A Biblically Informed and Clear Conscience, 11/16/25

Today, my title of the sermon is a biblically

informed and clear conscience. A biblically informed

and clear conscience. We'll be looking at many

scriptures, but the text that I will be reading

here at the beginning is first from Romans chapter

Romans 2:12–16

2, verses 12 through 16. For as many have sinned,

as have sinned without law will also perish without

law. And as many as have sinned in the law will

be judged by the law, for not the hearers of

the law are just in the sight of God, but the

doers of the law will be justified. For when

Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do

the things in the law, these, although not having

the law, are a law to themselves who show the

work of the law written in their hearts, their

conscience also bearing witness, and between

themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing

them in the day when God will judge the secrets

of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Then we're going to turn over to the book of

Hebrews chapter 10 for the second reading. Chapter

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

10, beginning in verse 19. Therefore, brethren,

having boldness to enter into the holiest by

the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which

he consecrated for us through the veil that is

his flesh, and having a high priest over the

house of God, let us draw near with a true heart

in full assurance of faith, having our hearts

sprinkled from an evil conscience. and our bodies

washed with pure water. Let us hold the confession

of our hope without wavering, for he who promised

it is faithful. Let's come before the Lord and

ask for his blessing on this time together in

the word. Father, we thank you for this wonderful

thing that you have placed within us, that of

the conscience. And Lord, we thank you for this

word. We pray, Lord, that you would enlighten

us, Lord, that you would sprinkle our hearts

from any evil consciences and that you would

give us and renew us and inform us, Lord, by

your word. We pray your blessing, Lord, in this

time together and ask that you would teach us

and lead us as your people. And we pray in Jesus'

name. Amen. preaching about the subject of the

conscience that God has placed within every living

human being. Now, when we speak of the conscience,

we must first ask the question, what is the conscience?

The ancient philosopher Plato said that it is

a divine spark of reason. But Thayer's lexicon

describes it as the soul as distinguishing between

what is morally good and bad, prompting to do

the former, that is to do good, and to shun the

latter, that is to avoid the evil, commending

one and condemning the other. Dr. Joel Beek,

he says, the conscience is that faculty of the

soul whereby a person is conscious of himself

as a moral being under the law of God. It approves

or disapproves of his own actions and feels obligation

to do what is right and avoid what is wrong.

Now, the conscience is not a separate organ like

your liver or kidney or heart in that way, but

it is a function of the soul and it is tied to

the heart that is the innermost being and mind.

A good illustration that is helpful is that the.

The conscience is like a compass, an inner moral

compass that helps you to distinguish between

right and wrong. It's an internal voice of judgment,

of guilt, or approval in response to your thoughts,

actions, and intentions. It applies a moral code

to what you intend to do, what you are doing,

or what you have done. Now, the conscience, though,

that is within us and God has placed it there

has been affected and subjected to the fall,

that is to sin. Therefore, the conscience is

affected by God's natural law apart from God's

word. It is the law that appears in creation

and it's written on the heart. By nature, Barnes

says, every man thus approves or condemns his

own acts. But the conscience may be enlightened

or unenlightened, and its use may be greatly

perverted by false opinion and by wrong doctrine.

It simply expresses judgment according to the

internal moral code, which is not fully accurate

or understood without the knowledge of God's

revealed word. The conscience brings conviction

of sin according to the moral code. Don't do

this. This is wrong. Stop it. This perceived

sin may or may not be sin according to God's

law, depending on the teaching and the enlightenment

that the person has. And I can give you a couple

of illustrations. So my father grew up on an

Amish farm in Pennsylvania. The Amish don't drive

cars. They drive horses and buggies wherever

they go. So that was the people that I grew up

around were of this persuasion. And so there

was lots of times that horses and buggies would

go by our road. It was a very common thing in

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. And it's also

in other places. Now to the Amish man whose conscience

is not enlightened, if he were to just decide

one day to go and stop at the car dealer and

buy a car and drive it down the road, his conscience

would smite him. He would be under great conviction

that this is wrong. This is not according to

the church's teachings. And so I need to stop

this. That's just one illustration of how the

conscience may not be enlightened depending on

the teaching. There's some folks here who used

to be part of the followers of Jesus. The followers

of Jesus believed that people should not go to

the doctor at all. There's some groups of them

down in Marsing and a small one up in Cambridge

and others. That's one of their core tenets.

