Making Biblical Decisions: Glorifying God in All of Life – July 12, 2024

As the purpose of our existence is to glorify God, every area of our life should bring God glory. Everything we do, say, and think should make God look as good as He really is. Often, Christians relegate glorifying God to the “spiritual” elements of life. We consider our Sunday worship, giving to Christian charitable organizations, and personal devotional time to be those things in our lives that bring God glory. And these things do bring God glory. However, our desire to glorify God should not stop with the “spiritual” things.
 
Once again, it would be wise to visit 1 Corinthians 10. A few weeks ago, we observed that we should consider how something builds up others in Christ when we make decisions. In 1 Corinthians 10:23, we observed that while all things are lawful, not everything is best. Paul then encourages Christians to respond to these questionable situations with wisdom. With this, Paul points to God’s glory.
 
We must remind ourselves of the controversy in that church. Pagans had been saved from idol worship to the worship of the one true God. However, the society around them was still centered around the pagan temple and idol worship. As the citizens brought their sacrifices to the temple, some meat was set aside for the priests and feasts. Any leftover meat was sold in a meat market at discounted prices. Many who had been saved out of idolatry struggled with consuming any meat offered to idols as their conscience informed them they were participating in the worship of those idols. However, some understood that those idols were just pieces of wood and stone (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). With this knowledge, they understood they were free to eat the meat.
 
Paul imagined a situation in which an unbeliever invited a believer to dinner. The unbeliever served up meat that had been offered to idols. Paul instructed the believer to eat the meat without asking where it came from. However, if another believer commented that the meat had been offered to idols, they were then to refrain from eating it for their fellow believer’s conscience.
 
With this argument, Paul makes a decisive statement for our examination of living for God’s glory. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Living for God’s glory involves even the mundane actions of eating and drinking. In this situation, Christians should care more about God’s glory than the wonderful steak dinner. Yet, Paul also includes drinking in this text, pointing to the deeper principle. Our entire life should reflect God’s glory. Every aspect, every deed, and every thought should bring God glory. Next week, we will expand this thought into the various areas of our lives. For this week, live for God’s glory!


Making Biblical Decisions: Defining God’s Glory – June 28, 2024

In Christian circles, we often use Christian language without defining our terms. We frequently assume that everyone understands us. However, I have discovered that we usually don’t understand many of these terms. As we discuss the principle of glorifying God, I think it is essential that we pause for a moment to ensure that we understand what that means. This is vital because God’s glory is the purpose of our existence. If we don’t understand God’s glory (and how to glorify God), we cannot fulfill our created purpose.
 
Scripture speaks often of God’s glory. Sometimes, God’s glory is something that He reveals.

· “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

· “And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the valley” (Ezekiel 8:4).

· “Then the cherubim lifted their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them” (Ezekiel 11:22).
 
Sometimes, Scripture speaks of God’s glory as who He is in His person.

· “And the Lord said, ‘Behold there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by” (Exodus 33:21-22).

· “They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass” (Psalm 106:20).

· “They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:23).

Using these passages and many others, theologians have sought to define God’s glory properly. Charles Ryrie informs us that the glory of God is “the awesomeness, splendor, and importance of God seen in some way.”[1] Jim Berg focuses on God’s greatness when he states that the glory of God is “that unique excellence that makes Him supreme – towering over everything else.”[2] Norman Geisler views God’s glory as “the outward radiance of His nature, and in this light is displayed the outward expression of the inward character of God.”[3] John Piper states, “God’s glory is the beauty of his manifold perfections.”[4] While Wayne Grudem takes a broader tact and attempts to draw in all that Scripture says about God’s glory. In one sense, “God’s glory is the created brightness that surrounds God’s revelation of himself.” This visible brightness is the “manifestation of the excellence of God’s character.” In another sense, the word glory means “honor” or “excellent reputation.”[5]

We can understand the magnitude of God’s glory in the many definitions. I think we can also create a working definition for ourselves. God’s glory is the picture and perfection of the absolute magnitude, greatness, and goodness of our unique God. When we understand God’s glory, we can begin to understand what it means to glorify God.

