The Importance of a Clear Conscience in Knowing God - Br Suresh

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Key Points

Key Points

1. Conscience as a Guide to Knowing God:
   • The conscience, meaning "with knowledge," is likened to an eye or ear, enabling us to perceive God’s truth and glory (Matthew 6:20-24; Psalm 19:1-4).
   • A clear, sensitive conscience, driven by the fear and love of God, allows us to "see" God and live in His light, while a corrupted conscience leads to darkness.
2. The Role of Conscience in Judgment:
   • Our conscience will bear witness in the final judgment, accusing or defending us based on our alignment with God’s law (Romans 2:15; Acts 24:15-16).
   • Biblical figures like Paul and Job emphasized maintaining a blameless conscience as central to righteousness (Job 27:6).
3. Suppression of Truth and Its Consequences:
   • God’s eternal power and divine nature are evident through creation, leaving humanity without excuse for ignoring Him (Romans 1:18-20).
   • Suppressing this truth leads to a darkened heart, futile speculations, and idolatry, where people worship created things over the Creator (Romans 1:21, 25).
4. Humility as the Path to Wisdom:
   • Pride in human wisdom leads to deception; true wisdom comes from humbling oneself before God, becoming a "fool" in worldly terms (1 Corinthians 3:18).
   • Sin flatters the wicked, convincing them their actions are hidden, but the fear of God guards against such deception (Psalm 36:1-2).
5. Jesus’s Example of a Clear Conscience:
   • Jesus judged not by human senses but by the Spirit’s guidance, delighting in the fear of God (Isaiah 11:2-3; Isaiah 42:18-19).
   • A clear conscience requires being "blind and deaf" to worldly temptations and distractions, focusing solely on pleasing God.
6. The Nature of Temptation:
   • Temptation begins with strong desires (lust) that lead to sin and death if unchecked (James 1:14-15).
   • Satan’s tactics involve questioning God’s Word, rationalizing sin, justifying actions, and hiding guilt, as seen in Achan’s story (Joshua 7:21).
7. Overcoming Temptation and Accusation:
   • Surrendering to God’s will, trusting His Word, and living by His commands counteract temptation (Matthew 4:4; Luke 10:42).
   • Believers overcome Satan’s accusations through Christ’s blood and their testimony, serving God freely, not out of guilt (Revelation 12:10-11; Hebrews 9:14).
8. The Danger of an Oversensitive Conscience:
   • An oversensitive conscience, rooted in unbelief, fixates on minor issues or past sins, neglecting weightier matters like justice and mercy (Matthew 23:24).
   • True sensitivity to God’s voice comes from trust in His grace, not dead works or rituals aimed at earning forgiveness.

Challenging Points

1. Maintaining a Clear Conscience:
   • The sermon challenges believers to constantly strive for a blameless conscience, like Paul, rather than relying on a one-time salvation experience. This requires daily self-examination and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, which can be demanding in a distracting world.
2. Rejecting Human Reasoning:
   • The call to subordinate human intellect to the Holy Spirit’s guidance is challenging, as it confronts our tendency to over-rely on reasoning or cultural wisdom, which can lead to spiritual blindness (1 Timothy 1:19).
3. Humility Over Pride:
   • Becoming a "fool" before God by admitting our limited understanding is countercultural, especially in an age that values intellectual pride and self-sufficiency (1 Corinthians 3:18).
4. Recognizing Subtle Temptations:
   • The sermon challenges us to identify strong desires (e.g., for honor, money, or revenge) as the root of temptation, which requires deep self-awareness and vigilance to avoid rationalizing sin.
5. Avoiding an Oversensitive Conscience:
   • Distinguishing between a healthy, sensitive conscience and a deceptive, oversensitive one is difficult. The sermon warns against fixating on minor issues or past sins, which can distract from God’s grace and lead to legalism or despair.
6. Living in God’s Light:
   • The idea that we only see true light in God’s light (Psalm 36:9) challenges us to seek divine revelation over human speculation, requiring patience and trust in God’s timing and methods.

Organised Notes

The Importance and Proper Use of Our Conscience

Good morning, brothers and sisters. Today, I want to discuss the importance and proper use of our conscience to progress in knowing God and avoid deceiving ourselves. Over the past few Sundays, we spoke about knowing God and not rejecting His discipline. The word "conscience" means "with knowledge"—"con" means "with," and "science" means "knowledge." How do we know God? How do we see God? Jesus said that the pure in heart shall see God.

The Conscience as the Eye of the Soul

The Bible compares the conscience to the eye. Let’s turn to "Matthew 6:20-24":

"Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

The question here is: What is your treasure? What is your heart seeking? When we say "heart," we’re not talking about the physical organ that pumps blood. We’re speaking figuratively about the source of our motivations and desires. What drives us? What is the fountain of our life, our purpose? Is it the fear of God, the love of God, or is it the love of money, honor, or some animal desire? Are we diverted and distracted from God’s love?

The passage says, "The eye is the lamp of the body." It’s not referring to the physical eye that allows us to see things, but to the conscience. If the conscience is clear—healthy or sincere—and if I am sincerely seeking to love God with all my heart and living in the light of what I know, then my whole body will be full of light. But if my eye is bad, my whole body will be full of darkness. Another translation says, "If your eye is single"—meaning there’s no other object of my heart’s desire except the fear and love of God—then we’ll have a sensitive conscience.

