MAY 1, 2016
The conscience 1
Memory verse: John 8:9 “And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst”
When some one says “Don’t you have a conscience? Or didn’t your conscience prick you? What do they mean?
What does conscience mean?
The word is first mentioned in John 8:9 “And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.”
The word conscience is taken from a Greek word “Sunedeisis” it means knowing with. It refers to the part of a man that knows the intimate things about that man. It is the part of a man that distinguishes between what is right and what is wrong.
It is important to note that the first thing we see with the conscience here is that it “convicts” of sin.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Conscience as a word in its Greek etymology also takes root from the word “suneido”. It means “with knowledge or information”.It refers to a consciousness in a man or woman based on the information available to them and in their environment.
If we go back to the garden of Eden you will notice that the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” speaks of the knowledge or consciousness of right and wrong.
Adam was created without this consciousness.
He was to operate by A God conscience or consciousness.
In Genesis 3:1-7 “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons”
A new information came to eve. Based on this information herself and her husband ate of the wrong tree. As soon as they did “a new conscience or consciousness developed in them”
The first thing it did was to convict them of wrong doing. A consciousness they never had before! The result? They sewed fig leaves! They attempted to cover themselves by self effort and their works.
The conscience of good and evil only produces sin and death.
God’s plan was a God conscience.
A Christ conscience or consciousness.
Man disobeyed and developed a sin conscience or consciousness.
Are you with me so far?
The scriptures describes 6 types of conscience .
1.Good conscience Acts 23:1
Acts 23:1 “And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day”
This means an excellent conscience.
Paul is saying I have served God in accordance to what I have seen in the word to be the way of serving him. I have done all in agreement with my conscience.
A good conscience is one void of offence.
Acts 24:16 “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men”
A man must exercise himself to have a conscience free of offence towards God and men. This means that within you, you must hold nothing against God and against men!
A good conscience!
It’s important to note that the word offence is the Greek “aproskopos” it refers to causing to stumble. That means offence in your conscience against God or men will cause you to stumble!
2. Pure conscience.
1 Timothy 3:9 “Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
A pure conscience is one free of guilt, blameless and unstained. Here Paul is speaking of teaching the word of Christ in an uncompromising way. Such that in your conscience nothing in there says you are going the wrong way.
CONFESSION: I have a good conscience, I hold a pure conscience. I exercise my conscience free of offence towards God and men. Amen!
FURTHER BIBLE READING: Psalm 66, Revelations 10
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