Mans Conscience - Kenley Miller

Good morning, greetings, greetings in the name of our Savior. I'm we

as a family privileged to be with you this morning. I feel unworthy to

take this place, but nonetheless we're privilege to gather freely. And I desire

for our time together to be something that glorifies God, something that brings his

word more special to us. I've been blessed to be with you and worship

together. Looking at a subject this morning that is somewhat unique, I guess

for me to study about, and the subject is regarding the conscience, man's

conscience, and you try to think about what does the conscience mean, what

does it entail? What, what? How do we understand it? And

if you were to see me or or observe, if I were to be

on a surgeon's table, on an operating table this morning, no surgeon could

locate my conscience. You couldn't extract it, You couldn't somehow remove it,

get it out in the open and see it. M I think that tells

us that it is a immaterial component of man, something we understand by faith

that we have con would have. One of the definitions of the prefix con

is to be with together. And I have a definition of science here and

it's somewhat lengthy. I don't I'll read it here for us, but it

doesn't necessarily pertain a lot or maybe doesn't shed a lot of light on the

word. But science the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical

and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the

evidence obtained. Conscience. I simply put three words as a definition for conscience,

and they are to know with an organ in man, a component of

man, a I would say, a signature of God in man, that

God has invested in us to be able to know with to know something beyond

ourselves. With excuse me, maybe just to work our way into the subject.

If you care to, you can turn to John eight. Conscience is

not found in Scripture as a word until we get to John chapter eight,

and I thought it was a good passage to kind of preview this, this

idea of man's conscience. Conscience is not found in the Old Testament as a

word, but we recognize it in people such as Adam and Eve David Aiken,

where it was a working, functioning component of people. But the word

itself is not found Jesus never used it in our King James version. We

never have the word conscience used in christ teaching. But we come across to

here first in John eight, and the scene is Jesus coming early to the

temple from the Mount of Olives, and the scribes and Pharisees bringing a woman

who they had caught violating the law. She was caught in the very act.

She had the law against her. There was consequences for this action.

It was pretty much a case that was already clear, sealed done. The

evidence was there. They say unto him in verse four, Master, this

woman was taken an adultery in the very act. Now Moses in the law

commanded us that such should be stoned. But what sayest thou? And be

interesting to have been there observing. But they were tempting him. They were

trying to catch Jesus more than I think they were wanting to convict the woman.

They were wanting to catch Jesus, probably even more than that. But

Jesus stooped down and with his finger rode on the ground as though he heard

them. Not. So they kept they kept prying him, kept trying to

get a response from him. And after he had let them let them wonder

how he would respond. Awhile, why he stood up and said, he

that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground those words, he

that is without cinemon you, let him first cast a stone, worked on

something. And it says it. Those words worked on their conscience. It

convicted themselves. They each self, I guess self incriminated. They each felt

the convicting power of his words, and went out, one by one,

beginning at the oldest and even under the last. Jesus left alone and the

woman standing in the midst And when he stood up again, he saw no

one but the woman, And so as he asked her, there, where's

your accusers? Where's the accusation against you? Has no man condemned you?

And she said no man, Lord, And Jesus said to her, neither

do I go sin no more. Several components from the story. One is

that there was an act of sin, so there was a person convicted.

The second is there was accusation there and these are things that I think our

conscience reckons with, our conscience deals with. There was an accusation. Secondly,

there was the Lord of heaven and earth present. And I guess what

amazes me about this story is here was Christ, who understood the mosaic law,

who had been at creation, was creator of man, understood sin.

In fact, that's why he was. He had come to earth, and

no doubt he understood the burden of sin. He understood that sin was universal.