And so to take or to go to the doctor would violate

many of their consciences. This is not right.

It's not according to the teachings of the church

or the way we understand the Bible. The apostle

Paul, when he was persecuting Christians, he

thought he was doing God's service. His conscience

was not troubling him. He thought, this is great.

I'm going to go after them with all of my being

because this is part of what it means to worship

God. His conscience was wrong. Now, there are

a few illustrations of additional consciences

of unbelievers in the scriptures. The first time

the Greek word for conscience is used in the

Bible is in John chapter 8 with the story of

John 8 · chapter mention

the woman caught in adultery. The story was this.

Jesus was teaching and the group of the scribes

and Pharisees brought a woman whom they said

was caught in the very act of adultery. Now there's

some question about this because the man wasn't

there. And so whether this was actually true

or not. We don't know, but the fact is they brought

her and said this woman was caught in adultery.

And so Jesus, rather than digging into it right

away, or they say, Jesus, Moses in the law commanded

that such should be stoned. So what do you say?

And they're doing this to test him to see if

they could accuse him. Jesus, however, just remained

quiet and he stooped down and he wrote on the

ground. And they continued asking him about this.

And so finally Jesus stands up and he says to

them, he who is without sin among you, let him

throw a stone at her first. And again, he stoops

down and he writes on the ground. Then we hear

these. And remember that these who were professors

to follow God, Jesus says their heart was not

right. They did not know God and they only inclined

toward evil and wickedness. They were like dead

men's bones. But here's what the scripture then

says. Those who heard it being convicted by their

own conscience went out one by one, beginning

with the oldest, even to the last. And Jesus

was left alone and the woman standing in the

midst. And Jesus then, when he looks at her and

he says, woman, where are those accusers? And

she said, there's no one, Lord. In other words,

they all left. And so Jesus says, again, using

the law here of two or three witnesses, he says,

I'm not going to condemn you either, but you

go and you stoop no more. So, or sin no more.

So when Jesus stoops and he writes in the ground,

those who hear him, those who saw, and they might've

read what he was writing, we don't know, but

they became convicted in their or by their own

consciences. Though they did not believe in Christ

and were far from God, they nevertheless had

a conscience. Now another is described of Gentile

unbelievers in Romans chapter 2, which I just

Romans 2 · chapter mention

read, verse 14 to 16, that there are Gentiles

who were not exposed to the law of God as it

was revealed in the scriptures, and yet by nature,

they do some of the things in the law, and it

shows that there's a law, the law of creation,

the natural law we sometimes call it, that is

written in their hearts with their conscience,

also bearing witness and between themselves their

thoughts accuse or else excuse them. This again

shows that the conscience is something that God

gives to both believers and to unbelievers. This

is how, for example, many non -Christians still

know that abortion is murder. They know that

this is wrong or that it's wrong to steal or

to lie. This is because of the conscience, even

though ill -informed in many ways, still reveals

to them some of these things and holds them accountable.

So today, we're going to look in the Word of

God and see what God says about the conscience

and how it can be awakened and informed by God's

Word and then how we are to live in light of

having the conscience. the conscience in both

believers and unbelievers that might hear this.

To those who are still blind, I would urge you

to follow the example of Bartimaeus, the blind

man who sat at the side of the road and he cried

out for mercy. Jesus, son of David, have mercy

on me. So as we listen to the word, let us apply

it to ourselves and pray for God's grace and

his mercy. So first, the first point then is

what is the biblical terminology and the Old

Testament background for the conscience? The

word conscience is used frequently in the New

Testament. But the Old Testament has no single

word for conscience. But it uses the word heart

or the Hebrew word lev as the moral center. This

is why we read 1 Samuel 24 this morning. We read

here about David's conscience bothering him.

troubling him. But the Hebrew uses the word heart.

It came to pass afterward that David's heart

troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe.

And he said to his man, the Lord forbid that

I should do this thing to my master. So this

is one example in the Old Testament of the conscience.

Job also speaks it in chapter 27 and verse 6.