The eye is the most sensitive part of the body, cleansed many times a day. The Lord wants us to keep a sensitive conscience. The Spirit of God speaks to our conscience when we turn away. If the eye is bad or dark, how great is that darkness? The next verse says, "No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." A single eye, a clear conscience, and recognizing that God alone is my heart’s desire—driving everything in my life—is how we maintain a pure conscience. Jesus said, "The pure in heart will see God," and it’s through the conscience.

The Role of Conscience in Judgment

We will be judged on the final day. Let’s look at "Romans 2:15":

"They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or defending them."

This is how we will be judged. Therefore, Paul says in "Acts 24:15-16":

"Having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man."

Paul didn’t say, “I was saved once, and that’s it. I’m going to heaven, and I’ll certainly be in the judgment of the righteous.” No, he said, “I have to keep a clear conscience, a pure and blameless conscience. I always strive to maintain this.”

Consider the testimony of Job in "Job 27:6":

"I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days."

Brothers and sisters, the godliest men in the Old and New Testaments gave supreme importance to their conscience. This is the basis of our judgment.

The Danger of Suppressing the Truth

In "Romans 1:18" and onward, there’s a warning:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness."

When we suppress the truth in unrighteousness, God’s wrath is revealed because what can be known about God is evident within us. God has shown it to us since the creation of the world. His invisible attributes—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that we are without excuse.

Scientists make grand claims, but they haven’t begun to understand the mysteries of how God works. There’s speculation, and some progress is made—that’s not bad. But we can’t fully grasp the mysteries of who God is, His power, or how He works. What can be understood? That He has a divine nature and eternal power—these are evident to us. How? Not through complex logic, but through standing in awesome wonder, considering all that God’s hands have made.

Psalm 19 says:

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth."

It seems contradictory: the heavens declare God’s glory, but there’s no audible voice. We don’t hear the stars speaking. Yet, their voice goes out through all the earth. How do we hear or see God’s glory? Here, the conscience is pictured as the ear. Our conscience makes us aware of God. "Day to day pours forth speech", yet "there is no speech, there are no words." It’s through the conscience. Night to night reveals knowledge.

Living in the city, we rarely look at the stars. But if we gaze at the hills or consider how we are wondrously made by God, and bow down in our hearts, we hear this voice that has gone out to all the earth. God’s eternal power, divine nature, and invisible attributes are clearly seen through our conscience.

The Consequences of Rejecting God

Returning to "Romans 1:21":

"Though they knew God, they did not honor Him or give thanks."

Everyone knows there is a mighty God, yet many do not honor Him or give thanks. If thankfulness fades and unrest enters our hearts, it’s the starting point of a slippery slope. Their hearts were darkened; they became futile in their speculations. Professing to be wise, they became fools. In "Romans 1:25":

"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever."

They stopped worshiping God and were attracted to created things instead of giving the rightful place to the Creator. "Professing to be wise, they became fools." In "1 Corinthians 3:18":

"Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise."

If anyone thinks they are wise, they risk deception. To become wise, we must humble ourselves, recognizing that before an all-wise God, we know nothing. That is the door to wisdom.

The Deception of Sin

Sin flatters the wicked. In "Psalm 36:1-2":

"Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated."

Sin says, “It’s not serious. You don’t have to hate it. God will overlook it.” Satan lied to Eve, saying, "You surely will not die." The Living Bible says sin lurks deep in the hearts of the wicked, urging them to evil deeds, with no fear of God to hold them back. They think they can hide their deeds. "Psalm 36:4" says:

"They lie awake at night to hatch their evil plots instead of planning how to keep away from wrong."

God gave us intelligence to plan how to avoid wrong, with the fear of God holding us back. In "Proverbs 3:5":

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

Instead, "Psalm 36:5-9" encourages us:

"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like the great deep. How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light."

We must occupy our hearts with God’s love and worship Him. The only way to see light is in God’s light. We must wait for the Holy Spirit’s revelation, not filling our minds with proud thoughts.

Jesus’s Example of a Clear Conscience

Jesus did not judge by what His eyes saw or ears heard. In "Isaiah 11:2-3":

"The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He shall delight in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide by what His ears hear."

The Spirit of God rested upon Jesus, making Him fruitful. We nurture our conscience, distinct from reason, to discern God’s voice. Like closing our eyes to focus on hearing, we must quiet our intellect to hear God. In "Isaiah 42:19":

"Who is blind but My servant, or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as My dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the Lord?"

Jesus was blind and deaf to worldly temptations because His desire was to please His Father. We need this blindness to earthly distractions to see and hear God’s voice.

Balancing Reason and the Holy Spirit

Jesus didn’t ignore what He saw or heard, but He didn’t judge by them. Common sense is a gift, but reason must submit to the Holy Spirit. God’s wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, and reasonable—willing to yield. In "1 Timothy 1:19", some made a shipwreck of their faith by not keeping a clear conscience. Reason alone is like trying to see with our ears—it leads to nonsense. We must listen to humble, spiritual voices that pierce our conscience.

Understanding Temptation

In "James 1:14":

"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire."

“Lust” means any strong desire—revenge, honor, money, or otherwise. Temptation begins with a heart’s desire, leading to a choice, then reasoning to justify it. If submitted to God, our heart fears and worships Him, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our mind. A song lyric captures this: “If anything upon this earth attracts me with a sense of worth, Lord, give me light that I might see.” Jesus said, “Worship and serve God,” with the Spirit of the fear of God upon Him.

