TEXT: I PETER 3:16 “Having a good conscience...”

PURPOSE STATEMENT:

“Present the makeup of an evil conscience as well as the remedy to be rid of it and continue to have a good conscience”

INTRODUCTION:

What is a conscience? Does everyone have it and where did it come from? What is its function and how does it operate? Since the Scriptures talk about a conscience it must be quite important and also very valuable to us.

BODY:

In John chapter 8:1-11, the Scribes and the Pharisees wanted to get Jesus into a position where they could accuse Him and they used someone who was blatantly guilty of transgressing the Law of Moses. But while they used this vehicle of someone else’s guilt to tempt Jesus and thereby convict Him, Jesus relied on their internal mechanism of right and wrong against them as a vehicle of conviction. We can see this by the fact that Jesus did not even need to look at them to set the ball in motion. Vs 9 say: beginning from the eldest to the youngest all left, because they were all convicted by their own conscience. What is this tool that Jesus used so effectively with which to silence these messengers of the evil one? The Scriptures show us that there are five types of consciences: TYPE 1: AN EVIL, IMPURE OR SEARED CONSCIENCE v These men knew that their motives were evil. They wanted to only tempt and snare Jesus and were not in any way concerned with upholding the Law of Moses. I Timothy 4:2 v They had impure and evil actions because they did not bring the man along with the woman (Deuteronomy 22:22). Most likely they were not even proper witnesses. (Deuteronomy 17:7) v But best of all they knew that they were sinners every bit just as much as the woman was. (Psalms 14:3, Romans 3:10, 19) TYPE 2: A WEAK OR DEFILED CONSCIENCE v No one else besides Jesus stood up for the woman which showed that they did not have the required knowledge to deal with the situation thus having weak consciences and neither did the woman because she had a defiled conscience because she engaged in sin. (I Corinthians 8:7) TYPE 3: AN EMBOLDENED CONSCIENCE v Many of those who accompanied the scribes and the Pharisees fell into this category. They may have had weak consciences (without the required and appropriate knowledge) but the courage of the scribes and Pharisees allowed them to go along with them and stood idly by while this woman was being condemned. (I Corinthians 8:10) TYPE 4: STRONG OR VOID OF OFFENCE CONSCIENCE v Only Jesus fell into this category at this time. (Acts 24:16) v Jesus had the required knowledge to oppose such a one sided and hypocritical application of the Law of Moses. (II Corinthians 4:2) TYPE 5: PURIFIED/PURGED/GOOD CONSCIENCE v This is what the woman possessed after Jesus pardoned her. (Hebrews 10:22) v But Jesus added something more: He said: “Go and sin no more” (II Corinthians 1:12, Hebrews 13:18)

CONCLUSION:

As with so many things in life, we may categorize ourselves in one of the above groups. If we have an evil or defiled, weak or an emboldened conscience there is only one way out of the dilemma. Since Jesus is now in heaven He now speak our sins forgiven through the application of his blood. (Hebrews 9:14) But how does He do this? Hebrews 10:22 – Our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience when we are buried in baptism. How do I know this? Hebrews 9:22 – “without the shedding of blood there is no remission” Hebrews 9:19-21 – As Moses sprinkled the book, the sanctuary and the people with blood to join them in a covenant relationship with God, so our hearts must be sprinkled with the blood of Christ to rid us of an evil or defiled conscience. This happens when we are baptized for the remission of sins because it is then when we make an earnest appeal to God for a good conscience. (I Peter 3:21) We continue thereafter in the good works that God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) and continue to have a good conscience (I Peter 3:16) and receive the end of the commandment: (I Timothy 1:5) v Love out of a pure heart v A good conscience v And genuine faith