To glorify God means that we live in such a way that we acknowledge that our existence depends on God.[6] I often say that we glorify God by making Him look as good as He really is. When we live a life that glorifies God, our life paints an accurate picture of all God is as we seek to point to and replicate God’s character. This helps us understand God’s purpose in creation. God created all things to demonstrate who He is. To fulfill that purpose, we must live in such a way that we make God look as good as He really is.

Next week, we will examine what that looks like in everyday life. And we will seek to move forward to demonstrate that this is the only type of life that brings true satisfaction and joy.
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[1] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Transformed by His Glory (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1990), 18.

[2] Jim Berg, Created for His Glory: God’s Purpose for Redeeming Your Life (Greenville, S.C.: BJU Press, 2002), 29.

[3] Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology: God, Creation, vol. 2, Systematic Theology (4 Vols.) / Norman Geisler (Minneapolis, Minn: Bethany House Pub, 2003), 226.

[4] John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Books, 1996), 43.

[5] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 220.

[6] Geisler, Volume Two, 2:456–57.

 


Making Biblical Decisions: God’s Glory, Our Purpose – June 21, 2024

What is the purpose of your existence? This question has plagued man from the beginning of time. Philosophers and musicians alike wrestle with this question. At some point in life, most find themselves faced with this question. For some, this conflict arises in the middle school years as they transform from a child into a young adult. For others, this question rears its head as a midlife crisis. Unfortunately, many dodge the question and distract themselves from its implications through the variety of vanities this world offers.
 
Ultimately, man can only answer this question one of two ways: we exist for God’s glory or by accident. Using Darwin’s philosophy, modern culture loudly proclaims the second answer. Yet, because we could never truly accept that we exist by accident and, therefore, have no purpose, people instead live as though the purpose of their existence is their pleasure. The hedonism of our society drives marketing, entertainment, and even politics. Because most people choose not to think about the purpose of their existence, they live as though the ultimate purpose for their existence is themselves. As these individuals make decisions, what would lead to fulfilling their sinful passions drives their choices.
 
How did we get this way? Genesis 3 reveals the answer. As Satan approached the first people, he tempted them into sin by lying to them about the purpose of their existence. He informed them that they could be a god. Satan told them that the One True God was lying to them out of selfishness. He convinced them that they existed for themselves. And when they sinned through rebellion against God’s good purpose for their lives, they plunged all of us into that same trap (Rom. 5:12). From that moment on, humanity came to the wrong answer to the question about our purpose for existing.
 
Studying God’s Word teaches us that we exist for an entirely different reason. The Westminster Shorter Catechism perhaps gives the best explanation for human existence. The catechism’s first question asks, “What is the chief end (purpose) of man?” To which it answers, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” You see, God’s purpose in all things is to declare His ultimate glory. As a result, all creation exists for God’s glory.
 
Revelation contains John’s vision in which God declares His ultimate purpose for all things. In chapter 4, John glimpses heaven. He sees the wonder and glory of God’s throne room. Redeemed humanity, angels, and fantastic beasts surround the throne, engaging in worship of the Creator. As John observes this fantastic scene, he sees some amazing creatures, which he identifies as the four living creatures. They fly around God’s throne without ceasing, loudly declaring God’s glory. As this happens, John observes that the 24 elders (many think they are the 12 sons of Israel and the 12 Apostles) cast their crowns of reward at God’s feet. As they do so, they cry out, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Rev. 4:11). We exist because God wants us to exist. And God wants us to exist for His glory.
 
Ephesians 1 reveals that God redeems man to declare His glory. Verses 5-6 reveal that God predestined believers for adoption through Christ for the praise of His glorious grace. Verses 11-12 reveal that God has given the believer an inheritance so they might be to the praise of His glory. Verses 13-14 informs us that God gives the Holy Spirit to the believer as a seal of redemption to the praise of His glory. God saves man for His own sake so that He would receive all the glory. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
 
As God’s glory is man’s purpose for existence, God’s glory should impact every decision we make. Elite, successful professional athletes live with one goal: winning the championship. Everything they do funnels through this goal. This is why fans often learn of their favorite athlete’s strange habits. Tom Brady never eats strawberries and loves avocado ice cream. Nikola Jokic lifts weights for almost an hour after every game. Lionel Messi built a full-size soccer field in his backyard so he could have lifelike practices at home. Phillip Rivers built a conversion van in which the entire rear passenger area was an office where he could study film on the way to and from practice. If these athletes take such pains for rewards with little eternal value, how much more should we take pains to fulfill our created purpose of glorifying God?
 
