What is our conscience? Our conscience is the “voice” inside of us that tells us what is right and what is wrong. It helps us to determine what is good and what is evil.
When I was a very young child I had a fascination with candles, or more specifically the flame that burned off of it. I can remember once reaching out to touch the flame, which naturally burnt my finger. That day I learned something: fire was hot, and it shouldn’t be messed around with. Even today I still find myself staring into a flame, but never again have I let myself purposely reach into a flame to touch it. I listened to the voice in my mind not to touch it again.
What happens when you tell a child not to do something? They usually want to know why. Why can’t I do something, what will happen if I do? Instead of simply obeying and listening to what they have been told, quite often young children will try to push that limit, doing the exact thing that they have been told not to do. It’s kind of like the cartoon of an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, one voice telling you to do one thing and the other voice something completely opposite. That is basically what the conscience is.
It is the rebellious nature in our flesh that causes us to go against what is right. “Don’t do this,” “I’m gonna do it anyway.” I knew I wasn’t supposed to do it, but I did it anyway. It is a war in your mind. One side says something is good and okay to do, and the other side says it’s not. You have the Spirit and you have the flesh.
In the garden of Eden, they were told not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge and good and evil. What happened when Eve was tempted by the serpent? She fell to that temptation. She wondered why they couldn’t eat from the tree, because the serpent told her that it was good to eat. The serpent said
Genesis 3:1-6 “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
For God doth know that in that day ye eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
So you see, she knew that they weren’t to eat of the tree. She said so herself. Yet the serpent convinced her that it was okay to do, and she ate of the tree anyway. She did what she knew she wasn’t supposed to do.
We are tempted to do what is wrong and evil, while the Spirit tells us not to. Our carnal mind wants to hit someone back when they hit you, but the Spirit says to love and do good to your enemies.
Whenever we are tempted, we need to resist it, and overcome those temptations. James wrote, “Submit yourselves therefore to God, Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (4:7)
When times of temptation arise, that is when we are tested. I know with the help of Christ, you will stay strong, and overcome all temptations. Listen to your conscience, and do what is right.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 