"Understanding Our Consciences" 6-part Series

INTRO: The book of Judges shows us that God is faithful, keeping His covenant promises to Israel, even when Israel is unfaithful to Him. He is gracious to them. Even though Israel did what was evil in His sight, worshipping Baal and the Ashtaroth, once they were captured or harmed by their enemies, they would eventually cry out in repentance. God would then raise up a judge to deliver them from their enemies. However, even these judges were not mature in their faith, in their relationship with YHWH. They would often deliver Israel but then participate in heinous sin as well.

The book of Judges screams out praise to YHWH for His steadfast love and faithfulness, and it also cries out for a King, a King of kings, who will deliver Israel from her enemies once and for all, and who will also rule them in obedience to YHWH.  We know God has provided us this King. His name is Jesus Christ. Therefore, Judges serves as a warning to us, concerning what happens to those who do not know God’s word, who do not hide it in their hearts. They go after false gods and commit heinous sins.

I. Point 1: A conscience is a moral guide given to all humanity from conception. It is not morally neutral, but is informed by “common grace,” “general revelation,” or “natural law,” and is distorted by sin. Whatever information a conscience has, it judges its owner by, for good or for ill.  Consciences can be evil or good, based on what information they are fed with faith. If they are fed with God’s word by the Holy Spirit, believing God’s word, they will judge you according to God’s word. If they are fed with unbiblical lies, believing these lies, they will judge you according to these lies.

ILLUS: Canada has legalized assisted-suicide for certain individuals. They’re getting more and more lenient on who qualifies for this. **They’re trying to inform people’s consciences so that they will not feel bad for wanting to take their own lives. This is pure evil. Only God has a right to give life and to take it away.  **This reminds me of a documentary I watched called, “The Bridge.” It’s a documentary about the Golden Gate Bridge and how many people choose to jump from it to take their own lives…2-3 per month. So many, in fact, that San Francisco is building a net in under the bridge that will be completed in 2023, they estimate.  But in this documentary, there is a couple, a husband and wife. And their son suffered for various reasons. But his father told him to go ahead and take his own life so that he would not suffer anymore. And they interview this couple. And they’re so heart-broken because they miss their son desperately. As I watched that, I thought of the devastating effects of the Devil’s lies! Oh, how people need the word of God! Oh, how they need the hope of the gospel! Jesus saves eternally! Run, run to Him and be saved forever!! He is more valuable than our pain and suffering; and He will never leave us! (Pastor Jeff Wright and I spend about an hour and a half discussing suicide on our podcast, Pop Culture Coram Deo, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/christian-understanding-suicide-dr-samuel-stephens/id1332025685?i=1000510159920)

Consciences can be evil or good…

Hebrews 9:14 - how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

According to Judges 11:29-40, we know our consciences are a guide because. . .

v.29-36 – 1. A conscience that disagrees with the Holy Spirit guides us to evil.

v.37-40 – 2. Evil consciences guide us to have evil desires, do evil actions, and suffer the consequences.

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