Satan’s Tactics and Our Response

Satan’s tactics start with a heart’s desire, leading us to question God’s Word and love, then to reason and justify, and finally to sin and hide, like Achan in "Joshua 7:21": he saw, coveted, took, and hid. If we persist, our conscience becomes seared, and we mock others. In contrast, Jesus said, “One thing is necessary. Listen.” We live by God’s Word, not bread alone. Like Abraham, we trust God’s promises without needing all the answers. Jesus countered Satan with, "It is written," looking at the whole of God’s Word and surrendering to His will. Those who fear God examine themselves joyfully, correcting their ways, while others justify and cover up.

Addressing an Oversensitive Conscience

A sensitive conscience is good, but an oversensitive conscience stems from unbelief. Satan tempts and accuses to discourage us. In "Revelation 12:10-11":

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even unto death."

We overcome by Christ’s blood and our testimony, willing to die for Him. "Hebrews 9:14" says:

"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?"

Christ’s blood frees us from dead works—efforts to earn forgiveness. When Satan accuses, we look to Jesus, who ended all our sin. God’s light reveals our sin clearly but also His greater grace. An oversensitive conscience obsesses over small things or past sins, neglecting weightier matters like justice, mercy, and faithfulness, as Jesus said of the Pharisees in "Matthew 23:23":

"You tithe mint and dill and cumin... but you have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness."

Brothers and sisters, we must humble ourselves, listen to God’s voice, and trust His mercy. He will guide us through a sensitive conscience and the Holy Spirit’s power.

Amen.

Complete Notes

Good morning, brothers and sisters.

I want to talk about the importance and the proper use of our conscience to progress in knowing God and not to deceive ourselves. We spoke about knowing God the last few Sundays and not rejecting His discipline. The word "conscience" means "with knowledge." "Con" means "with," and "science" is "knowledge." How do we know God? How do we see God? Jesus said that the pure in heart shall see God.

The Conscience as the Eye of the Soul

The Bible gives us a picture of the conscience as being like the eye. If we can turn to Matthew chapter 6, verses 20 to 24:

Matthew 6:20-24
Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

The question here is, what is your treasure? What is your heart seeking or looking for? It says that the conscience is like the eye:

When we say "heart" here—"where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"—we’re not talking about the physical organ that pumps blood. We’re talking figuratively about the source of our motivations and desires. What drives us? What is the fountain of our life, our purpose? The question is: Is it the fear of God, the love of God, or is it the love of money, the love of honor, or some animal desire? Are we diverted and distracted from God’s love?

It says, "The eye is the lamp of the body." It’s not talking about the physical eye. The physical eye allows us to see things, but here, it’s talking about the conscience. If the conscience is clear (in the margin, we can see "healthy" or "sincere"), and if I am sincerely seeking to love God with all my heart and living in the light of what I know, then my whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.

Another translation says, "If your eye is single"—oh, there’s no other object of my heart’s desires except the fear of God and the love of God—then we’ll have a sensitive conscience. We know that the eye is the most sensitive part of the body. It’s the one part of the body we cleanse many times a day. The Lord wants us to keep a sensitive conscience. The Spirit of God will speak to our conscience when we turn away.

It says, "If the eye is bad or dark, how great is that darkness?" The next verse says, "No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." A single eye, a clear conscience, and recognizing that He alone is my heart’s desire—He alone drives everything in my life—is how we can keep a pure conscience. Jesus said, "The pure in heart will see God," and it’s through the conscience.

The Role of Conscience in Judgment

We will be judged in that final day. We can look at Romans chapter 2, verse 15:

Romans 2:15
They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or defending them.

This is how we will be judged in the final day. Therefore, Paul says in Acts 24:15:

Acts 24:15-16
Having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

Because there will be a righteous judgment of both the unrighteous and the righteous, Paul wants to be in that second judgment. He says in verse 16:

Paul didn’t say, "I was saved once, and that’s it. I’m going to heaven, and I will certainly be in the judgment of the righteous." No, he says, "I have to keep a clear conscience, a pure and blameless conscience. I always strive to maintain this."

We know the testimony of Job. Job 27:6 says:

Job 27:6
I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

Brothers and sisters, we see that the godliest men in the Old Testament and the New Testament gave supreme importance to their conscience. This is the basis of our judgment.

The Consequences of Suppressing the Truth

In Romans, there’s a warning in Romans 1:18 onward:

Romans 1:18-20
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. You suppress the truth in unrighteousness, and the wrath of God is revealed because what can be known about God is evident within them. For God has shown it to them since the creation of the world. His invisible attributes—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Brothers, it says quite clearly that all these things—what is evident, what can be known about God—we cannot begin to understand the science. Scientists make lots of big claims, but they have not begun to understand the mysteries of how God does things. There’s a lot of speculation. Some things we know; we make progress. That’s not a bad thing. But we can’t begin to understand the mysteries of who God is, His power, how He works.

But what can be understood about Him? That He has a divine nature, that He has eternal power—these things are evident to us. How are they evident to us? It’s not some major logic. It’s just that we stand in awesome wonder. Consider all the things Thy hands have made. Psalm 19 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God." Without humility, we become so foolish, brothers and sisters, to just humbly stand before the Lord and behold all that He has made and consider His eternal power, His divine nature. These things are evident through the things He has made.