Okay, so this woman was in focus, but he somehow brought in

to focus all her accusers with it, and finally he acquitted based on his

knowledge. He said, I don't condemn you sin no more. I thought

that was a very fitting story in just portraying some of the factors that our

consciences deal with. Paul used the word most frequently, and Peter did as

well. And it's found in Hebrews and the Old Testament. As we understand

the provision that God gave for sin. In Hebrews ten, it says this,

for the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not

the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered

year by year, continually make the comers thereunto perfect, For then would they

not have ceased to be offered, because that the worshippers once purged should have

had no more conscience of sin or of sins. It's plural there From that

verse Hebrews ten and verse two, it seems like under the Old Covenant,

the conscience understood past sin and felt felt somewhat of a connection while it was

covered. God had provided a remedy to cover it. And yet it seems

like there was a sense of knowledge of past sin that perhaps you and I

don't don't experience today because of Christ's sacrificial payment. David said some fifty one

three before I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

That was in his confession that some fifty three or some fifty one, I

believe it was some fifty one, his confession regarding his sin with Bathsheba,

and so he related to conviction. And yet he also recognizes in that chapter

a very clear forgiveness of God. So we don't know how all that was.

Just we'd like to note a few more passages here before we before we

go into a bit of an outline. In Romans two, and several verses

that are in parentheses speaking of the gentiles, I'll just read them without too

much comment, and then we'd like to go back to John chapter Saint John

Chapter one. But in Romans two we read verses thirteen, fourteen, and

fifteen. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but

the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the gentiles which have

not the law, do by nature the things contain in the law, these

having not the law are a law unto themselves, which show the work of

the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts,

the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another the work of the law written

on their hearts. Excuse me all right now, John, Saint John Chapter

one. Saint John, speaking of Christ, and as John the Baptist entered

into the picture with with the preparation for Christ. John one, verse three.

All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made.

That was made in him was life, and the life was the light

of man. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it.

Not the darkness did not understand. There was a man sent from God

whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness

of the light, that all men through him might believe he was not that

light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the

true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was

in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world

knew him. Not. He came unto his own, and his own received

him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power

to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

This lighting of every man that cometh into the world is the thought that

I gathered from this verse. Regarding man's conscience, we often think of conscience

and in light of guilt, in light of knowledge of sin, which I

believe is right, conscience being that component of man whereby we understand right from

wrong, light from darkness. But I wonder if it isn't also true to

understand conscience as being the area in which we understand God's approval and God's confirmation

because of a knowledge of right. I wonder if it doesn't work both ways.

The true light now lighteth every man that comes into the world. We

understand every man has a conscience. Every man has a sense, I believe,

And because we're in the period of Thanksgiving, I would like to consider,

very briefly, an appreciation for what has influenced you're in my conscience.

You know, it starts very early. As parents, we work to invest

in the lives of little ones to influence them to have a knowledge of right

and wrong. It's the cookie jar that develops an opportunity for investment in their

conscience, or the candy jar. It's the item on the floor that you

only have one of and you have two people needs to be shared. The

opportunities of influence into conscience. If you have had a Christian set of parents

who have influenced your conscience, I'd like to just mention appreciation for that.

This morning, I was just thinking, as I was studying this, what

it would be like to grow up in a home where that would not be

the case, and I would not have a parent to put a check in

my life when it came to making decisions, personal decisions and sorting that out,

finding finding that direction. What would that be like to grow up somewhat

needing to figure that out on my own conscience? In every man in the

world, the sight of the patrol car by the side of the road,

it triggers something in me. Why because it's it's my knowledge of law,

my knowledge that there is there is consequences for action, my knowledge of right

and wrong conscience. Jesus says, or rather John says of Jesus, that

the true light lights every man that comes into the world. We understand that

conscience has it has the ability to be influenced correctly, and obviously there are

there are some incorrect influences as well that mankind deals with, and therefore we

need law. I've entitled this study the Keeper of the Light, and we'd

like to look at three passages. Jesus never used the word in our King

James version, but I would like to look at three passages of Christ and

consider what his teaching was. In August of this year, we our family

had had the privilege of being out at Newport and we went up one day

and we toured the Yaquina Head Lighthouse, so probably a location familiar to most

of you, and they were giving tours of it that day, and we

decided to wait in line and wait for our turn. So after a couple

of cycles, we were able to be up front and at the front of

the line and take this tour in So we stepped inside and the tour guide

showed us through the very basic structure there. It's a lighthouse, like pretty

much all lighthouses, I guess, but its history goes back aways and so

back in the in the eighteen seventies, I believe it was, it was

finally completed and ready to begin use. The tour guide showed us some vats

they kept the fuel oil in, and the fuel oil of that day was

lard, and so every so often there would be a ship come in and

would bring a renewable, replenishing source of lard for for the fuel source.

