SHOULD YOUR CONSCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE?

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience..... (1 Timothy 1:18, 19)

In this passage Paul leads us to believe that keeping the faith and protecting one's conscience is extremely important.  Most of you have heard the sayings, "his conscience is bothering him," or "let your conscience be your guide."  For me, this begs the following questions:

1.  Where is the conscience located?

2.  If everyone has a conscience, why do people react to situations differently?

3.  What is the purpose of the conscience?

4.  Are there different kinds of consciences?

5.  Should your conscience be your guide?

1.  We are made up of body, spirit, and soul.  The soul is composed of mind, will, and emotion.  We must strive to renew our minds daily. The mind is where the conscience is located.

2.  The conscience is like a computer.  Just like a computer can be programmed positively or negatively, a conscience can be programmed positively or negatively. 

3.  The purpose of the conscience is not to make us feel bad. It is an alarm system.  The Holy Spirit is the alarm when we need help and guidance in making right decisions.  Unsaved people may hear an alarm, but have no clear understanding of why it is going off. 

4.  There is the SOILED conscience - a subtle desire to be punished...a sense of insecurity.

There is the STRUGGLING conscience - you are not sure what to do.

There is the SEARED conscience - the conscience no longer functions because its been so ignored that it no longer works.

Finally, the SACRED conscience.  It is a conscience clear of guilt.

Should your conscience be your guide?  Only if it lines up with Word of God!  Amen