He says, my righteousness I hold fast and will

not let it go. My heart shall not reproach me

as long as I live. In other words, he was saying,

I have a clear conscience. My heart is not reproaching

me. But then in the New Testament introduces

the word, the Greek word, 30 times, at least

30 times in the New Testament, which it shows

a heightened moral self -awareness through the

preaching of the gospel, a greater knowledge

of oneself. The Bible speaks of the conscience

in various ways. It speaks of a good or a clear

conscience, one that approves right, it condemns

wrong, and it's at... peace we see this in acts

24 16 and in first timothy 5 and 19 first timothy

1 Timothy 1:5

1 verse 5 and 19 it speaks of a guilty conscience

or an accusing one one that condemns sin and

brings fear and shame we read of that in romans

Romans 2:15

2 verse 15 also in hebrews 10 verse 22 there

Hebrews 10:22

is a weak or a defiled conscience. This is one

that is overscrupulous. It is not biblically

informed, but yet it speaks quite loudly to the

individual. We're going to be seeing that in

Romans chapter 12 and 1 Corinthians 8. And then

Romans 12 · chapter mention

there is a seared conscience. Seared with a hot

iron is how it is described in Timothy. It is

no longer... a sensitive conscience. This we

read in 1 Timothy 4 verse 2 and in Titus 1 verse

1 Timothy 4:2 Titus 1:15

15. So this is the biblical terminology of the

conscience as it is used. Now the conscience,

number two, is used in salvation and conversion.

But in order for the conscience to be of use

in converting a person to Christ, it must be

enlightened through the law of God and through

the preaching of the word of God. The conscience

in one who is dead in trespasses and sins is

quickened. It is made alive and it is sharpened

through the work of the Holy Spirit who applies

the knowledge of sin. To the person showing them

their guilt before God and bringing conviction.

Conviction is when I have done wrong. I have

sinned against a holy God and I am guilty. This

is the conviction of sin. In order to understand

the need for salvation through Christ, the sinner

must see their sin and be convicted that this

is wrong. After conversion to Christ, the conscience

is informed. It is reoriented. As it were, the

moral compass is reset and the moral code of

the conscience becomes sanctified and in accordance

with the word of God. Some things are added and

some things are taken away. Again, I remind you

of the Apostle Paul. His conscience was no longer

telling him that he is doing God's service by

killing and imprisoning Christians. He's no longer

that way. The conscience is way different. Now,

however, a conscience is telling him how to do

good, which includes being free to eat at the

potluck meal with Gentiles. With those who were

former idolaters and who were not Jews. He no

longer also must go to the temple and offer sacrifices

because he understands that Jesus is the perfect

sacrifice. So his conscience no longer tells

him it's wrong if you don't go to the temple.

It has been changed. It has been clarified. It

is informed and reoriented. He is no longer persecuting

Christians. In fact, that would now violate.

fully violate his consciousness, his conscience.

Think of those who conscientiously have lived

in revelry and drunkenness or in lewdness and

in lust. In other words, they were just doing

it because they loved it and it felt good and

they liked it and their conscience wasn't bothering

them. But now they have put on the Lord Jesus

Christ and they make no provision for the flesh

to fulfill its lust. This is a change in conscience.

But in order to have a good and clear conscience

before God, our conscience must be informed by

God's standards, by his law and not by man's

law. The conscience is not the ultimate standard

of right and wrong. God's law is. And then the

conscience is the witness and judge that applies

God's law to the person, to the self. rather

than being uninformed. Here's how the conscience

works in salvation. First of all, it brings conviction.

The Holy Spirit awakens the conscience to sin

by impressing the law of God in the heart. This

is often through preaching or through someone

witnessing or through reading. The law of God

is impressed in their heart and the Holy Spirit

awakens the conscience. Paul declares, what shall

I say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not. On

the contrary, he says, I would not have known

sin except through the law. For I would have

not known covetousness unless the law had said,

thou you shall not covet. But sin, taking opportunity

by the commandment, produced in me all manner

of evil desire. Romans 7, verse 7 and 8. Jesus

Romans 7:7

says, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It

is to your advantage that I go away. For if I

do not go away, the helper will not come to you.

But if I depart, I will send him to you. And

when he has come, he will convict the world of

sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Excuse

me. The Holy Spirit awakens the conscience to.