Over the next few weeks, we will look in greater detail at what it means to glorify God, how we glorify God, and what a wonderful result we will have when we do. I would encourage you to be honest with yourself as we study together. Sometimes, you may come to conclusions that are hard and may hurt. At other times, you may be very encouraged. But in the end, living for God’s glory will result in satisfaction, purpose, and joy.


Making Biblical Decisions: The Conscience Principle, Conclusion – June 14, 2024

God gifted every person a conscience as part of what it means to be a human. The conscience is a distinct aspect of the image of God in man. God designed the conscience to warn us of impending sin and moral failure. However, the conscience is not infallible. Culture, upbringing, the influence of friends, our religious beliefs, and our personality all impact how our conscience defines sin and moral failure.
 
However, just because the conscience is not infallible is not an excuse to ignore our conscience. God informs us in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 that we sin when we willfully violate our conscience. If we cannot make a decision or participate in an action with a clear conscience, our action is not out of faith in God and is, therefore, in defiance of God. Continued willful violation of our conscience leads to a scarred, seared, and broken conscience.
 
Since violating and ignoring our conscience is a sin, we must train our conscience to warn us of sin rightly. A conscience that fails to warn us of sin is like a smoke detector without batteries. It is hanging on the ceiling, but it is of no use. When the fire starts, we will have no warning. On the other hand, a conscience that warns us of things that are not sinful binds us to a legalistic and bitter lifestyle apart from the freedom the Gospel provides. Therefore, training our conscience becomes necessary for a vibrant Christian life.
 
As we make decisions in life, we must pay attention to our conscience. Ignoring our conscience violates the purpose for which God gave it to us. As you contemplate an action or a decision, you would be wise to ask, “Does this action or decision violate my conscience?” In other words, “Am I feeling the pangs of guilt and uneasiness because my conscience is telling me this action or decision is a sin or moral failure?” If your answer is “Yes,” don’t do it. If your conscience is clear on the matter, then move to the next principle we will begin next week.


Making Biblical Decisions: Training Your Conscience, Part 4 – June 7, 2024

As we study God’s Word and allow it to train our conscience, we find two opposite actions take place simultaneously. We discover that we add restrictions to our conscience. We find that certain beliefs or actions we did not take seriously are, in fact, to be taken seriously. At the same time, we discover that we remove restrictions from our conscience. We learn that some specific actions are not sinful but were engrained into us through tradition or held due to a misunderstanding of God and His Word. Last week we examined what it looks like when we allow God’s Word to train our conscience that some things we previously thought were sin are not sin.

On the other hand, training our conscience also involves adding to our conscience. Sometimes, our conscience should bother us regarding sin, but it fails to do so as we have seared it. It is necessary in these cases to allow Scripture to inform us that our views need to change. We must conform our conscience to God’s Word by refraining from these actions.

Corinth was known in the ancient world for its sinful atmosphere. As a result, the Corinthian church often had to adjust their conscience so that their conscience would convict them of sin. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul takes the church to task for such an incident. Apparently, a church member became engaged in gross, incestuous immorality. Instead of addressing the issues, the church celebrated the fact that this was taking place. The individual did not view his action as a sin. The church members took pride in including this individual. Rather than mourn over sin, they rejoiced over sin. Their conscience was so misinformed and seared it allowed this evil. Paul instructed the church to purge the evil from their midst and to seek righteousness.

Unfortunately, these kinds of instances happen often in the church today. Rather than confine sex to marriage, churches celebrate when couples move in with one another. We allow our feelings and excitement to inform our conscience rather than God’s Word. Instead, we should instruct our conscience with texts like Hebrews 13:4 and seek purity. Only when we fill ourselves with God’s Word can we stand with a clear conscience against the world’s corruption.