So lard gets hard, and they had to keep it warm so that it

would be fluid. And perhaps every day, I'm not sure, the light

keeper would carry a couple of jugs up to the light at the top because

it was a wicked light. It was a light they had a wick that

was it was in a reservoir of oil. And as we stood there underneath

those steps, we weren't allowed to go up. But underneath those spiral steps,

as we stood there, the two guy to explained to us that this

light, which originally was wicked, it changed over time the kind of of

illumination that it had. But but originally it was it was that that that

light source, how that the lens of the light would collect the light,

would reflect the light, and would refocus it in a in a very concentrated

beam. It was the It was the light, the frenal light lens that

was responsible for bringing this light into a concentrated beam that could then be be

shown. And so the the keepers of the light had regular cleaning. Cleaning

was was a regular part of that job. I thought that was somewhat of

a of a good illustration of conscience. Not a keeper of the light,

as in building a fence around it and guarding it, but rather a keeper

of the light, as in entrusted with to care for and present it beyond

myself. Turn with me to Matthew six. We have looked at this passage

already this morning, and I appreciated the comments to it, and I believe

that this this carries forward the same train of thought Jesus here, we've read

them already. I think I'll read them again. But in Matthew six,

yeah, I think I'll read only verses twenty two and twenty five. Three

He says, the light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine

eye be single, healthy, thy whole body shall be full of light.

But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.

If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is

that darkness? And I appreciated the comments this morning. This is a passage

that I have not understood, and I probably still don't understand. I'm sure

I don't. Fully, it does seem to me that perhaps Jesus is speaking

to the airy in our lives that deserns light from darkness. And perhaps we

could fit conscience into this idea of the eye. I think it would it

would fit, but I don't know for sure if he meaning that. But

I think as we consider conscience, the heart of man and the mind or

thoughts of man interweave into conscience. And I don't necessarily separate those three.

But the conscience being an organ God has given us to recognize light and dark

right from wrong. You know, you need the ability to recognize light in

order for light to do it's good to be effective. Our family recently read

the book What the Blind Man Saw, and it's a It's a children's book

about a man who was I believe born with one eye blind and the other

one impaired, and by the age of twenty two twenty four, he was

completely blind. Very energetic person, very devoted person, with initiative, and

he didn't need a flashlight. He would work through the night. One of

his things was assembling farm equipment, and he had his business. And perhaps

you've read the book, but he would work through the night, getting ready

his order for the next day, and it was dark. In order to

recognize light, we need an organ that will do that. And I believe

God has given us a conscience so that we can. It's a coperception,

it's a moral consciousness. From these verses in Matthew six, we understand that

a healthy conscience enables us to understand truth, and understanding truth gives us a

healthy conscience. They work together. And conversely, when my conscience is distorted,

when it's evil or is influenced to believe wrongly, it prevents the entrance

of truth. And that prevention of truth coming in only feeds on the conscience

being distorted. And so it is our ability to recognize light. Roman seven,

verse seven. I'll read it for us. You don't need to turn

there. But in that familiar chapter of Paul Paul's discourse on knowing what is

right but being unable to do what is right Roman seven to seven. I'll

probably read a few verses from this passage. He says, what shall I

say? Then? Is the law sin God forbid? Nay? I had

not known sin but by the law. For I had not known lust,

except the law had said thou shalt not covet. But sin taking occasion by

the command wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law,

sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once. But when

the commandment came, sin revived and I died, and the commandment, which

was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. Isn't that condemnation

coming through? For sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me, and by

it slew me. Or for the law is holy, and the commandment holy

and just and good? And he goes on. Was then that which is

good made death unto me? God forbid? But sin, that it might

appear sin working death in me by that which is good, that sin by

the commandment might become exceeding sinful. M All right, it's our ability.

Conscience is our ability to recognize what the law is saying, Paul felt condemn

without the ability to obey, I guess would be what the passage seems to

be saying here in chapter seven. All right, let's go to Luke eleven.

