"I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth." Acts 26:9
Let your conscience be your guide. Who of us has not used that expression? Someone comes to us for advice. We make certain suggestions, and then, as if to summarize all we have said, we add: "Just let your conscience be your guide!"
Conscience is that small voice within that calls us to task, that challenges us to think, that takes issue with our judgment. It is the red light flashing its warnings at the crossroads of life. It is that irritating little summons that refused to allow sin to become a pleasure. At times we wish we couldn't hear it.
But conscience has its flaws. God created Adam and Eve perfect. They knew God's will without it being put down on paper. But sin changed that, and conscience was dulled -- not silenced, but twisted and bent to some degree. Where once it was a sure, reliable guide, it became unreliable.
So Paul confesses that even when he persecuted the followers of Jesus, he felt he was doing the right thing. His conscience led him to believe that he was championing the right. Only when he came face-to-face with the holy and blessed Christ did he realize that his conscience had misled him.
Conscience needs to be tuned to God's Word, the Bible, so it sends out correct signals and keeps one walking in the footsteps of the Lord. Yes! Let your conscience be your guide, but let it be an enlightened, Christian one!
PRAYER: O Lord God, attune my conscience to Your holy commandments; for Jesus' sake. Amen.
(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Leviticus 11-12 Mark 7:1-13
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