OUT OF CONSCIENCE! Acts 24:16 “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” VINITA, OK MARCH 3-4, 2007

1 ST ADDRESS: WHERE IS YOUR CONSCIENCE?

CONSCIENCE – Defined! Romans 9:1-3 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Conscience is a ‘knowing’ with oneself.

CONSCIENCE – Defined! Acts 23:1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. Conscience becomes a way of life.

CONSCIENCE – Defined! 1 Tim 1:19-20 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Not living by ‘conscience’ is the way to make shipwreck of your faith.

CONSCIENCE – Defined! CONSCIENCE: Inner sense of knowing what is right and wrong- impelling towards right action. CONSCIOUS: Fully aware of one’s surroundings. CONSCIENTIOUS: Meticulous, careful, painstaking. CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION: Refusal on moral or religious grounds to bear arms.

The Working of Conscience

YOUR CONSCIENCE LIFE EXPERIENCES LOWER COURT SPIRITUAL RESOURCES HUMAN RESOURCES UPPER COURT STATUS QUO CHANGE SPIRITUAL VALUES SELF DECEPTION AGAPE HELP The Workings of Conscience.

YOUR CONSCIENCE LIFE EXPERIENCES LOWER COURT SPIRITUAL RESOURCES HUMAN RESOURCES UPPER COURT STATUS QUO CHANGE SPIRITUAL VALUES SELF DECEPTION AGAPE HELP The Workings of Conscience.

YOUR CONSCIENCE LIFE EXPERIENCES LOWER COURT SPIRITUAL RESOURCES HUMAN RESOURCES UPPER COURT STATUS QUO CHANGE SPIRITUAL VALUES AGAPE HELP The Workings of Conscience. SELF DECEPTION A GOOD CONSCIENCE

The Status Quo Valve

YOUR CONSCIENCE LIFE EXPERIENCES LOWER COURT SPIRITUAL RESOURCES HUMAN RESOURCES UPPER COURT STATUS QUO CHANGE SPIRITUAL VALUES SELF DECEPTION AGAPE HELP LIFE BEFORE CONSCIENCE!

YOUR CONSCIENCE LIFE EXPERIENCES LOWER COURT SPIRITUAL RESOURCES HUMAN RESOURCES UPPER COURT STATUS QUO CHANGE SPIRITUAL VALUES SELF DECEPTION AGAPE HELP Until the STATUS QUO is questioned CONSCIENCE cannot DEVELOP.

CONSCIENCE – QUESTION THE STATUS QUO! Rom 14:22-23 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. If we feel the condemnation – we must learn to stop the behavior.

CONSCIENCE – QUESTION THE STATUS QUO! James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. If we feel the condemnation – we must learn to start the behavior.

Control over the Status Quo

YOUR CONSCIENCE LIFE EXPERIENCES LOWER COURT SPIRITUAL RESOURCES HUMAN RESOURCES UPPER COURT STATUS QUO CHANGE SPIRITUAL VALUES SELF DECEPTION AGAPE HELP THE STATUS QUO VALVE: WHAT KEEPS IT OPEN? IGNORANCE HABIT INFLUENCE OF OTHERS

YOUR CONSCIENCE LIFE EXPERIENCES LOWER COURT SPIRITUAL RESOURCES HUMAN RESOURCES UPPER COURT STATUS QUO CHANGE SPIRITUAL VALUES SELF DECEPTION AGAPE HELP THE STATUS QUO VALVE: WHAT CLOSES IT? ‘WILL’ POWER EDUCATION HABIT

WHERE IS YOUR CONSCIENCE? Josh 9:18-20 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes. But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them. An genuine act of Conscience. Born out of the fear of God. The fear of God is fundamental to the birth and development of Conscience.