Oct 11, 2012
Read | 1 Timothy 1:3-7
God gave every person the capacity to discern right from wrong. For each person, this gift--known as a conscience--is programmed with a distinct belief set and, therefore, functions differently from everyone else's. From the moment we begin processing instructions and warnings, our conscience is developing a code of conduct by which we will live.
Whether the authority figures in your life offered sound life principles and fair consequences or provided little guidance of real value, your conscience collected the data. As children grow to adulthood, they pay attention to the words and actions of others. Both positive and negative results are added to the program. People who disappoint us teach just as much as those who impress. The programming continues throughout life, so every situation we encounter has the capacity to affect our decisions and actions.
The conscience is a flexible tool; it can absorb new data and adjust a person's values and perspective. That's good news for those who begin with poor programming but find valuable biblical guidance later on. Yet flexibility is potentially bad news for those who expose themselves repeatedly to falsehood and vain philosophies. If they ignore wisdom and truth, they will assimilate the deceptive viewpoints of modern culture.
The conscience isn't a wholly reliable resource, but it's a tool of the One who is completely trustworthy. The Holy Spirit works in conjunction with our inborn moral compass. He gives direction when the conscience blares a warning and interprets God's Word when the conscience is hurting.
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The Danger in Being a Christian: It began as a Jewish sect; fierce persecution only helped it spread
Acts 8 Acts 8:1 On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. In some countries, a person who becomes a Christian forfeits a good education and job. And in a few countries, a person who converts risks his or her life. One church historian estimates that more Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than in all preceding centuries put together. Yet, strangely, more often than not, intense persecution of Christians leads to a spurt of growth in the church. An ancient saying expresses this phenomenon: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.” The First Big Advance For a while, the new faith enjoyed popular favor. But very soon it involved grave risk. In the book of Acts, the persecution that produced the first Christian martyr, Stephen, ironically brought about the advance of Christianity outside its Jewish base. Forced out of stormy Jerusalem, the scatterin...
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