OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 10/05/2014 - CONSCIENCE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CONSCIENCE

MEMORISE

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 9:14

READ

Romans 1:18-32

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

MESSAGE

Conscience is an internal judge examining all that you do or say. It cries out before any wrong-doing. It does not keep quiet during the act and keeps on talking even after the act. Every man has a conscience. This fact is pointed out in 2 Corinthians 4:2. The conscience can exist in different states. These states affect the character exhibited by the conscience. Based on this character, the conscience can manifest itself as any of these: evil conscience, convicted conscience, weak conscience, good conscience and conscience devoid of offence. Consequent upon the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, man’s conscience became darkened and defiled. Our Bible reading for today tells the terrible story of what happens when the conscience becomes defiled, depraved and evil. It is an evil conscience that directs a man to bow down and worship an idol. It is an evil conscience that accuses a man of being anti-social when he refuses to entertain others with alcoholic drinks or partake in an immoral gathering. The conscience becomes convicted when a man hears the gospel of Jesus and the Holy Spirit quickens the word in the heart. When the hearer receives the word, he does one of two things: either he yields to the working of the Holy Spirit or he excuses himself (Romans 2:15). If he yields to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, he begins to feel sorrowful for his sins and soon, he is on his way to repentance. Have you yielded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit? The conscience becomes purged when a man yields to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and his awakened conscience puts pressure on him to conform to God’s stand on sin and righteousness. He begins to realise the evil of a depraved conscience, and this conviction leads to conversion or salvation. Such a person has his conscience purged and he begins to find joy in serving the living God. Conversion is therefore the recreation of a conscience which has long been silenced. A young convert will however find out that his conscience is still too weak to be relied upon (1 Corinthians 8:7). Such weak conscience may accept anything that is “not too bad”; ignoring the fact that anything that is not too bad is definitely not good. This weakness can be overcome by prayer, Bible study and constant obedience. To a sinner, the conscience is a burden; but to the saved, the conscience is a help, a friend to know, to love and a messenger from God which constantly reminds him of God’s standard, which is perfection (Matthew 5:48). The desire of God for every born-again believer is to have a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:5). One of the highest goals of a Christian life is to have a conscience devoid of offence toward God and toward men (Acts 24:16).

PRAYER POINT

I apply the blood of Jesus in cleansing my conscience from all dead works, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Genesis 21-23; Psalm 103:1-10