As our world becomes more politically divided, we find ourselves falling back into the pattern seen in the Roman Empire. While we indeed should obey God over man, and there are times to resist our government leaders when they violate clear Scripture, we must always seek to honor our government leaders. Yet, honoring bad civil leadership goes against our natural tendencies. We must train our conscience with texts like 1 Peter 2:17 so that our conscience will sound the alarm when we are tempted to engage in conversations and actions that denigrate our civil leaders. As we come to understand God’s Word better, we will arrive at more opportunities to add rules to our conscience and weed out bad rules from our conscience because we will come to a greater understanding of what pleases God.

However, we must understand the difference between training our conscience and violating our conscience. Naselli and Crowley give two excellent indications of the difference between the two. We violate our conscience when we refuse to listen to our conscience when we believe it is correct and still ignore it. We train our conscience when we become convinced by God’s Word that our conscience is incorrect in its warning and, therefore, engage in the action.[1] Your church elders or a wise spiritual mentor can also assist you in differentiating between the two in any given situation.
 
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[1] Naselli and Crowley, Conscience, 64–65.



Making Biblical Decisions: Training Your Conscience, Part 3 – May 31, 2024

When we allow God’s Word to train our conscience, we find two opposite actions take place simultaneously. We discover that we add restrictions to our conscience. We find that certain beliefs or actions we did not take seriously are, in fact, to be taken seriously. At the same time, we discover that we remove restrictions from our conscience. We learn that some specific actions are not sinful but were engrained into us through tradition or held due to a misunderstanding of God and His Word.
 
Sometimes, as we study Scripture, we discover that our conscience bothered us unnecessarily regarding actions we believed were wrong. Past experiences, family or religious traditions and teachings, or our own misconceptions made our conscience sound the alarm when no sin was imminent. Our conscience pronounced guilt in matters of opinion. In these cases, we have unnecessarily bound ourselves and failed to experience the joy of freedom in Christ.
 
When Christ inaugurated the New Covenant through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, the Old Covenant passed away, having been fulfilled in Christ. As a result, we can enjoy a wonderful pork dinner or bacon with our breakfast. Very few (if any) of us look at our breakfast plate and feel pangs of guilt because we are eating Wilbur. In fact, I feel quite the opposite. The smell and taste of the sizzling bacon make me quite happy.
 
Yet, those who grew up under the Mosaic Covenant often struggled with the freedom provided through the New Covenant. Acts 10 contains a fascinating account to help us understand the need to train our conscience. Peter came to Joppa to share the Gospel of Christ. One morning, he went to the flat rooftop to pray in quiet solitude. Luke informs us that he was hungry and was waiting for breakfast. While he prayed, God spoke to him through a dreamlike trance. In this dream, a sheet came down from heaven containing all kinds of animals the Mosaic Law deemed unclean. To eat these animals violated the law and was a sin against God.
 
As Peter observed the animals in the sheet, God spoke to him from heaven and commanded Him to kill and eat the animals. It is hard to imagine anything shocking Peter more than this command. It was so surprising to him that he argued with God. He told God he could not eat this meat because it was unclean. In response, God rebuked Peter for arguing and said to him that these animals were now clean because he was under the New Covenant. Peter had to train his conscience to allow him to eat this meat. However, he did not train his conscience to eat this meat based on his feelings. His feelings told him that he couldn’t eat it. Instead, he had to train his conscience through God’s Word.
 
Arriving at conclusions to train the conscience is rarely an immediate action but is usually a process. Peter understood in Acts 10 that he was now free to eat animals that the Mosaic Law considered unclean. However, we discover in Galatians 2 that Peter still struggled with this adjustment. He was happy to sit and eat with the Gentile Galatian believers. However, when Jewish Judaizers who still held to the Mosaic Law arrived in town, he quickly reverted to his upbringing. We learn that training the conscience to let go of unnecessary rules involves consistent training.
 
Many times, our backgrounds and religious upbringing play a significant role in our weak conscience. For years, many Christians recognized the inherent corruption in the entertainment coming out of Hollywood. To protect their children from this corruption, they created a rule that their families would not go to the movie theater. Soon, this rule was seen as God’s law. Breaking this law was a sin. For those raised in this environment, it often took years before they could sit in a movie theater to watch a wholesome movie without guilt. But as they studied Scripture, they became convinced that going to the theater was not a sin.
 