Understand what sin is by impressing the law

of God on the heart. Secondly, then, as one reaches

out by faith and believes in Jesus Christ for

salvation, he understands that the justification,

that the blood of Jesus cleanses the conscience

from sin and from dead works. From sin and from

dead works. The writer of Hebrews brings this

out as he says in chapter 9 verse 13. If the

blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of heifer

sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying

of the flesh. How much more shall the blood of

Christ who through the eternal spirit offered

himself without spot to God cleanse your conscience.

Cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve.

the living God. He continues in chapter 10. Therefore,

brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest

by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way

which he consecrated for us through the veil

that is his flesh, and having a high priest over

the house of God, let us draw near with a true

heart in full assurance of faith, having our

hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. From

an evil conscience. And our bodies washed with

pure water. And then the conscience is also used

in sanctification. The conscience is progressively

renewed by the word of God and the spirit of

God as we are sanctified. And as we grow in our

understanding of God's word, it helps us to put

evil deeds to death through the spirit. So the

conscience is involved, the enlightened conscience,

in both conviction, in justification, and in

sanctification. Number three, Christians are

to strive to live with a good and clear conscience.

We are to strive for this, our conscience being

enlightened. Now we are attempt to attempt as

much as it lies within us, as much as we are

able to, by the power of the Spirit, to walk

according to the Spirit and not according to

the flesh. We're to live with a good and a clear

conscience. Paul calls this a conscience without

offense. In Acts 24, he says, they call a sect

so I worship the God of my fathers believing

all things which are written in the law and in

the prophets I have hope in God which they themselves

also accept that there will be a resurrection

of the dead both of the just and the unjust this

being so I myself always strive to have a conscience

without offense toward God and man This is something

that is fought for. It is pursued. It is followed

after. This is something every Christian here

should seek to have a clear and a pure and a

clean conscience and to keep it that way. He

continues in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 where Paul

2 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

says, Our boasting is this, the testimony of

our conscience that we conducted ourselves in

the world in simplicity and godly sincerity,

not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of

God. By the grace of God. We have this testimony

of a good conscience. To have a good conscience

is to live honorably. Hebrews 13 verse 18, the

Hebrews 13:18

apostle there says, pray for us for we are confident

that we have a good conscience in all things

desiring to live honorably. Now let's unpack

this a little more. To live honorably, to have

a good conscience and live honorably is to live

beautifully, finely, excellently, and rightly,

commendably. nobly and in a good place that doesn't

that sound like something we all would like to

live in that kind of a place a place that is

beautiful and fine and excellent and right and

commendable and noble and in a good place yes

that is what we desire to have a good conscience

in all things desiring to live honorably Let's

stop and think how this can impact us. Think

of this first of all, how living like this with

a clear conscience and living honorably could

affect our home, our children growing up in an

environment like this. Because when mom and dad

are loaded down with sins and live with guilty

consciences, the effect on the family is destructive

and oppressive. But when the parents have a clear

conscience before the Lord and they love one

another and they learn of God through his word,

the effect on the family is amazing. Where there

was once strife or beatings or hatred and jealousy

and contention and outbursts of wrath and envy

and bitterness and disobedience and all sorts

of other sins, now instead there is love and

joy. and peace, long -suffering, and kindness,

and goodness, and faithfulness, and gentleness,

and self -control. What a difference in the home

and a glorious effect on your family, on your

children, and your grandchildren in the future.

This also, to have a good conscience and to live

honorably, is how we as Christian believers should

live with one another. In the Christian congregation,

we should be characterized this way. A place

where one walks in and is surrounded by a covenantal

love of God. and of each other with clear consciences

as we warmly greet one another and visitors who

come in. And we show the love of God in an enlightened

and a good conscience. This shows in our faces

and our demeanor, in our delight to be called

to worship our triune God, to kneel before him

and to confess our sins, and then to hear of

our forgiveness in Christ. And we receive instruction

from God's word. and then we get to feast at

his table and to eat a meal with Christ and then

to be sent forth with a blessing and a benediction

to live and to love honorably in this world.

This is the glory of living with a clear conscience

and in an honorable way in the congregation.

And we could go on in the workplace and in our

relationship with other people and in our larger

family relationships to live with a clear conscience

and to live honorably is something that is glorious.

