Having a Strong and Clear Conscience

((music playing)) Today I want to talk with you about having a clear conscience because the Bible tells us how to find that place of peace and have a clear conscience. [snorts] You know, there's a lot of trouble today in the world and it's getting worse. How do we find that place of rest?

That place of beauty and clarity of heart and mind. That beauty in Jesus and that clear conscience that the Bible tells us we must have. Lord, I thank you for your word. To you, precious Jesus, belongs the glory. I pray you'll open our hearts and enable us to see your word and be our teacher.

Wonderful and precious Holy Spirit in Jesus name. Amen. And amen. And thank you for being with me. I told you yesterday, I'm going to tell you again, I so enjoy being with you. I so enjoy ministering the word to you. And I tell you, it's the most wonderful thing to me because I so enjoy it.

All right. Romans chapter 2. I want to begin reading at verse 12- 16 because it it helps us understand here something that Paul is writing to the church in Rome. For as many have as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law, and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.

For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. So he just said, "All right, if you sin without the law, you'll perish. Or if you are someone who keeps the law, you'll be judged." Now, it's not the hearers, but the doers that are justified.

He's speaking about Jews and Gentiles here. And so then he says, "But when for when the Gentiles which have not the law, well, not Jews, do by nature the things contained in the law." So here you have people, he says, who don't know the Old Testament, who don't know the law of God, but by nature, it said it says have the law in them.

So when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts. Watch this. Their conscience also bearing witness. In other words, this is the right thing to do.

Even though they don't know what it says, they know what is right and what is wrong. Because it says, "And their thoughts, let me just reread that part again, their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean or between themselves while accusing or else excusing one another."

So they're saying in themselves, "Is this right or is this right?" and they make a decision and and and their decision is exactly what God wrote in the law. So it's interesting that these individuals here have a clear conscience to know what's right and what's wrong. So in first Timothy in first Timothy Paul tells Timothy something I think extremely extremely important.

So let's look at that together. All right. So, let's go to First Timothy chapter 1 and let's read together verse 5. Now, the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, of a good conscience, and of a good conscience, and of faith, unfeigned or sincere faith.

So what Paul is saying to Timothy is that God is looking for love and a good conscience and sincere faith. You know it's impossible to have love and sincere faith with a bad conscience. You must have a good conscience, a clear one to be able to love the Lord and his people and to be able to live with sincere faith.

This is so so important. So some people live with a guilty conscience. Uh so we we we we have to pay attention to our hearts prompting us uh how should we live? You know in in in in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 22 it says let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. our bodies washed with pure water.

So it's very important not not to disregard that inner voice, that inner prompting of the heart that says this is wrong or this is right. So we need to do the right thing in the sight of God. And we are the people who know his word. We we are the people who should know what is right and wrong.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. Make sure that it's not evil. Make sure it's clean and clear and our bodies washed with pure water. Now, we have to understand how it all begins. What are we feeding our minds?

Because what is fed into the mind will will show us and help us make the right decision or the wrong decision. It will it will determine how the conscience will work. So if I fill my mind with the scriptures, then I will do what is right. I will obey the Lord because it it will influence my heart.

It would influence my life to do the right thing before God. Once this the word of God and the scriptures get hold of you, it changes you from the inside out. And that will not take, you know, please understand this that this is a process. It's not going to going to going to happen overnight.

When you begin to live the scriptures, to literally walk the scriptures, uh it's like a computer. Uh only if you feed it with the right information, you'll have the right answers. If you feed a computer the wrong information, you'll have the wrong answers. So now that we know the Lord and his word, then we receive his word.

And we will know once we receive his word what pleases him and what displeases him. Think about this. Before our salvation, the Holy Spirit used our conscience to convict us. And this is before we were saved. The Holy Spirit came to tell us this is wrong. Don't do it.

And through his blessed power of conviction, he brought us to the cross. I read a book by Andrew Murray years ago about how the Holy Spirit convicts and the time it takes him to convict and go into the places where people go and he goes with them where they go into the worldly places they go and he's there with them convicting them every day showing them the wrong they're doing and the things they're saying all the time convicting them to bring them to the Lord.

Think about that amazing love. That's why it's the love of the spirit that he would actually do that for us. And in in in some cases, that conviction could could go on for a year, maybe longer. Think about yourself and your salvation. How long did it take before God got through to you and brought you to himself?

Maybe a year, maybe more. That's the work of the Holy Spirit that he did not give up on you. And what was he working with? Your conscience. He used your conscience to make you feel guilty. For example, when you did wrong, he was convicting you through that guilt.

