BB – 15 A Conscience without Offense

Lesson #15

What is the purpose of a Lighthouse, automobile horn or any device that emits a sound to warn of impending danger?

· Your Inner Voice

Acts 24:16 (NKJV) 16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

· Why is it important?

Romans 2:12-16 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13(for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

1. Your Inner Voice is your conscience.
2. How does it work?
3. Why do different consciences sometime tell their owners different things?
4. Why is it that things that never bothered you before you became a Christian trouble your conscience now?

Romans 2:15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them

1 Timothy 1:5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,

Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Your conscience is programmed by what you see and hear.

· What you feed into your mind, concerning right and wrong, will determine how the conscience works.

· As a plant draws its nourishment from the soil, so you draw your life from God.

This is the reason for renewing your mind.

Matthew 3:2 (AMP) 2 And saying, Repent (think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:17 (AMP) 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, crying out, Repent (change your mind for the better, heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 5:48 (AMP) 48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.


· It was the voice of the Holy Spirit that led you to the truth of the Gospel.

John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

· Paul spoke of a weak conscience. They feel guilty when there is no reason – they were not fully enlightened.

The story: a headhunter has no conscience about killing a man from another tribe, but may feel guilty about killing a monkey because he has been taught that monkeys are sacred.

1 Corinthians 8:7-8 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

· This is the important reason to be filled with the knowledge of God!

Colossians 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

· If you are always feeling condemned and your conscience is not clear, it will affect you in some very damaging ways.

a. Your fellowship with God -- You won’t feel comfortable when God is present. Guilt and faith don’t go together

b. Your prayer life -- You come to Christ with guilt. If you don’t understand there is nothing to make right, you will be frustrated and unfruitful as a Christian.

c. Your desire for God’s work -- You will not have an appetite for spiritual food. Your witness will be diluted and ineffective

d. Satan will whisper in your ear that you have no right to witness, that you aren’t right your self.

1 Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

The path to keeping your conscience clear is to do the following:

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· Confess your sin immediately. Trust in the promise of cleansing

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews 9:14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

· Obey your conscience.

Luke 11:34 (AMP) 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye (your conscience) is sound and fulfilling its office, your whole body is full of light; but when it is not sound and is not fulfilling its office, your body is full of darkness.

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

· Continue to walk in the light.

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Acts 24:16
This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.