It's a bit of a parallel passage to the Matthew six to one,

and Luke eleven, Jesus is teaching again on light Verses thirty three to thirty

six, full of light. And maybe I'll mention before we read it that

our Bibles say candle, and candle is light. Perhaps they would be as

accurate, or more accurate, to say lamp, something that had a reservoir

of oil to draw from for lighting Verse thirty three of Luke eleven. No

man, when he has lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place,

neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come

in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye.

Therefore, when nine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of

light. But when thine eye is evil, thy whole body also is full

of darkness. Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in thee

be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having

no part dark. The hole shall be full of light, as when the

bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. I like the terminology here

full of light. This candle, if it is a lamp, if it

is one in which the fuel source is outside of itself, it needs to

be replenished. I think it. It very aptly describes the way in which

our consciences desern truth coming to us, as well as sharing that truth with

others. Because it is sourced from God. It is God's light. Light

flows through us. It comes from beyond ourselves, and then it reaches far

beyond us. And the conscience is God's God's investment in us to be able

to do that. I believe the light in us is God's light. Now

for the third passage, John sixteen. John sixteenesus is soon to depart from

this world, and he's preparing his disciples for that, and this is this

is him teaching on the coming of the spirit. And I believe that.

Well, let's just read. Let's read some of these verses. John sixteen,

Verses one to fifteen, the Spirit of God bringing clarity to our conscience.

These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

Jesus said not, because to stumble what I'm sharing with you is enabling

you to walk in the light. Verse two. They shall put you out

of the synagogues. Yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think

that he doeth God's service. And these things will they do unto you.

Because I have not known the Father nor me. But these things have I

told you that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told

you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning,

because I was with you. But now I go my way to him

that sent me, and none of you asketh me. Whither goest thou.

But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that

I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter will not

come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you.

And when he has come, he will reprove convict the world of sin

and of righteousness, and of judgment of sin. Because they believe not all

me of righteousness, because I go to my father, and you see me

no more of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. Jesus

is teaching on the work of the Spirit in the world today, and he

mentions three specific areas of conviction. Okay, we understand sin, the conviction

of sin. The conscience recognizes that quite readily. If it's been influenced for

right, it would probably include the nature of sin, how sin works in

our lives to bring us into bondage. It would probably include conviction of sin

would include guilt. And the work of the Spirit in our conscience may also

include the fact that sin is a result of unbelief. I think all of

those enter into the work of the Spirit convicting us on sin, all right,

conviction of sin, conviction of righteousness, And this one, I think

it portrays a the other side of the work of the Spirit when it comes

to the revelation and understanding the the the recognition of God's approval of his child,

righteousness, rightness of character, that which pleases the Father. The Spirit

will convict you on. And maybe maybe it's conviction somewhat in the same train

of sin in which I need to be reminded of what pleases the Father,

so I continue to grow. Maybe it's also conviction and what pleases the Father

in the sense that it confirms, and you're in my walk with God,

that we are pleasing the Father. I think we understand that through conscience as

well as guilt. And thirdly, the spirit brings conviction regarding judgment, because

the prince of this world is judged. Judgment is certain, judgment will come,

and so the work of the spirit is to is to bring a an

anticipation of that. The Spirit works in our conscience to expose not only sin,

but also righteousness, not ours but God's. Hebrews four to twelve says

that the Word is quick and powerful and sharper than a two edged sword,

piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and the joints and marrow,

and it discerns our thoughts and intents. I think that's right down in

our conscience, where the Word is dividing. Well, just a few things

regarding the I shall I say the characteristics of conscience things that we feel inside

of us. Three things that we feel. Guilt, peace, and accusation

are three things that I mentioned. Perhaps there's more more items, but guilt.

So when the consciences is sensitive and responding, guilt is readily recognized,

we understand that it's actually a gift. To recognize guilt as a gift guiding

peace. We recognize peace in our conscience, and I I think that peace

can be an elusive, an elusive thing that's hard, too hard to keep

hold of. There are there are things that trigger guilt. Guilt is a

gift. As I said, guilt is real, but there's also guilt that

Satan would intend to overlay into our lives that would rob us of peace,

guilt that would not be from God's spirit. And Philippians four six and seven

says, be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace

of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through

Christ Jesus protection, keeping protection from from Satan's turmoil Classians three fifteen. And

let the peace of God rule or umpire in your hearts to the which also

you're called in one body, and be ye thankful peace. The conscience understands

approval from God as it understands light and dark what God, what God recognizes

as right. As a conscience understands that, subjects to it, submits to

it, there's a there's a peace and arrest that comes from that. The

conscience also reckons with accusation, I think, and Satan is the accuser of

the brethren, it says in Revelation. One of the reasons I just am

making note of this you can turn to First Peter three if you'd like.