So Jesus in John spoke of the Holy Spirit convicting the world. And so he says, "And when he's come, he'll reprove the world of sin." How? Through showing them what is wrong and what is right. By working through their conscience, making them feel guilty about something wrong or something right.

And he will convict of righteousness, of judgment. Today people have lost that that decency. Even even you hear about even from unbelievers how how people have lost their decency. They're not nice anymore. People are rude. People are not listening to their uh prompting to to be kind and to be nice.

I don't think it's the majority. No, no. I think the the majority of the people in the world in this country are people who are good people who want who want to live decent lives and good lives and be kind one to another. But today in some places we we we see less and less of that decency.

People attacking each other, wanting to destroy each other. There there's no kindness, no forgiveness, no love at all. It's just pure hate and so on because they they're not listening to the inner man at all. So when you receive more and more of the word of God, your conscience will become more and more enlightened by the word of God.

You you'll know them by their fruit, it says, not by their gifts. By their fruit, so if the fruit is not good, you know what's in there, right? By the fruit, you'll know them. Not by what they say, by the fruit. by the fruit. Now Paul also spoke of believers who are weak.

And let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 8 beginning at verse 7 and 8. And he talked about that their conscience is weak. So he spoke of believers who are weak because their conscience was not as enlightened as others. Not as enlightened. So the more the word fills you, the more your conscience becomes enlightened.

But there are believers that are not enlightened by the word and we have to be nice and help them. So he said, "How be it there's not I'm reading verse 7, 1 Corinthians 8. How be there's not in every man that knowledge. For some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol.

And the conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God. For neither if we eat are we better, neither if we eat not are we the worst. But he said, "Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak."

This is very very important. For if any man see thee which has knowledge sit at meat, meaning the word of God, "Sit at me in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols? and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish of whom for whom Christ died.

So here it's it's really clear. It says, "But when you sin so against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, you sin against the Lord." There are people today who have a weak conscience. And we we we have to be careful not to wound them, not to harm them. they they're just new in the Lord.

Maybe in many cases they're brand new believers or maybe they are not yet mature in certain ways, in certain things in scripture. So we're we're to be kind and and not to wound them. So the Bible tells us we are we are free from condemnation, but it says if our conscience is weak, we will always be under condemnation.

That's what we just read. We we're all free from condemnation. But if the conscience is weak, that person is unable to receive freedom from condemnation. So Romans 8:1 of course says there's therefore now no condemnation. But to the weak person, he's condemned easily. They condemn themselves easily. I I remember a lady coming to my meetings in the early days back in Canada.

Every time I give an altar call, there she was. That poor woman. Dear God, she got saved every Monday night. And finally, I went up to her. I said, "Uh, I see you at the altar every week. Don't you believe God really saved you?" "Oh," she said, "I'm so guilty.

I live so condemned." I said, "But don't you believe that God has forgiven you?" And then she told me something that really was a shock. I said, "Did you ask God to forgive you?" "Oh," she said, "Yes." "Did did you repent?" "Oh, yes." "How long ago?" I said, "How long have you been saved?"

She said, "28 years." I said, "For 28 years you've been saved and you come down to be saved again." For 28 years she was saved before I was in the ministry. That woman had been saved for 28 years and did not believe that God forgave her. And every time alto call was given there she she's I said dear lady he forgave you 28 years ago.

I said you know this is this is bondage. You got to be free from it. Yeah. You know, Martin Luther, the great reformer, his uh he had a priest, you know, who was over him and he said, "God is not angry with you. You're angry with him." Because he he always saw God as such a, you know, angry and all that.

He said, "God is not angry with you. You're angry with him." He said, "Find Jesus and you'll find God's love." What a powerful what a powerful statement. Find Jesus and you'll find the love of God. So, we find the Lord through his word. So, I think our fellowship with God, our our uh knowledge of the word brings us liberty from condemnation.

When we enter into into fellowship, when we read the scriptures, now we begin to be free from condemnation. And the more time we spend with the Lord, the stronger we become. Literally, the stronger we become. Look at what second Corinthians 3:17 says. Oh, this is lovely. I hope this is helping you.

I really, really, really do. So, this is 2 Corinthians 3:17. Now the Lord is that spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. So that liberty comes the more you know him, the more you spend time with him because now your faith is in his word like it says in Romans 10.

So I let let me just give you some some some advice. If you want to have a a clear conscience, number one, spend more time with the Lord in his word. Number two, build your faith on the promises of God. Let the promises of God build your faith in who God is.

