who don’t even know that there is a battle. If we lose it on the inside, James says : “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away
of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”
(James