What REALLY Goes On Inside Our
Heads?
1 Timothy 1:5, 19
February 3,
2013 PM
Pastor Craig
Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (1Tim
1:5,6,19; John 8:9)
A.
You know when you
have “arrived” and are spiritually mature – when you have a “pure heart,… and a
good conscience” – some rare things indeed today!
B.
Some people do NOT
value their conscience, but have put it aside, and without fail, have “made
shipwreck!” That’s the end result!
C.
Define “conscience”
1.
The conscience is
one of those things psychiatrists and doctors have been studying for a long,
time. God wrote the Bible to tell us all about this thing inside us that says,
“No, no!”
2.
Our conscience is
what separates us from animals
3.
Not the fact that we
know we are alive – self-awareness
4.
But that we know
“instinctively” what is right and wrong
5.
What feels sorrow
and remorse in us
6.
Your conscience is
how you see yourself before God!
7.
It is the moral
centre of our being – sometimes the Bible calls it our “heart”
D.
It is a good thing
to have!
1.
We do well to learn
the basics about our conscience, because it is what we must use to get saved,
and to follow Christ (Rom 10:9,10), “for with the HEART (the conscience) man
believeth unto righteousness!”
E.
There are four types
of consciences in the Bible
1.
The unregenerate
conscience – the one we are were born with
2.
The quickened
conscience – saved, born again, spiritually responsive to the word of God, and
the will of God
3.
The burned-out
conscience – this is the person hardened by sin, and no longer any guilt, or
shame – no more blushing or embarrassment at filth
4.
The good conscience
– sleeps well at night – guilt has been washed away, hopes are alive and
growing, thoughts are clean and pure
F.
Most people are in
one of two conditions
1.
Unregenerate and
burned-out
2.
Saved and burned out
G.
My job this message
is to make you yearn for a clean and pure conscience
II.
Message – Protecting
Your Conscience (
1 Timothy 1:5, 19)
A.
An
Unregenerate Conscience – What’s it Like?
1.
It is aware of sin
and guilt. It has the Law of God written in it (Rom 2:14,15)
2.
It is ruined/defiled
by sin (Tit 1:15) – no innocence since childhood – only lots and lots of guilt
that just keeps building up and building up!
It is dead towards God.
3.
It is Seared
over time (1Tim 4:2) burned-out like a well used clutch on a car
4.
It is BLIND/NUMB to
the work of the Holy Spirit – doesn’t feel the work of the Holy Spirit
a.
Yes, it knows it is
being pricked, convicted, pushed, prodded
b.
But never knows that
it is the work of the gentle Holy Spirit out of love for the sinner!
c.
Only sees guilt as a
bother – something to ignore!
5.
It is the only thing
that most people have (John 8:9; Rom 2:15) – without it, there would be no way
for ANYBODY to respond to the preaching of the Gospel!
6.
Is in need of
CONVERSION – REGENERATION – not just patching-up, pep-talks, counselling,
holidays, etc! But regeneration (Titus 3:5)
B.
The Process
of Conversion Begins in the Conscience (Gen 6:5)
1.
All your life, God
has been working to convince you that you are separated from Him by sin – and
your conscience must feel guilty. God designed it to motivate us to drive us to
mercy – to cause us to humble ourselves for self-preservation
2.
You have to know
that you have a need on the inside – usually takes a crisis of a need on the
outside to make that apparent – we try and hide how we feel until it finally
shows (alcoholism, drug addiction)
3.
Contrary to how
things work in a Christian’s life
a.
A Christian
submits
b.
A sinner
surrenders! Conversion ONLY happens with surrender – that’s why God had
to destroy the world of Noah’s day – because they had no more conscience
4.
Conversion works by
faith, when following God’s instructions EXACTLY
a.
Come AS a sinner by
faith, and stand before GOD – no good at all
b.
Accept the BLOODLY
DEATH of Christ on the cross as payment in your place
c.
The Gospel must be
BELIEVED with the conscience (Isa 1:18)
d.
Apply the blood to
your conscience (Heb 9:8-10,14; 10:2-10,22) – this is the part people miss.
Apply it to your guilt and shame
5.
Conversion only
takes place when your conscience comes under the authority and work of the words
of God.
6.
When religions mess
with God’s instructions, or with the Gospel itself, they are actually messing
with people’s ability to get guilt removed (Gal 1:6-9; 3:1)!
C.
What is a
Regenerated Conscience Like?
1.
It is PURE (Heb
13:18; 1Pet 3:16,21) – Blessed eternal salvation – it washes not only the record
in heaven clear, but also my own conscience
a.
No Jew EVER had this
feeling!
b.
No Christian can
survive without knowing its truth and reality!
2.
It is SOFT, and
quiet – easy to be entreated by God’s Holy Spirit, and by people (Jam 3:17)
3.
It is
SENSATIVE/Worried about other people’s consciences – their feelings (1Cor
10:28-32; Rom 14:21; Philp 2:1-5)
4.
It is FILLED with
the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is BETTER than our own conscience – our
own heart (Jer 17:9)
5.
It is POWERFUL! It
is our MOTIVATION. It is the only reason that we do anything for Christ
a.
Whatever we do, we
must do it from the heart from now on
1)
Giving (2Cor 9:7)
2)
Everything (
b.
No forced actions –
otherwise, no blessing/reward (1Tim 1:5)
D.
So, What Do
Christians Have to Do? Protect It!
1.
The conscience,
remember, is connected with your heart. It must be protected, or it will be
defiled: trampled on, bruised, scarred, and ruined by the world, the flesh, and
the devil!
2.
Can a Christian’s
conscience become so cold, and indifferent that they do not sense God’s will,
nor even desire it? Yes (Titus 1:15)
3.
How to protect your
conscience
a.
Keep its contents
simple (Psalm 131:1; Rom 16:17-19).
1)
Keep what you put
in, simple, and true (Philp 4:8; 1Cor 14:20)
2)
Keep your thoughts
simple, and your faith strong (Heb 13:9)
3)
Don’t let your heart
entertain evil surmisings (1Tim 6:4)
4)
The world, TV, news…
all comes at us and we don’t know how to make sense of it all, so it just backs
up, and clogs up our hearts (Lk 21:34)
b.
Keep it TENDER,
touchable, soft (2Kgs 22:19; Heb 4:7; 3:13,15).
1)
By instantly
forgiving
2)
By doing the
opposite of what your nature demands
3)
By NOT protecting
yourself and your feelings (2Cor 12:15)
c.
Constantly, keep it
clean (John 15:3)
1)
Reading God’s word,
line by line, chapter by chapter
2)
Praying, and being
sensitive to wrongdoing, and repenting – quick to humble yourself and repent
3)
Pleading the blood
instantly when under attack, and under temptation, and after yielding to sin!
4)
Burying past sins,
failures, and sorrows so that they do not cause bitterness
d.
Fortify it – by
memorising/meditating on the truths of the Word of God (Psalm 119:92)
4.
Otherwise, we will
be like Hymanaeus (1Tim 1:19) – shipwrecked, and defeated. THAT’S not God’s
design – you were made to follow Jesus!