Psalm 19:1-4
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth.

I found it very interesting here. It says:

And the next verse, Psalm 19:4, says:

So it seems like there’s a contradiction. He’s saying, "The heavens are declaring the glory of God, but they’re not speaking with an audible voice." We don’t hear the stars saying anything. But verse 4 says, "Their voice has gone out throughout all the earth."

So how are we hearing these things? How do we hear or see the glory of God? Here, the conscience is pictured like the ear. We have a conscience that makes us aware of God. We recognize it says, "Day to day pours forth speech." The next verse says, "There is no speech, there are no words." It’s through the conscience. Night to night reveals knowledge.

I was thinking—we live in the city now, and it’s rare that we go out and look at the stars. But if we do that, if we go look at the hills, the things that God has made, if we think about ourselves and that we are wondrously made by God, and we bow down in our hearts—this voice has gone to all the earth. That which can be known about God—His eternal power, His divine nature, His invisible attributes—has been clearly seen through our conscience.

Going back to Romans 1, it says:

Romans 1:21
Though they knew God, they did not honor Him or give thanks.

Everybody knows this. They may say all sorts of things, and they may be taught all sorts of things. It may not be their fault. From a young age, people may have filled their minds with so-called clever but actually foolish thoughts. But everybody knows that there is a God, a mighty God. Yet they did not honor Him or give thanks.

If thankfulness goes away and unrest comes into our heart, then that is the starting point for a slippery slope downward. It says that their hearts were darkened. They became futile in their speculations. They started thinking too much—useless thoughts—and, professing to be wise, they became fools.

Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.

So they stopped worshiping God and started giving importance and getting attracted by things that were made—man-made things or other created things—instead of giving the rightful place to the Creator.

It says, "Professing to be wise, they became fools." I thought of this verse in 1 Corinthians 3:18:

1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

If anyone thinks he is wise in this age, he is in danger of being deceived. Let him become a fool. How do we become a fool? It’s not difficult. Just humble yourself and recognize that before God, you’re a fool. You don’t know anything. Before an almighty, all-wise God, we humble ourselves. And that is the door to wisdom.

The Deception of Sin and the Need for Humility

It says that sin flatters the wicked. We can look at this in Psalm 36:1-2:

Psalm 36:1-2
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

Sin will speak to you, saying, "Hey, it’s not so serious. You don’t have to hate it. You can enjoy it. God will overlook it. And if you have high thoughts and this is the direction you’re going to go, you’ll get away. You won’t be caught." Satan lied to Eve, saying, "You surely will not die."

The Living Bible says that sin lurks deep in the hearts of the wicked, forever urging them on to evil deeds. They have no fear of God to hold them back. Instead, in their conceit, they think they can hide their evil deeds and not get caught.

Psalm 36:4
They lie awake at night to hatch their evil plots instead of planning how to keep away from wrong.

God has given us intelligence so that we can plan how to keep away from wrong. It’s the fear of God that holds us back, that prevents us from listening to the voice of sin.

In Proverbs, we know this verse:

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Do not lean on your understanding. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

In Psalm 36, after it talks about the wicked, it goes on to say:

Psalm 36:5-6
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like the great deep.

These are the things we must occupy our hearts and minds with, brothers and sisters, and bow down and worship.

It says:

Psalm 36:7
How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

And verse 9 says:

Psalm 36:9
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light.

The only way we can see light is in the light of God. When God shines His light on our lives, we must have that longing for the revelation of God and humble ourselves and say, "Lord, it’s only in Your light that I see light. It’s only in Your light that I know the most eternal, important truths. I can’t get it any other way."

We must wait for revelation from the Holy Spirit and not jump in and fill it up with explanations from our own proud thoughts.

Jesus as the Model of a Clear Conscience

We see the example of Jesus. It says Jesus did not judge by what His eyes saw or His ears heard. We can look at this in Isaiah 11. It’s a glorious description of Jesus and how the Spirit of God rested upon Him. Isaiah 11:3 says:

Isaiah 11:2-3
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He shall delight in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide by what His ears hear.

This is what we want. This should be the longing of our hearts. As we keep a sensitive conscience, the Spirit of God will rest upon us—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and strength, the Spirit of the fear of the Lord.

The verse before that says:

This is the secret of fruitfulness in our life. Part of allowing the Spirit of God to rest upon us is not to judge by what our eyes see and what our ears hear.

Just like the eyes and the ears are distinct from each other, the conscience is a distinct faculty from our reason. We have to nurture it in order to discern the voice of God.

We often shut our eyes if we want to concentrate on what we’re hearing. If we’re listening to something intently, we shut our eyes. Or if we’re watching something intently, we can’t shut our ears, but we stop hearing. If someone’s talking to us and we’re watching something intently, we won’t hear what they’re saying.

In the same way, brothers and sisters, I worry. I look at myself, and I listen to brothers and sisters, and I feel that we have overdeveloped the muscles of our reasoning and our intellect. We get puffed up, and we can be blind and deaf to the voice of the Lord.

Again, in Isaiah 42:19, it talks about Jesus:

Isaiah 42:19
Who is blind but My servant, or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as My dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the Lord?

I typed this phrase—"Who is so blind but My servant"—and ChatGPT pulled up a result from CFC. I was happy to see that the truth is going out there. It talks about Jesus. It says that Jesus was blind and deaf to the temptations and distractions and the logic of this world because He had no desire for anything except to please His Father.