In who God is. Number three. Number three, have a a short list with God. uh uh uh you know in other words don't wait to confess your sins when when you fail say I'm sorry right away that is a key that I found okay because the longer you wait the weaker your conscience becomes uh first John let's go to first John you know I love teaching you the Bible I hope you you enjoy it as much as I enjoy teaching it Okay.

If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So, no more long lists. No long lists anymore. Just make it very short list. You go and confess your sin right away. Okay? Because if you wait long in confessing your sin, your your your your conscience becomes weak and guilty real quick.

Okay? And then uh number four, ask the Lord to cleanse you with his blood. There's power in that. There's power in that. When you ask the Lord to cleanse you with his blood, your conscience will stay strong. In Hebrews 9 and I want to read to you verse 14.

How much more shall the blood of Christ, I love this verse, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience, purge your conscience through the blood. Purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. So when we apply the blood, God will purge our conscience.

You want to have a clear conscience, apply the blood. Number five. Number five, uh be be a a doer of the word by obeying that inner voice of the Holy Spirit when he tells you what you must do. Obey that inner voice and be a doer of the word.

You know, James 1:22 talks about being a doer of the word. And number number six, walk in the light. That means uh you keep your heart open to God. You keep uh your heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit. You're listening to to his voice. That's what it it means to walk in the light.

Walking in the light. First John 1:7. If we walk in the light as he's in the light, you know, we have fellowship. So keep your your heart open to the Lord. Keep your heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Learn to listen to that beautiful still small voice. And number seven, and finally, strive always to keep your conscience clear before God and men. and man in Acts in Acts 24 let's go to Acts 24 verse 16 verse 16 it says and herein do I exercise myself this is Paul talking to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward man so make sure that you always have a clear conscience.

So do what Paul said. I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense towards God and men. And let's pray. Let's pray what David prayed in the Psalms. In Psalm 139, he prayed a prayer which I pray will become your prayer and I believe God will answer that prayer.

But he said, "Search me." This is what Psalm 139 verse 23. "Search me, oh God, and know my heart and try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." Ain't that a beautiful prayer? So let's pray it out right now.

Say just say, "Lord, search me, oh Lord, and know my heart today. Try me and know my thoughts I pray. And see if there'll be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." We used to sing a song years ago. Search me, oh God, and know my heart today.

Try me, oh Savior. Know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me. Cleanse me from every sin and set me free. That's a beautiful song. Maybe some of you know that song. I pray you'll sing it to the Lord as a prayer. Search me, oh God, and know my heart today.

Try me, oh Savior. Know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me. cleanse me from every sin and set me free. And that I pray for you in Jesus wonderful name. And God's people said, "Amen." And amen. Well, thank you for letting me be with you.

I pray you'll share this teaching with your friends and those who follow you on social media. And again, thank you for your love and your your support. [clears throat] I'm going to ask you to become a partner today with our ministry because I'm on my way now to Brazil. Uh Ethiopia had to be postponed by a little bit because they're they're having uh elections elections for the Council of Churches.

I was invited by the Council of Churches and they're having elections now. So, we said, "Okay, we'll just wait till the elections are over and then we'll come." But we are going this year to Ethiopia and I'll give you the date shortly. But of course I'm I'm going to the Ivory Coast.

I'm going to uh Uganda. I'm going to many places this year in Africa. All over Africa. Uh South Africa. Uh goodness, Congo, on and on and on. I'm also invited now to go besides Brazil. I'm going to be in Guatemala. in Guatemala in uh in early June and in Australia in uh in August.

So, it's like the whole world is opened up and I didn't expect that I'd be so busy now in my 73rd year. You know, I'm 73 years old and I'm traveling more now than I was when I was younger. So, to the Lord be all the praise. So, please become a partner and uh and let's get the gospel to the world.

Much love to you and I'll see you tomorrow. And please share these teachings uh yesterdays and today with your friends. All right, I'll see you tomorrow. Much love. Bye-bye. >> Benny Hinn often calls the Holy Spirit Jesus unlimited. ((music playing)) >> He's Jesus with no limit. The Holy Spirit is Jesus without ((music playing)) limit.

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Inside, you'll discover tools to quickly find scriptures on the gifts of the spirit, the fruit of the spirit, healing, salvation, witnessing, and more, along with powerful study notes, word studies, charts, and reading plans that fully engage you in God's word. >> The word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

God's precious word and the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus through his wonderful word. And make sure to get this beautiful life in the spirit study Bible for yourself. Get it today and God will use his word to bless your life greatly. For your gift of $73 or more, you'll help send Benny Hinn to the people of Ethiopia for a historic event that will shake the nation and all of Africa.

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