Build Conscience On The Word

SOME HAVE REFUSED TO LET THEIR FAITH GUIDE THEIR CONSCIENCE AND THEIR FAITH HAS BEEN DESTROYED LIKE A WRECKED SHIP. 1 Timothy 1.19.

Conscience is a good thing given to us by our good Lord. It is a good guide and all must endeavour to live by it. But many people, including Christians, do not heed their conscience and hence do wrong and wreck their lives. However, your conscience must be guided by the unerring and unchanging standards of the Word of God! There are many good Christians who have had their consciences ruled by what they heard from others, however good or godly they may be!

The Bible says, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10.17). Faith is the substance as well as the assurance of what we believe (Heb 11.1). Your tenets of faith must be founded on the WORD OF GOD ALONE! It is the revealed will of God for us. It should be what guides and rules your conscience. You must read God's Word and set your conscience right according to it. You must live by it. Every word and deed of yours must be guided by it.

We are living in the age of which the same apostle had this to say, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations” (2 Tim 4.3-5).

Dear believer, it is good to have teachers. You may listen to all. But be like the Bereans, “They were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Act 17.11). Read and constantly meditate on the unadulterated Word of God with vigour. I just bought a 'Life application Bible' at my age of seventy plus! Let the Word be the foundation for your conscience. Follow it faithfully.

The Bible warns, "You must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies... In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up” (2 Pe 1.21, 2.1-3).

Be wary of interpretations and opinions of even the most popular teacher! Do not mistake God’s Word for men’s fancy doctrines, teachings or prophecies! Build your conscience on the unchanging Word. Do not wreck your life on rocks that others have placed before you!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to build up my most holy faith and conscience on Your eternal and revealed Word and not on any one's interpretation, and live by it. AMEN.