The verse before that says:

Isaiah 42:18
Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!

There is a blindness to the things of this earth that we need so that we may be hearing and seeing the things of God.

I think of that song we sing:

"Let me die to myself, so dead that no desire may rise to be seen, to appear as good or great or wise in any but my Savior’s eyes. Let me die to myself."

Jesus said:

Matthew 11:25
I praise You, Father, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and revealed them to babes - The foolish ones with a clear conscience.

At the same time, it doesn’t say that Jesus ignored what His eyes saw and His ears heard, but that is not how He judged or decided things. Just like our conscience is a gift of God, common sense is also a gift of God. But our reason must be like the wife that submits and supports the Holy Spirit.

It says about God’s wisdom that it is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, willing to yield. That word "reasonable" means "willing to yield." We will not be self-confident and assertive on the basis of our reason. But reason and the Holy Spirit can work together.

1 Timothy 1:19
Holding faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have made shipwreck of their faith.

I see it like this: Just as a man cannot see through his ears—no matter how good his hearing is, his hearing might be very well developed—if he stops using his eyes, his hearing will be even more developed. But if you ask him, "Is this red?" he’ll have no idea. And if he’s a clever person, he may speculate. He may say, "Okay, I heard—I can’t see—but I heard that a fire engine is red. It makes a certain sound. My alarm clock makes the same sound, so maybe that is also red."

This is the way intellectual people speak about the Bible. It sounds very fascinating because we are also intellectual. We like to listen to these kinds of things. But it’s absolute nonsense.

Find a humble man, a spiritual man who knows the Lord, who walks with the Lord, and listen to him. Simple things—let it pierce your heart and let your conscience be pricked.

We have to use our reason in submission to the Holy Spirit.

The Nature of Temptation and Satan’s Tactics

I wanted to look at what temptation is. In James 1:14, James explains what temptation is:

James 1:14-15
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

When you think of the word "lust," we just automatically think of sexual desire. But the word itself just means a strong desire. It could be in any area—a desire to take revenge, a desire to preserve my honor, a desire to make money. Just a strong desire in any area.

It says we are carried away by our own lust. And lust, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.

So it’s good to recognize that it is a strong desire that is at the beginning of every temptation. It is because my heart is attracted by something or my heart fears something that is my impulse. Then I make a choice, and after that, my mind starts finding a reason for it.

If we are spiritual and submitted to God, then our heart will fear God and worship Him. The door to the Holy Spirit is our will responding in delight or in the fear of God to His voice through the voice of our conscience. That will allow our mind to be transformed. That’s the order.

I wanted for us to look at Satan’s tactics and temptations.

The starting point is that we have a heart’s desire. It could be for revenge, honor, money, something in this world—it could be sexual lust.

This is the line that came to me from Brother Zach’s song:

"If anything upon this earth attracts me with a sense of worth, Lord, give me light that I might see."

When we look at Jesus’s example, He said, "Worship and serve God." The Spirit of the fear of God rested upon Him.

Again, this song says:

"Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all."

I can sing this on a Sunday morning and mean it, but I want it to really sink into my heart and govern my choices. I want to recognize that lack of thankfulness, that unrest, that strong desire.

What does that strong desire lead me to do? It leads me to question the truth of God’s Word and the truth of God’s love. That is Satan’s next step. I question the truth of God’s Word.

The next step after that is I start reasoning and speculating: "Did God really say? What did God really mean? How can I adjust this strong desire of mine along with God’s Word?"

The next step is to convince ourselves and convince others, justify ourselves, justify our reasoning. Then I choose—I choose for myself. I grab. I commit sin, or I fight for my rights, or I run away when I should be standing strong in the strength of God—not taking a stand for Jesus.

It’s my will, my share, my reputation. That is the desire. Like the prodigal son said, "Give me my share. I will fight for my rights. I will stand for my reputation. Why should I lose out?"

Then what happens? Because our conscience is there—it doesn’t go away unless you’ve killed it entirely—we hide. We cover up. We justify.

There’s a picture of Achan in Joshua 7:21. He saw a bar of gold and some shiny clothes. He saw, he coveted, he took, he hid. This is the pattern of Satan’s deception in our life.

Joshua 7:21
When I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.

If we continue this way, we will become mockers because our conscience is seared. We look at others and say, "Oh, they’re so foolish. I’m clever. I escaped. I got away with it. And I said a prayer also—God will forgive me." And we make fun of others who fear God.

Following Jesus’s Example of Obedience

In contrast, we look at Jesus’s example. It starts with worship and a fear of God. Then He said, "One thing is necessary. Listen. Sit at My feet and listen." Mary has found the important thing.

Luke 10:42
But one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

I listen in quietness to my conscience. I listen for the voice of God. And when God gives me a word, I live by that word. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Matthew 4:4
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

So I trust—we have reason on the other side. No, there is trust. We understand words to a certain extent. That’s fine. That’s necessary. That’s okay. But to speculate beyond that? No. God’s Word is true.

I think about Abraham holding on to the promise of God. Why should God choose me? Is there an answer to that question? Why should God choose any of us? There’s no answer to that question. We’ll never understand that. It’s the love of God. It’s unfathomable.

When is God going to give me a son? How exactly is He going to do it? I don’t need to know the answers to these questions. But God will give me a son. Even though I’m growing older, He will do it. That’s His promise. I hold on to it.