A clear conscience comes after it is being enlightened

by confessing our sins before a holy God and

receiving forgiveness and cleansing. I have talked

many times or have preached the need to have

short accounts. That when we sin against one

another or we sin against God, don't let them

build up. We're all human. Yes, we do sin one

against another and against the Lord. But don't

let it build up and build up and build up and

cloud your conscience and it gets cloudier and

cloudier. No, keep short accounts. Deal with

it right away. When you see a sin, when you're

convicted of something through the conscience

and the power of the Holy Spirit, then deal with

it. Right away. Go to your wife. Go to your husband.

Go to your children, parents. If you sin against

them, then yes, it does not put you down. It

does not demean you to go and confess that you

have sinned against your children. Do it and

do it right away. Say, I have sinned against

you. Will you please forgive me? Let us keep

short accounts. by confessing our sins before

a holy God and then one another as needed and

receive forgiveness and cleansing. David illustrates

this so well with his cry from the heart after

his great and grievous sin of adultery with Bathsheba

and then the murder of her husband. He says in

Psalm 51, Create in me a clean heart, O God.

and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not

cast me away from your presence, and do not take

your Holy Spirit away from me. Restore to me

the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by your

generous spirit. There's a beautiful song that's

actually in our hymnal. It's one that I want

to learn and sing sometimes as part of our confession.

Furthermore, 2 Corinthians chapter 4 brings out,

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

In having this clear conscience, we renounce.

the hidden things of shame. We renounce the hidden

things of shame. Paul says, we have renounced

the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness

nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but

by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves

to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

To renounce is to speak out or to put off. It

is to refuse or to deny. It is to interdict and...

Here it means to renounce and to disown and to

spurn with aversion. The apostles had such a

view of God's truth and the glory of Christ that

they discarded and despised all things that were

crafty and deceitful and fraudulent. They cast

off disgraceful conduct, underhanded dealings,

nor did they handle the word of God deceitfully,

he says. And so also should we renounce sin and

false doctrine that could cater to the flesh

and corrupt the mind. Let us take care to deal

with... setting sins with zeal and fortitude.

We renounce the hidden things of shame. After

the conscience is enlightened by God's law, then

a good conscience now encourages and facilitates

love for God from a pure heart and with sincere

faith. First Timothy chapter one, verse five.

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from

a good heart, from a pure heart. from a good

conscience, and from sincere faith. In other

words, the goal of God's law is that we would

love with a pure heart, that we would have a

good conscience, and that we would have sincere

faith. From which he says, some strayed, have

turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers

of the law, understanding neither what they say

nor the things which they affirm. But we know

that the law is good. If one uses it lawfully.

The telos. That is the purpose. The goal. The

end of God's law. It's the Greek word telos.

And it's very wide spreading here. It's the purpose.

The goal. And the end of God's law. Is that we

would love purely. And that we would have an

honorable and a good conscience. One that is

informed. Paul charges Timothy and he says, this

charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according

to the prophecies previously made concerning

you, that by them you might wage the good warfare,

having faith and a good conscience. Having faith

and a good conscience. Now, this brings out to

us that. In order to live with an open heaven

and with a clear conscience and with great joy,

we must understand how to love. We need to understand

how to love purely. To love God, to love his

word, and to love his people. This is not burdensome,

it is not tyrannical, and it is not like a straitjacket.

There is, dear brothers and sisters, a fullness

of life and of joy and of joviality and life

that comes from a walk with God, from a love

of him and of his law with a pure heart and a

good conscience. Of all people, Christians should

not be creatures who are morose and sad and long

-faced and dreary and dull or downcast. We understand,

of course, there's times of lament and mourning

and of grief and sorrow, but they should not

last. They should not be that which characterizes

us. There is righteousness. There is peace. There

is joy in being filled with the Holy Spirit.

And that should reflect on you and your attitude

and your relationships with God and with other

people. In summation, Dr. Beeky, says it this

way, a good conscience is the fruit of a heart

sprinkled with Christ's blood, informed by God's

word and governed by God's spirit. It's a well

said, good summary of that. Number four, the

conscience in a Christian believer can be weak.

It can be over scrupulous and it can be defiled.