But one of the reasons I'm making note of this is that as our conscience

endeavors to define our standing before God, accusations of a of an incorrect nature,

but things we feel coming to us make our conscience sort out. So

is it true or isn't it? And okay, understand me. We need

to we need to accept, we need to accept, reproof and rebuke and

things of that nature. But sometimes our consciences sort through some things that are

really really difficult to understand. M this week I had the opportunity to be

i'll say, accused, and maybe that's why it's fresh on my mind.

And I didn't particularly feel like it was grounded, and but that was fine.

It gave me an opportunity to express patience and uh, kindness and forgiveness.

And as we talked through it, I believe that there was a sense

in which the other understood what maybe he didn't understand originally. But there was

an accusation there and uh, and it was it was tough to deal with.

It gave me some baggage to deal with. I'll say, the conscience

needs to sort through some things sometimes and desern, well where am I in

the light of God's truth? Ver's Peter three, verses fifteen and sixteen.

Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an

answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in

you, with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, that whereas they

speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be a shamed

that falsely accuse your good. Conversation in Christ, Peter seems to be saying

that we're not immune from this happening. It may happen to us, but

he's saying a good conscience will testify of conviction to the other. It works

that way. Verse say, let's conclude verses seventeen and eighteen, for it

is better if the will of God. Be so they suffer for well doing

than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, how

the just, for the just, the just for the unjust, that he

might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but

quickened by the spirit. And so we understand the twinge of guilt in this

organ of sight recognition, light recognition. We also understand God's approval of us

through that. As we draw to a close here, I'd like to take

us to first John, chapter two, and note a few things. I

believe God wants us to know that we know him. Well, that's a

simple statement. But God wants us to know we know him. I believe

we understand that, at least in part through our conscience. John two,

verse one, My little children, these things write I unto you that ye

sin not, And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the

Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous, and he is the propitiation for our

sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the

whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him if we keep

his commandments. Again, it's a recognition of God's standard in my heart,

in my mind and my conscience. In keeping of that, we do know

that we know him. He that saith I know him, and keepeth not

his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But

whoso keepeth his word in him, verily is the love of God perfected matured

hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith, he abideth

in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment,

which he had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you

have heard from the beginning. Again a new commandment. I write unto you,

which thing is true in him and in you. Because the darkness is

past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith, he is

in the light, and hateth his brother is in darkness, even until now.

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none

occasion of stomach in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness,

and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whether he goeth, because that

darkness hath blinded his eyes. I write unto you, little children, because

your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. I write unto you,

fathers, because ye have known him. That is from the beginning. I

write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one.

I write unto you little children, because you have known the Father. I

have written unto you, fathers, because you have known him. That is

from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because you

are strong and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome

the wicked one. I think we can include in there young men and young

women, fathers and mothers. I think we could, But it mentions just

the three groups there right to this group of people that they would know they

knew the Father. Confidence in that. I believe that walking in the light

is saying yes to what I know. Light comes from God. It's sourced

there. It's intended to project the beam that reaches other people. That lighthouse,

as I understand, was, had the ability to reach nineteen miles out

to sea, and it was interesting to me to consider how they placed their

lighthouses and the light beams being where they just about met, so that the

ships would be able to see one light about as soon as they left the

one behind them. And as I consider that that principle of what is flowing

forth from me defining life for those around me, it lays it lays a

responsibility upon me that I feel somewhat grave. But on the other hand,

light is not my own. I don't need to try to conjure up truth,

but rather, as I relate to my neighbors and those who I relate

to, it's not my judgment, it's not my definition. It's God's.

And so God uses us as vessels through our minds and hearts, to shine

a beam that will clarify and bring light to our world. May the Lord

bless you as you experience His assurance and peace and conviction in this organ of

light recognition. May the Lord bless you