We see Jesus’s example. He repeated: "It is written." Satan, in his reasoning, also said, "It is written." Jesus said, "It is also written." He looked at the whole of God’s Word and waited to understand what the will of God is.

Instead of choosing, we surrender. Surrendering is also a choice. God is not going to take that choice away from you. But we surrender to the will of God, and we put the flesh to death. Surrendering to God’s will means we obey Him.

What happens after that? You can see a marked difference between those who love the Lord and fear the Lord: We are willing to examine ourselves and test ourselves with God’s Word. If a godly brother gives his opinion, we are joyful to receive that because, "Hey, I might have got it wrong, and I’m so happy if I get it right now. At least I can correct myself. Praise God."

On the other hand, like I said, the person who’s leaning on his intellect and listening to the temptations of Satan will justify, cover up. Finally, we can respect others—not mock them.

Addressing an Oversensitive Conscience

I want to speak briefly about what is called an oversensitive conscience.

A sensitive conscience is a good thing. The more sensitive our conscience is as we listen to God, the better it is. The more we can be like Jesus.

But what we call an oversensitive conscience is actually a deception. There’s a root of unbelief over there. We must recognize it because we know that Satan is described both as a tempter who deceives us by tempting us and as someone who deceives us by accusing us in order to discourage us.

Revelation 12:10-11
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even unto death."

This is how we overcome Satan. We point to the blood of the Lamb—the finished work of Christ—and the word of our testimony. "Yes, I am living on the basis and out of love for Jesus who died for me, and I’m willing to give my life up." That is the path I have taken. That is how we stand against Satan.

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?

It’s not talking about cleansing our conscience from sin. It says because our conscience is cleansed from all sin, we can be free from dead works. We can be free from works that come out of a desire to try and fix what we did.

There are works of restitution, and we do that because it means we are sorry. But we can’t earn God’s favor. We can’t earn God’s forgiveness. Any attempt to try and do that is a dead work.

When Satan accuses us—like that song says, "When Satan tempts me to despair, upward I look and see Him there who made an end of all my sin."

The truth of God has two parts to it. On one hand, I see my sin so much more clearly when the light of God shines in my life. My sin becomes more sinful to me. I say, "Oh wretched man that I am!"

At the same time, I see far more clearly the mercy of God, the finished work of Jesus Christ, and the grace of God that is able to overcome all of my sin. My sin becomes more sinful, but the grace of God becomes more clear to me, more powerful, and more available to me.

I can serve a living God—not as a slave. There’s a freshness in His commands. I serve Him because He loves me and because I love Him in return.

This oversensitive conscience—the root of it is unbelief. It’s very possible, as Jesus said, that we can strain at gnats and swallow camels.

I get obsessed with some small thing, and I think, "Oh, I have to do this in order to please God"—some external thing, very often something that people see, maybe some dead ritual. And I get obsessed with that, and I don’t have a conscience that is clear.

Or I think about some sins I’ve committed in the past that I’ve repented of, that I’ve forsaken, and I feel, "Am I really forgiven? No, I have to do something else."

Brothers and sisters, what happens when you get deceived and focus on something like this and do works that are not works of faith anymore? Then you can swallow camels.

Jesus said about the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:24
You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

You’re blind. You’re swallowing camels.

Brothers and sisters, it’s really important for us to humble ourselves, be quiet, and listen to the voice of God. Trust in the mercy of God. Trust in the grace of God. He will lead us through the quickening of our conscience. He will make it more sensitive, and He will guide our paths through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Questions

For Children (Ages 5–12)

These questions are simple, concrete, and encourage basic understanding of conscience and God’s guidance.

1. What does it mean to have a "clean heart" when you pray or think about God? (Relates to the pure in heart seeing God, Matthew 6:20-24.)
2. How can you listen to the little voice inside that tells you what’s right or wrong? (Introduces the conscience as a guide, Romans 2:15.)
3. Why do you think Jesus said we should only try to please God, not money or toys? (Simplifies the idea of serving one master, Matthew 6:24.)
4. What can you do when you feel tempted to do something naughty, like taking a cookie without asking? (Connects to temptation and making choices, James 1:14-15.)
5. How do you feel when you see stars or mountains? Does it make you think about God? (Links to God’s glory in creation, Psalm 19:1-4.)
6. What can you say to God when you’re sorry for doing something wrong? (Encourages understanding of repentance and God’s forgiveness, Hebrews 9:14.)

For Teens (Ages 13–17)

These questions challenge teens to reflect on their conscience and choices in a relatable way, addressing peer pressure and personal desires.

1. How can you tell if your conscience is trying to warn you about a bad choice, like cheating on a test? (Explores the conscience as a guide, Romans 2:15.)
2. What are some things (like social media, friends, or popularity) that might pull your heart away from God? (Relates to treasures of the heart, Matthew 6:20-24.)
3. Why is it hard to trust God instead of your own ideas when making decisions? (Challenges reliance on human reasoning, Proverbs 3:5.)
4. What’s an example of a temptation you face, and how can you say “no” to it like Jesus did? (Connects to Jesus’s example and temptation, Matthew 4:4.)
5. How can looking at nature, like the stars or the ocean, help you feel closer to God? (Ties to God’s glory in creation, Psalm 19:1-4.)
6. What does it mean to “become a fool” to be wise for God? How can you do that at school or with friends? (Explores humility and 1 Corinthians 3:18.)