Sometimes, The conscience does not understand

Christian liberty. The whole chapter of Romans

14 deals with the Christian brother who is weak

in the faith and has a weak conscience. Paul

uses two examples of the weak ones in chapter

14. And I'm not going to read the whole chapter,

but I'm going to just point this out. It's a

good study for your edification. Number one,

the weak one cannot eat other things like other

Christians, but rather he can only eat vegetables.

That's in 14 verse 2. So he cannot eat other

things, other wonderful things, or even meat

like other Christians, but only vegetables. And

number two, The other example Paul uses is one

who esteems some days above others versus the

one who esteems every day alike. Now, this is

probably written to those who were still following

the Jewish feast days versus those who were not.

I do not think that this is referring to the

observance of the Lord's Day, clearly called

the Lord's Day. And so in every day being alike,

we still understand the Lord's Day. These were

the two examples that the Romans were dealing

with. This matter of the one who would not eat

meat but only vegetables versus those who really

enjoyed their steaks. And then the other example

of those who observed every day alike versus

those who observed various feast days and such

like. Now in this, Paul gives two things. He

says, number one, we are commanded to receive

the one who is weak in the faith. but not to

doubtful disputations that is in verse one we're

to receive them so and we understand that there

are other believers who have whose consciences

are different than ours in some matters and as

long as they are in the faith we are to receive

them we look at that and we understand there's

a weakness here but we're still to receive them

and paul later says Who are you to judge your

brother? He stands before God. He will stand

at the judgment seat before Christ and so will

you. And so you don't condemn one another. You

receive them. He also says we are not to judge

them. We are not to put a stumbling block in

front of them. which is causing them to stumble

and lose their way in the faith. He's not referring

there to just a like or a preference or a dislike.

He's referring to something here that we do not

cause them to stumble, to lose their way. A stumbling

block would be that which leads a brother to

violate his own conscience, thus partaking against

it, or he might be stirred to anger, disgust,

and apostasy from the Christian faith. So how

do we help him? We first of all receive. That's

the first thing. The second is we seek to enlighten

the conscience from God's word. because the conscience

needs enlightened. And so there are some, especially

in their upbringing or various teachings that

they might have, where they need to be enlightened.

Apollos was one where he still, he didn't understand

the way of salvation completely. And so he preached

the word of God and he was a powerful and eloquent

preacher, but he didn't have everything right

in his understanding. So Aquila and Priscilla

hold him aside and they taught him the way more

perfectly they instructed him on where he was

wrong and that really helped him and he became

a mighty man in the faith so we seek to enlighten

the conscience from god's word it's weak it needs

to be strengthened but not violated and here's

why violation of the conscience makes it defiled

and this should not be To him it is sin, and

since he cannot do it in faith, it is sin to

him. Romans 14, verse 23. But he who doubts is

Romans 14:23

condemned if he eats, because he does not eat

from faith. For whatever is not from faith is

sin. So sin is the violation of God's law. We

understand that. But sin is also doing something

that might not violate God's law. but it is not

done from faith and it is a perceived sin in

the mind of the individual. So because to him

it is sin, we do not urge him to defile his conscience.

We rather seek to enlighten the conscience from

the word of God. In this case, in such cases,

he is not to defile his conscience in the matter,

but can be instructed and guided to a better

understanding. There are so many things that

this can apply to. Paul gave this here in these

first two, but then he speaks of more in 1 Corinthians

8. And there's certainly, as we look at various...

Shall I say Christian but religious systems where

they build whole things based on tradition and

not on God's word. And so then they bind men's

consciences. They bind people's consciences to

this. And this happens in many different ways.

And so I'm going to give just a few illustrations

of how this can be. And so how we're to understand

this and help one another. So we have the first

two. are the ones mentioned in Romans. The first

one is the one mentioned in Romans 14, being

a vegetarian versus eating meat. Later in the

scripture, we're taught that we are supposed

to teach that God gave every creature and he

gave it for food and it's to be received with

thankfulness and prayer and thanksgiving. So

that's one. There's also that of eating clean

or versus unclean food. foods according to Leviticus

and not according to the change that happened

where that eating of clean and unclean found

its fulfillment in Christ. And in being able

to be distinct between Christian and unbeliever

rather than just within Israel. And that's a

whole long subject in and of itself. But that

was another thing. Some think that it was okay

to eat both clean and unclean foods. Others say,

no, we still have to observe the dietary system

here. And so we can only eat clean foods. That's

a big one in some places. Of foods, Paul says

in Romans 14, verse 14, I know and am convinced

Romans 14:14

by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean

of itself, but to him who considers anything

to be unclean, to him it is unclean. You're not

to command him to eat that which is unclean.