We must consistently examine God’s Word so that we can align our thinking and our conscience with its freedoms and restrictions. We must maintain a humble spirit which allows God’s Word to change our thinking. At times this means we let go of rules we previously held. But sometimes we need to tighten things up. Next week we will view the other side of the coin.


Making Biblical Decisions: Training Your Conscience, Part 2 – May 24, 2024

To use the God-given alarm system of the conscience, we should teach our conscience what those good, right, and true things are. The word discern in Ephesians 5:10 refers to the idea of putting to the test. We should constantly evaluate the situations, thoughts, beliefs, and convictions we come in contact with to understand what pleases God. This testing must have a standard against which we examine all we come into contact. Unfortunately, we often measure our experiences and beliefs according to our feelings. As a result, our conscience responds either by excusing our actions or making dark accusations against us. “Error, human wisdom, and wrong moral influences filling the mind will corrupt or cripple the conscience.”[1]

How, then, should the Christians train their consciences? The writer of Hebrews informs us through one of the most glorious passages of Scripture. In Hebrews 10, the writer demonstrates that Christ has perfectly fulfilled the Law for us. He is the great and better High Priest who has procured our atonement by sacrificing His perfect blood. For millennia, God required sacrifice to atone for man’s guilt. However, these sacrifices did not atone for man’s sin. Instead, they pointed to the perfect atonement that would come through the sacrifice of the Sinless Christ.

Because we no longer stand in condemnation before God (Romans 8:1), we can now confidently enter God’s holy throne room through prayer. As we enter with confidence, the writer of Hebrews challenges us to come with consciences sprinkled clean and washed with pure water. Christians seek to find what pleases God to approach God with a clean conscience. Verses 26-31 reveal that we strive to refrain from sin. While verses 32-39 reveal that we do this by understanding our faith and the sacrifice of Christ.

The author of Hebrews is building off the concept that Paul presented to the Ephesian church in Ephesians 5. As Paul presents a picture of a biblical marriage relationship for the church, he reminds them that marriage is to be a picture of the Gospel. In verse 26, Paul reveals that God has redeemed His church (us) and will present us blameless before God by washing us with the water of the Word. So, we can see that the primary way we train our conscience is through God’s Word. We understand what pleases God by understanding God through His Word. This means that we must constantly study God’s Word. And, as we study, we must do so, not just to re-enforce what we already think, but to challenge, refine, and change what we believe.

Pastors often teach their congregations to allow God’s Word to adjust their framework. We all have a framework by which we think and act. Our default position is to force our framework onto Scripture and use Scripture to bolster our ideas. If we come across a text that challenges our framework, we ignore it. Yet, when we do this, it has tragic results on our conscience. Our consciences remain uncalibrated and give us wrong results. So, we must read Scripture with humility so that it can change our thinking.

 

[1] MacArthur, The Vanishing Conscience, 39.

 


Making Biblical Decisions: Training Your Conscience – May 17, 2024

Since violating and ignoring our conscience is a sin, it is vital that we train our conscience to rightly warn us of sin. A conscience that fails to warn us of sin is like a smoke detector without batteries. It is hanging on the ceiling, but it is of no use. When the fire starts, we will have no warning. One the other hand, a conscience that warns us of things that are not sin binds us to a legalistic and bitter lifestyle apart from the freedom the Gospel provides. Therefore, training our conscience becomes necessary to a vibrant Christian life.

Each summer my lawn begins to grow. In Michigan, spring often arrives suddenly. Because of the wet environment, the grass grows and mowing becomes a weekly (and sometimes daily activity). As the summer progresses, I need to continually care for my lawn mower. Each week I need to fill it with gas, check the oil level and quality, and maintain the blades sharpness. If I fail to keep an eye on these things, my lawn begins to suffer. In a similar way, our conscience requires consistent maintenance and training.

In Ephesians, Paul informs us that we should train our conscience to understand what pleases the Lord. “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-10). While we once walked in sin and did not care if we pleased God, this is no longer the case. Now we care deeply about what pleases God.

