Clear Conscience

October 11, 2015

Devotions:

        “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.”  ‭Acts‬ ‭24:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

        Paul honored his on conscience.  Your conscience is the voice of your spirit.  Your spirit is where the Holy Spirit dwells.  So the main way the Holy Spirit leads us is through our own spirit by the inner witness.  The Holy Spirit usually does not lead us by circumstances.  The Holy Spirit will speak to us in our own spirit rather than use a prophecy.  God will use a prophecy usually through a prophet only when we are not listening or we are uncertain of His leading.  He will speak the prophecy to confirm what He has already spoken to us or is speaking to us.  The confirmation will be a witness in our spirits but not just because a man of God spoke it or someone says, "thus says the Lord!" 

        Our conscience is the voice of our born again human spirit and as we feed it on the word we become more and more sensitive to God's ways.  We must maintain a conscience void of offense.  Paul shows us how he did that because he missed it as we all do.

        “And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.”  ‭Acts‬ ‭23:1-5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

        Here Paul said something that violated his conscience and he was quick to withdraw his comment and admit he had done wrong.  His conscience was a very valuable possession that he endeavored to keep pure.  If you are going to be successful in this life you must keep a conscience void of offense towards God and man.  We are under grace, the forgiveness of all our sins and the empowering to live godly lives.  If we walk by the power and strength of the flesh, we will not walk in the kingdom reality.  Keeping a clear conscience towards God and man is one of the things necessary to walk in the spirit. It keeps our heart tender and sensitive towards God.