You're not to force him in this because it would

defile his conscience. There are other matters,

drinking alcoholic beverages. The scriptures

prohibit drunkenness, but wine is also considered

a blessing from God to be enjoyed. This can apply

to differences in music, styles of clothing,

and other matters of how to use God's creation

and our own creative abilities. And I'll get

into some of these a bit more later. Then there's

also the thing of eating food that was offered

to idols. Now, we don't have much of an issue

with that today. But in the Bible times, in the

New Testament times, it was a really big deal.

What would happen is that there would be food

that would be offered to idols in the temple

in all over the Roman Empire. So after they did,

of course, the idols didn't eat the food. And

so rather than the food going to waste, they

would bring the food back out and then they would

take it into the marketplace and sell it. And

so some Christians said, it was okay for us.

This food was offered to idols, but an idol wasn't

anything. So we're going to eat this food that

was offered to idols and we're going to use it

for good and we're going to thank God for it.

Other Christians were like. Oh, I don't know

about that. That's violated food. There's something

unholy about that food, so we can't eat it. So

1 Corinthians 8 deals with all of this different

stuff and how to deal with this. Ending up finally,

and I don't have time to read it, but Paul says

here, there is not in everyone that knowledge.

For some, with consciousness of the idol, until

now eat it as a thing offered to an idol, and

their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But

food does not commend us to God, for neither

if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not

eat are we the worse. But beware. lest somehow

this liberty of yours become a stumbling block

to those who are weak. So what could happen is

somebody goes and says, oh, I just love this

food that was offered to idols. This is just

so great. I thank God for it. And over here was

somebody who was struggling with it and saying,

no, that was offered to an idol and I can't.

And so he's going to stumble. He's going to lose

faith because of it. Don't do that, Paul is saying

in that whole chapter. He finally breaks it out

and says it this way. It's okay to eat food that

was offered to idols if you buy it at the marketplace.

But you never go into a temple and partake of

it there because that would be idolatry. That

would be partaking in idolatry. And if you are

together with unbelievers and they give you food

and say, this was offered to idols, then you

don't eat it for conscience sake because in their

mind, the mind of the unbeliever, you're partaking

in idolatrous worship. That's how he sorts it

all out there in 1 Corinthians chapter 8. Now

1 Corinthians 8 · chapter mention

one can also become zealously over -scrupulous

in other matters, in things that are not clear

or plain in the scriptures. There can also be

a perfectionist bend where everything becomes

rigid without room for grace. Here's a few examples.

refusing to eat breakfast until you have had

a full 30 minutes or an hour of prayer and Bible

reading beforehand. This is what I'm going to

do. I can't do this. Even if I'm going to be

late for work, I can't do this. Or even if I'm

starving or a mother with a child and she needs

to nurse the baby and how all of that is. We

make these rigid things in our mind and then

we start having a guilty conscience if we do

it. This is what I'm calling over -scrupulousness.

Um, or it could also be becoming extremely literal

in everything you say, not allowing for any figures

of speech or metaphors or similes or poetic language,

just being very, very literal because didn't

Jesus say, let your yes be yes and your no, no.

And so consequently we become extremely literal

in everything. Now, yes, we are to be speaking

the truth, but the Bible uses so many of these

ways. And so also can we. Or, here's one, pausing

in mid -conversation to mentally take back any

word that might be interpreted as gossip or exaggeration

or uncharitable, being extremely scrutinizing

of every word that you say in a way that is not

good. It also might be feeling compelled to evangelize

co -workers daily or to add Bible verses to every

email, fearing that silence about faith is denying

Christ. And it can also be not simply enjoying

the food that God gives because the enjoyment

might lead to gluttony. I'm sure that you can

think of more examples of this, but I've just

given you a few examples here of over -scrupulousness.