No longer should Christians live like they did as unbelievers. We are children of the light and we must live like it. This involves those things that are good, right, and true. Immediately, one should think of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Our lives are no longer marked by the works of the flesh. The character and pattern of our life should immediately reveal that something different has taken place within us.

In order to use the God given alarm system of the conscience, we should teach our conscience what those good, right, and true things are. Paul informs us that this involves discernment. The word translated discernment holds the idea of testing and examining. A right conscience does not come by accident. Instead, Christians are to intentionally take steps to ensure that their conscience understands what pleases God.



Making Biblical Decisions: A Seared Conscience – April 26, 2024

With any discussion surrounding the conscience, we must remember that it has been impacted by the fall. If we fail to understand this critical point, we can fall into serious danger through our conscience. Scripture reveals that the conscience can be seared, scarred, and ignored. When we ignore and violate our conscience, it is a sin and has real-world consequences.

As we ignore our conscience, Scripture reveals that it becomes seared (1 Timothy 4:2). As we ignore our conscience’s warning, we stop feeling its pangs. In high school, several of my friends and I worked in jobs involving mowing and landscaping. When we started these jobs, we developed blisters on our fingers and palms from our tools. Over time, these blisters hardened into deep patches of dead skin or callouses. The thing about callouses is that you cannot feel anything through them. We would often disgust the girls we knew by taking pins and running them through the callouses. We were able to do so because they were unfeeling. The skin was dead and desensitized, so we received no warnings of pain. This is the illustration that Paul uses for the conscience that no longer warns of impending sin and error. It has been so ignored we can no longer feel it.

In 1 Timothy 4, Paul warns Timothy and the church of impending danger, not from outside the church, but from inside the church. Some who claim to be Christians would move away from God’s Word and lead others with them. They would depart because they would buy into false teaching subtly brought into the church by Satan. While they initially felt the pangs of conscience, they ignored these warnings. They seared their conscience by convincing themselves that their actions were right.

Some who are part of the body of Christ, some who seem to be Christians, will depart from the Word and will begin to make Christianity something that it is not. They will turn away from the theology of the Word and begin to accept and promote the humanism of the world. An important lesson is that a mere profession of faith does not guarantee the actual possession of eternal life. Just because something or someone claims to be Christian does not make it so. We are reminded of the parable of the seeds. Some seeds will appear to take root but are not genuine.

The cause of their departure is not their high intellect. The cause of their departure is not some new revelation. The cause of their departure is not an overwhelming love for people, which drives a desire to make Christianity palatable. No! Paul informs us that the cause of their departure is something far more sinister. It is the false teaching from Satan that makes that which is wrong seem like it is right. Another important note is that these errors rarely come through people easily identified as non-Christians. They are nice people. They don’t seem to be doing wrong. But this is because they have had their conscience seared. These people have no sense of the heinousness of their actions because their consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. By constantly arguing with conscience, stifling its warnings, and silencing its alarm, these people have reached the point where their conscience no longer bothers them. “Grieving the Holy Spirit has led to resisting him, and resisting him to quenching him. Then, through their own rebellion and obstinacy, their conscience will have been rendered (and that will be permanently) seared.”[1]

When we no longer listen to our conscience, it becomes quieter until it is imperceptible. Don Carson notes that this silence becomes incredibly dangerous because we get into the habit of ignoring the conscience even when it is appropriately warning us of evil.[2] Through this repeated abuse, we nullify the conscience and make it worthless. Suppose we persist in setting our minds on earthly things. In that case, we can arrive at the point where we boast about things we should be ashamed of (Philippians 3:19). As we continually defy our conscience, we can no longer distinguish between right and wrong. Sadly, when these warnings fall silent, the danger is not gone. We are in a more perilous position.[3]

As society slides further into ruin, Christians stand in danger of joining in this slide when we ignore our conscience. The writer of Hebrews informs us that our conscience is deceived by sin and, through this deceit, is hardened (Hebrews 3:13). Unfortunately, this hardened conscience falls into pride and becomes further desensitized to sin. This process leads to a vicious cycle through which sin desensitizes our conscience, and our desensitized conscience leads to more sin. Romans 1 indicates that as society slides deeper into this cycle, God judges the culture by removing his presence and allowing sin to be its just result.

