Articles
Training Our Conscience
In view of the fact of Matt. 7:13-14 (KJV) “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide {is} the gate, and broad {is} the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait {is} the gate, and narrow {is} the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
and:
“All the ways of a man {are} pure in his own eyes,...” (Prov. 16:2)
I submit that it is easier to do what we think is right than to find it. This is because we always "do" what is right in our eyes. We justify.
Again, we usually think we are right and yet most are doomed to destruction. You've heard the answer to that: "there are many paths to heaven" while Jesus said the opposite. As it has been said; it is not so hard to do what we know is right as it is to know what is right to do. The first requires a small commitment to follow conscience, the latter to train the conscience. Paul had lived according to his conscience all his life (Acts 23:1).
TO DO versus TO KNOW. God has certainly commanded us to do what is right just as He did His chosen people under the old covenant: “And thou shalt do {that which is} right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee,…” (Deut. 6:18).
The Israelites did what they thought was right, but didn't do right in God's sight. We all think what we are doing is right. Moses told them: “Ye shall not do after all {the things} that we do here this day, every man whatsoever {is} right in his own eyes.” (Deut. 12:8, KJV)
How can we know whether what is in our eyes is right or wrong? Did they know they were doing wrong with respect to God's commandments?
Have you ever talked to people about God who were just as convinced as you were that they were right and you were wrong? I hear some thoughts: "it couldn't happen to me!" There is a tendency to absolve ourselves of guilt when deciding on a wrong course of action. We know better, but we are selfish in what we allow for ourselves. Setting limits and guidelines for others or our children is easier than for ourselves.
Many times this is easiest seen in what we use to judge others or our own children. We are more objective when setting rules for them to follow than we are for ourselves. We all have a higher expectation for our children than we allowed ourselves. We know that: “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work {be} pure, and whether {it be} right.” (Prov. 20:11, KJV) We want our children to be better than we were. 'Do what I say, not what I do!' Doing the right thing presupposes that one knows what that right thing is. People give the advice: 'Just do the right thing!', but it is often more difficult to decide just what that right thing is than the doing of it once it is found out. To find the right thing to do is the problem.
Whose Standard Of Right? Whenever someone believes something is right, we understand that they are comparing choices to some standard. People make their decisions based on a standard every time. What is that standard? For some it is the shifting standard of their gut feelings. THEY just know right from wrong. It is based loosely on whatever society believes. Usually some public figure will start a new direction in this type of immorality and people will listen: “Their god is their belly” (Phil. 3:19).
The Jews in the days of Paul had followed their priests, the religious experts for years. In those days, God sent His Son to prove them wrong, but He didn't force them to give up their traditions for He had come to save the world, not judge it (John 12:47).
Paul said of the Jews, “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Rom. 10:2). When he said this do you think he was approving of their ignorance? No one can be proved wrong in religion unless there is some objective standard like the judgment, heaven and hell or a prophet of God that rises up to speaks the Word of God.
We Are Responsible For Understanding. We call a person naive if he does not understand human nature. That person is either mentally incapable or just out of touch with reality. Do we expect too much of people that they understand human nature?
God expects all who are mentally capable to also understand His will. He calls us a fool if we do not understand his will. Paul said, “Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17). If God expects us to understand his will, then why do religious teachers discourage us from trying by saying that doctrine is not that important? They want us to follow them and trust them and yet are unwilling to have their teaching examined in the light of God's word.
If the consequences weren't so great, maybe we could afford to entrust our soul to the 'professionals' and let them tell how to conduct our worship. Paul said: Gal. 1:8 'But though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.' The consequences are eternal.
Paul told the Christians in Galatia how to be approved by God: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). It is clear that God wants all of us who can reason to use our given abilities we have to learn the will God, which is the word of truth, and to practice it. We all need to be "professionals" in religion. We must all study and build our knowledge on the right foundation. This foundation is not the writings of men: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).
What, then, are we to avoid? “But shun profane {and} vain babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness“ (2 Tim. 2:16, NKJV) There are many people with strong religious opinions who have not studied the word of God. Arguing with them will increase ungodliness. They must be willing to study the word with us. That is the only way we can help each other understand God's will.
Practicing religion without an intimate knowledge of the Bible is like keeping the books of some major corporation with only the barest of ideas about what you are doing. Of course, no one will know that you are ignorant until the books are opened; and if you could just get the reckoning audit postponed, with practice, you could fool everyone for a long time. Practicing religion without all of the truth is useless. “But in vain they do worship me, teaching {for} doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9, KJV)
Judges Of Truth. When the Bible says for us to judge, we must do so, but with warning (cf. Luke 12:57). When making applications of TRUTH, there are two common errors that we must avoid.
1. Apply truths to others before we make them to ourselves (Matt. 7:1).
2. Making changes to the truth to suit ourselves (Jas. 4:11). There are some who make laws that exclude those that God accepts (cf. 3 John 1:9).
May we all have a conscience void of offense toward God and men (Acts 24:16).
— Ken Kalies