The answer to all of this is joy and grace. God's

rich is unmerited favor to us, and it is also

overcome with experiencing the joy the delight

of God's gifts that is all through the scriptures

so yes we don't get drunk that's sin we we don't

do that but it is also good and fitting for one

to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of all

the labor in which he toils under the sun all

the days of his life which God gives him for

this is his heritage Ecclesiastes 5 and verse

18 remember that at the peace offering In the

Old Testament, God told the children of Israel

that when they go to the place of worship and

they give the peace offering, they shall spend

the money for whatever you desire, oxen or sheep

or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite

craves, and you shall eat there before the Lord

your God and rejoice, you and your household.

Psalm 104 verse 15, 14 and 15 remind us that

Psalms 104:15

God is extolled as the one where he causes the

grass to grow for the livestock and plants for

man to cultivate so that he may bring forth food

from the earth and wine to gladden the heart

of man to make his face shine and bread to strengthen

man's heart. There's one other thing that can

be helpful. God speaks to us from his word and

his word is authoritative. in everything that

it speaks. But God also gives great liberty,

things to which he has spoken in principles,

but we have the liberty to choose how to apply

them. For example, we are told to work and not

to steal or take from others, but there are many

ways to fulfill this. And all are open to believers.

You might be a farmer, a painter, a lawyer, a

doctor, an accountant, a merchant, and a host

of other professions. As long as that work or

business does not violate God's law. For example,

you should not own or work in a business that

is built on theft. Or one that might exist to

promote adultery or fornication like a brothel

or a prostitution ring. Those are obviously forbidden.

But other than work that is unlawful, we are

free. in God's providence to use our gifts with

wisdom as we see fit. Some things are lawful,

not expedient, and it's not wise to do them at

this time, but we still don't have to be conscientiously

opposed to them. Let us remember these three

things. 2 Corinthians 3, 17. Now the Lord is

that spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord

is, there is liberty. Free conscience and yet

liberty. 1 Corinthians 8, 9. Take heed, lest

by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling

block to those that are weak. And Galatians 5,

Galatians 5:13

verse 13. For you, brethren, have been called

unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion

to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

In our liberty, we can get so zealous that we

actually do feed the flesh. And that, he says,

we must be careful. Number five, the conscience

can become seared. I'm not going to say much

about this other than false teachings and repeated

violations of one conscience can lead to a hardened

and a seared conscience. You know what happens

when you sear with a hot iron or on a grill,

you sear a steak and what it does is it keeps

the juices inside, but it creates like a crust

on the outside. You don't want a crust on your

conscience. Your conscience is to be free and

open before the Lord, an open mind, an open conscience

before him for the Holy Spirit to convict and

to draw you. That is what we desire. This seared

conscience is spoken of in 1 Timothy 4, verses

1 Timothy 4:1–5

1 through 5. I urge you not to yield to teaching

that either takes away your liberty in Christ

or one that is libertine. That is, it denies

the law of God and just does whatever it wants

to. Both of these are deadly, soul -destroying,

and damnable. By believing lies, people are led

astray. They deny the Lord. They blaspheme the

way of truth and bring on themselves destruction.

But dear brothers and sisters, your conscience

must be informed. guided and trained by the perfect

law of liberty, the law of God that sets boundaries

and guidelines, but also gives great liberty.

Last of all, we understand that conscience is

infallibly bound only by the scripture. I could

get into various... Churches looking at the way

conscience is understood in Roman Catholics or

in Anabaptists or in Pietists and some Charismatics

where conscience instead of guided by the word

is by inner light apart from scripture. But the

way to understand conscience is that it is bound

to the scripture. The church guides, but it does

not override. God alone is Lord of the conscience

and has left it free. from the doctrines and

the commandments of men which are in anything

contrary to his word. Conscience is before the

Lord. I will close with these words from Romans

Romans 12:2

12 verse 2 and Acts 24 verse 16. Do not be conformed

Acts 24:16

to the world, but be transformed by the renewing

of your mind that you might prove what is that

good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

And let us affirm with Paul in Acts 24, 16 to

always strive to have a conscience without offense

toward God and men. Let us awake to righteousness

and to not do sin. Let's pray.