For Youth (Ages 18–25)

These questions encourage deeper self-reflection and application to life decisions, relationships, and faith in a modern context.

1. How can you keep your conscience “clear” when faced with tough choices, like in relationships or at work? (Builds on Paul’s striving for a clear conscience, Acts 24:15-16.)
2. What desires (like success, fame, or approval) might tempt you to ignore God’s voice, and how can you stay focused on Him? (Relates to temptation and heart’s desires, James 1:14-15.)
3. Why do you think the Bible says we can’t serve both God and money (or other things)? How does this show up in your life? (Challenges priorities, Matthew 6:24.)
4. How can you avoid letting your own reasoning or society’s ideas drown out what God’s Word says? (Addresses over-reliance on intellect, 1 Corinthians 3:18.)
5. What does it mean to “surrender” to God’s will instead of chasing your own plans? Can you think of a time you did this or struggled to? (Explores surrender and obedience, Matthew 4:4.)
6. How can you tell the difference between a healthy conscience and one that’s too hard on you, like feeling guilty for things you’ve already repented of? (Tackles oversensitive conscience, Hebrews 9:14.)

For Mature Adults (Ages 26+)

These questions prompt deeper theological reflection, personal accountability, and application to complex life responsibilities.

1. How do you actively maintain a sensitive conscience in your daily walk with God, especially amidst life’s pressures? (Builds on the conscience as a lamp, Matthew 6:20-24.)
2. In what ways have you seen suppressing God’s truth (like His power in creation) lead to spiritual blindness in yourself or others? (Relates to Romans 1:18-21.)
3. How do you balance using your God-given reason with submitting to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in decision-making? (Challenges intellectual pride, 1 Timothy 1:19.)
4. What are some subtle temptations in your life (e.g., pride, control, or comfort) that could pull you away from fearing and loving God? (Deepens understanding of temptation, James 1:14-15.)
5. How can you cultivate humility to “become a fool” before God, especially when society values self-reliance and wisdom? (Explores 1 Corinthians 3:18.)
6. How do you respond to Satan’s accusations or an oversensitive conscience that makes you doubt God’s forgiveness? How does Christ’s finished work help? (Addresses overcoming accusation, Revelation 12:10-11; Hebrews 9:14.)
7. What practical steps can you take to listen to God’s voice through your conscience, like Jesus did, instead of judging by what you see or hear? (Reflects on Jesus’s example, Isaiah 11:2-3.)

Self Check

Self-Check and Self-Reflection Questions

1. Examining the Heart and Conscience

• Is my conscience clear and sensitive to God’s voice, or have I ignored its warnings in certain areas of my life? (Reflecting on Matthew 6:20-24 and the conscience as the lamp of the body.)
• What is my “treasure”? Are my heart’s desires focused on God’s love and fear, or am I distracted by things like money, approval, or personal desires? (Based on Matthew 6:20-24.)
• When was the last time I felt my conscience nudging me about a choice or action? Did I listen to it or suppress it? (Tied to Romans 2:15 and the conscience bearing witness.)
• Do I regularly ask God to keep my conscience sensitive, like cleaning my eyes daily, or have I let it become dull? (Inspired by the sermon’s analogy of the conscience as an eye.)

2. Evaluating Alignment with God’s Truth

• Am I truly seeking to know God through His Word and creation, or am I relying on my own understanding or worldly wisdom? (Reflecting on Proverbs 3:5 and Romans 1:18-20.)
• Have I been thankful for God’s evident power and nature in creation (e.g., stars, mountains), or have I taken these things for granted? (Based on Psalm 19:1-4 and Romans 1:21.)
• In what ways might I be exchanging God’s truth for lies, such as prioritizing worldly success or comfort over worshiping the Creator? (Tied to Romans 1:25.)
• Do I humbly admit my limitations before God, or am I tempted to think I’m wise by worldly standards? (Inspired by 1 Corinthians 3:18.)

3. Confronting Temptation and Sin

• What strong desires (e.g., for recognition, control, or pleasure) are tempting me to drift from God’s will? How can I surrender these to Him? (Based on James 1:14-15.)
• When faced with temptation, do I question God’s Word or rationalize my choices, like asking, “Did God really say?” or “Is this really wrong?” (Reflecting on Satan’s tactics and the sermon’s reference to Achan, Joshua 7:21.)
• Have I ever hidden or justified a wrong action instead of confessing it to God? What steps can I take to be honest with Him now? (Tied to the pattern of seeing, coveting, taking, and hiding.)
• Am I quick to examine myself with God’s Word and accept correction from others, or do I defend my actions to protect my pride? (Based on the contrast between Jesus’s obedience and self-justification.)

4. Following Jesus’s Example

• Do I seek to please God alone, like Jesus, or am I swayed by what I see and hear in the world around me? (Reflecting on Isaiah 11:2-3 and Isaiah 42:18-19.)
• How often do I sit quietly to listen for God’s voice through my conscience, like Mary choosing the “one thing necessary”? (Inspired by Luke 10:42.)
• Am I trusting God’s Word as my guide, like Jesus saying, “It is written,” or do I speculate beyond what He has revealed? (Based on Matthew 4:4.)
• In what areas of my life do I need to surrender my will to God’s, choosing obedience over my own desires? (Reflecting on the sermon’s emphasis on surrender as a choice.)

