BIBLICAL VIEW | CONSCIENCE (4)

1. Introduction

a) Our conscience controls our reaction to thoughts, imaginations, words, and actions. How can the conscience be trained to serve us correctly?

b) Our conscience is like a baseball umpire...

c) Located in a person's "spiritual heart", the conscience lets us know when we have violated our personal inner moral code, and prompts us to make corrections. This then allows peace to come back into our mind.

d) Our conscience also warns us when we have a problem.

2. What is the relationship between the conscience and sickness or mental stress?

a) Let's look at how GOD made man...

Genesis 2:7 New Living Translation (NLT)

Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.

b) When GOD breathed into man - it was the breath of life and man's "engines" or "inner systems" started up. The heart beat, the flow of blood, the digestive system, the eye blink, etc. - all became automatic.

c) Let me paint another picture...

3. We want to buy a computer...

a) How does a computer operate? Does it just operate on its own?

b) No. Every computer needs to have a master system downloaded...it could be from Microsoft, IBM, Apple, Nokia or others. This system becomes the life of the computer...

c) Microsoft puts a system into the computer. It has programs, software, memory, ability to recognize viruses, and offers a platform whereby we can use the computer successfully. They now provide the cloud, updates, etc.

d) It's the same way within our body. GOD placed the system in each one of us...the sleep cycles, the skin restoration, the breathing apparatus - all vital components to allow the body to run smoothly...

e) Part of this system is the conscience and GOD linked it to other components... there are 40 of them.

4. Let's take just one as an example...

a) It is "self control". When this is violated...by "anger" - the conscience sets off an alarm, a warning, - letting us know that something we are thinking about doing, or something we have done is wrong - and needs attention - just like a "virus warning" on the computer, or a smoke or fire alarm in a home...

b) Shame and guilt kick in - and the solution requires our attention...

c) It may require repentance, forgiveness or some other action - That you and I had better know about...otherwise, in a crisis we could be pouring gasoline on the fire instead of water..."a soft answer" turns away wrath (anger). If we do not know that - we will make matters worse...

d) Does your conscience know what you expect from yourself?

5. There are consequences...

a) Learn the 40 built-in components that GOD expects us to live by.

b) Just like engine parts...break one, and the engine stops running.

c) When we violate those - we suffer loss.

d) We can resist and refuse our conscience. This leads to having a dead conscience caused by choosing to defy the conscience and willingly and deliberately violating what we know and understand to do right. Refusing to respond to the guilt and conscience leads the heart to harden, and become unable to convict us of sin or wrong...a very dangerous place to be in.

Genesis 6:5 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.

e) GOD to destroy the people through a flood... (Noah's Ark).

f) They were beyond hope.

g) We do have hope.

h) Do yourself a favor and learn each of the 40 components we should all know...

i) Learn also the virus that attacks each one of them.

j) But, our conscience will have no power, no authority unless and until we get the right information and place into our "spiritual storehouse" - our mind, thoughts, and imaginations.

k) Like David, we can change from glory to glory, from weakness to strength - but it has to be done GOD's way. As David said, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee" Psalms 119:11.

l) Is this what you want? Or, are you just joking around... 

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