Ignoring the conscience becomes one of the most dangerous actions a Christian can take. Through this action, the Holy Spirit’s tool in our lives to warn us of sin falls silent. We begin a slide into deeper sin without shame because we sear our conscience. As we make decisions, then, it becomes vital that we listen to our conscience. While others may think we are soft or foolish, listening to your conscience is a sign of wisdom.


[1] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 146.

[2] D. A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry: An Exposition of Passages from 1 Corinthians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, n.d.), 123.

[3] John MacArthur, The Vanishing Conscience (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 1995), 38.

 


Making Biblical Decisions: Violating Your Conscience – April 19, 2024

The conscience serves as the God-given tool to convict and keep His image bearers from sin. Even the world recognizes that to go against one’s conscience is foolish. However, Scripture takes the ramifications of ignoring or defying one’s conscience further. Romans 14:23 informs us that when one is convicted by conscience and continues with the action, it is a sin. The morality of the action is inconsequential. Violating your conscience, even if the action is not a sin, is a sin in God’s eyes. For “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Our intentionality in ignoring the God-given alarm system is an act of defiance against God.
 
However, believers have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. Perhaps the conscience will fall silent when we face issues that are not sin. This is not the case. Many Christians discover that the conscience becomes more active once they enter a relationship with Christ. Because we recognize sin’s horrendous nature, our conscience’s condemnation can become more assertive. The Holy Spirit writes the laws of God on our hearts as New Covenant children (Jer. 31:33-34). This action by the Holy Spirit supercharges our conscience. As a general rule, then, Christians should assume the validity of the promptings given by their conscience. We should do what our conscience says until we understand otherwise through the clear teaching of Scripture.
 
The hospitality that should mark believers results in relationships with people from differing backgrounds and levels of sensitivity concerning our conscience. Because violating the conscience is a sin, the Christian should respond to these differences in two ways. First, concerning their fellow believers, they should not mock, ridicule, demean, or encourage the other person to violate their conscience. As we saw previously, this is a failure to show Christ’s love to the other person. Second, however, we should also not violate our conscience for the sake of that relationship. To do so is a sin.
 
In 1 Corinthians 10:25-29, Paul continues the discussion surrounding the controversy of meat offered to idols. In this section, Paul pictures the dinner in which friends gather. You notice that the host is serving an excellent steak as the meal is served. If your conscience informs you that you cannot eat meat offered to idols, this could become an awkward situation. At this point, you do not know where the meat came from. Paul advises that you not ask where the meat came from so that you can eat without violating your conscience.
 
Yet, what should the Christian with a sensitive conscience towards meat do if the host announces that he purchased the meat at the temple meat market? Verse 28 is clear that you should not eat it. Don’t violate your conscience. To violate one’s conscience, even for the sake of a relationship, is a sin. As my elementary teacher used to say, “It is never right to do wrong to have a chance to do right.”
 
There is an interesting twist in the situation in 1 Corinthians 10. There is also a possibility that the one visiting does not have a sensitive conscience to idol meat. However, the host does have a sensitive conscience toward eating this meat. Yet, the host wants to maintain a good relationship with the visitor and knows he loves this meat. As a result, the host endeavors to ingratiate himself with the visitor by demonstrating that his love for the visitor is more important than his conscience. In verses 28-29, Paul states that the visitor should refuse the meat to preserve the host’s conscience because violating our conscience is a sin.
 
As the Reformation took hold through the writings and leadership of Martin Luther, the Catholic Church sought to squelch the rebellion and bring Luther back into the fold. They called Luther to answer for his writings and teaching at the Diet of Worms held in Worms, Germany, in 1521. The Catholic Church leaders called on Luther to recant his teachings against selling indulgences and his teaching for salvation by grace through faith alone. In response, Luther made a statement that all would be wise to follow. “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason – I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other – my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot, and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.”[1] Luther followed his conscience, which led to the danger of imprisonment and death. But, he understood that violating his conscience was a sin. So should we.

 


[1] Ronald H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (New York, NY: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1950), 182.