5. Overcoming Accusation and False Guilt

• Am I struggling with an oversensitive conscience, doubting God’s forgiveness for sins I’ve already repented of? How can I trust in Christ’s finished work? (Based on Hebrews 9:14 and Revelation 12:10-11.)
• Do I focus on minor issues (straining at gnats) while neglecting bigger matters like justice, mercy, and faithfulness? How can I realign my priorities? (Reflecting on Matthew 23:24.)
• When Satan accuses me or I feel discouraged, do I look to Jesus’s sacrifice and my testimony of faith to stand firm? (Tied to Revelation 12:10-11.)
• Am I trying to earn God’s favor through “dead works” (e.g., rituals or self-punishment), or am I serving Him freely out of love? (Based on Hebrews 9:14.)

6. Cultivating Humility and God’s Light

• Do I regularly ask God to shine His light on my life so I can see truth clearly, or do I rely on my own reasoning to understand eternal matters? (Inspired by Psalm 36:9.)
• How can I grow in humility, becoming a “fool” before God to receive His wisdom, especially in areas where I feel confident or self-sufficient? (Based on 1 Corinthians 3:18.)
• Am I open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, like Jesus, allowing the Spirit of wisdom and the fear of the Lord to rest on me? (Reflecting on Isaiah 11:2-3.)
• What practical steps can I take to keep my heart and mind focused on God’s steadfast love, faithfulness, and righteousness? (Tied to Psalm 36:5-7.)

How to Use These Questions

• Journaling: Write honest responses to these questions, reflecting on specific situations or patterns in your life.
• Prayer: Use these questions as prompts to pray for God’s guidance, forgiveness, and strength to align your conscience with His will.
• Accountability: Share your reflections with a trusted spiritual mentor or friend to gain insight and encouragement.
• Daily Practice: Revisit one or two questions each day to maintain a sensitive conscience and grow closer to God.

Serious Warnings on Keeping a Clear Conscience

1. A Corrupted Conscience Leads to Spiritual Darkness
   The Bible compares the conscience to the eye of the soul (Matthew 6:22-24). If your conscience is clouded by sin or worldly desires, your whole being will be filled with darkness. This darkness can blind you to God’s truth, making it impossible to see or know Him. Warning: Ignoring or dulling your conscience risks plunging your life into spiritual confusion and separation from God’s light, with devastating eternal consequences.
2. Suppressing the Truth Invites God’s Wrath
   God’s eternal power and divine nature are evident through creation, leaving no excuse for rejecting Him (Romans 1:18-20). When you suppress the truth your conscience reveals—choosing to ignore God’s voice for personal gain or comfort—you provoke His righteous wrath. Warning: Deliberately silencing your conscience to pursue unrighteousness stores up judgment for the final day, as your thoughts will accuse you before God (Romans 2:15).
3. A Seared Conscience Leads to a Shipwrecked Faith
   Neglecting a clear conscience can lead to a seared conscience, where you become desensitized to sin and God’s voice (1 Timothy 1:19). This was the fate of those who made a shipwreck of their faith by rejecting their conscience. Warning: If you continually ignore your conscience, you risk losing your faith entirely, becoming a mocker who justifies sin and despises those who fear God, with no hope of correction.
4. Temptation Exploits an Unchecked Conscience
   Temptation begins with strong desires that, if not submitted to God, lead to sin and death (James 1:14-15). Satan uses these desires to deceive you, urging you to question God’s Word and rationalize wrong choices, as seen in Achan’s downfall (Joshua 7:21). Warning: Failing to guard your conscience against temptation allows Satan to lead you into a cycle of coveting, sinning, and hiding, which can destroy your relationship with God and others.
5. An Oversensitive Conscience Can Deceive You
   An oversensitive conscience, rooted in unbelief, fixates on minor issues or past sins already forgiven, leading to dead works and spiritual paralysis (Hebrews 9:14; Matthew 23:24). This deception distracts you from weightier matters like justice and mercy. Warning: Obsessing over false guilt or rituals to earn God’s favor blinds you to His grace, causing you to “strain at gnats and swallow camels,” and potentially leading to legalism or despair.
6. A Defiled Conscience Risks Eternal Judgment
   The conscience bears witness to your actions, and you will be judged based on its testimony in the final day (Romans 2:15; Acts 24:15-16). Even the godliest, like Paul and Job, strove diligently to keep their conscience clear (Job 27:6). Warning: A defiled or ignored conscience will leave you defenseless before God’s righteous judgment, as it will accuse you of unrepented sin, potentially placing you among the unjust.
7. Pride in Human Wisdom Blinds the Conscience
   Relying on your own reasoning or worldly wisdom, rather than humbling yourself before God, darkens your conscience and leads to foolish speculations (1 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 1:21-25). Warning: Pride in your intellect can deceive you into worshiping created things over the Creator, hardening your conscience and cutting you off from the wisdom and light only God provides (Psalm 36:9).

Call to Action

These warnings underscore the critical need to nurture a clear, sensitive conscience through humility, obedience, and trust in God’s Word. Regularly examine your heart, confess sins, and surrender desires to God. Seek His light to guide your conscience (Psalm 36:9), and rely on Christ’s finished work to overcome Satan’s accusations (Revelation 12:10-11). Failure to do so risks spiritual blindness, divine judgment, and a life estranged from God’s presence. Take heed, as the state of your conscience shapes your eternal destiny.