Paul writes in Acts 24:16, “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”
As followers of Christ, it’s important to keep our conscience clear before God and everyone around us.
Our conscience is our alarm system. It’s our protection.
It’s been said that character is what we are when nobody is watching. That’s really true. When we do things that we know aren’t right, we try to hide them from our families and friends. But even then, God is watching.
He’s watching, not with a hammer ready to squash us, but with a willingness to send the Holy Spirit to convict us. God is for us, continually, but He doesn’t want us to have anything that would hinder our relationship with Him.
Few things in life can torment us as much as a guilty conscience.
And few things in life provide more contentment than the knowledge that we are obeying God’s commandments. A clear conscience is one of the rewards we earn when we obey God’s Word and follow His will.
When we as Christians follow God’s will and His plan for our lives, our earthly rewards are never-ceasing, and our heavenly rewards are everlasting.
But during those times that we are tempted and even fail (and we all are tempted and we all fail), we have to remember that we can keep secrets from other people, but we can never keep secrets from God.
God knows what we think and what we do. And if we want to please Him, we must start with good intentions, a pure heart, and a clear conscience.
That’s why it’s important for you and me to honor God by following His commandments. When we do, our character will take care of itself, and so will our conscience.
What’s the result? We won’t need to look over our shoulder to see who – besides God – is watching.
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1 comment:
God will know and the Holy Spirit will convict you/us...Jesus Christ provides the route to forgiveness. But it is also important to have accountability partners in your own life. This is an area in which I struggle. Call it my personal view, my upbringing, my professional demeanor, my unwillingness to show myself vulnerable...any way you call it, I struggle to find accountability partners. I struggle finding someone that I feel that close to, that I can just be completely open and trust, that one (or two) man/men that I can confess to when I fail, who can be supportive of me in my struggles.
But Jesus loves me and intercedes for me...even though, at times, I don't listen to the Holy Spirit and walk in my sin...when I fall. God forgives me over and over, and I know that He is patient because I fail at some things many times over.
God loves you as well and will provide you the same forgiveness through His Son. Ask and it shall be given; seek and ye shall find; knock and the door will be opened. Jesus is the answer for your sin and guilt and depression and wandering. Let Him be your friend today!
Love God, love people.
Jon
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