“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some
will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of
demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a
hot iron.”—1 Timothy 4:1-2
Are you making certain choices today that
your conscience would not have allowed in the past? If that’s the case, you may
have become desensitized over time. This is a dangerous place to be.
God uses our internal “moral compass” along
with the Holy Spirit’s guidance to direct our daily choices. The conscience
serves as an “alarm system,” intervening when a Christian is about to take part
in ungodly behavior. In that way, it
offers protection. But sin can throw off
the system’s sensitivity, “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, which some
having rejected concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.” (1 Timothy
1:18-19).
The insidious process begins if we choose to
disobey and then refuse to deal with our rebellion.
The conscience warns us repeatedly,
but it will eventually become “gummed up” and ineffective if we persist in
ignoring the distress signal. When that
happens, there are no longer any signals from the heart to point us back toward
godliness. In other words, the
conscience has become seared.
This situation is akin to removing all
traffic lights from a busy intersection: it is a recipe for disaster and leads
you into rebellion. If you are at this place, get on your knees
and repent, immersing yourself in God’s Word and bathing your life in prayer. Pursue accountability and fellowship with
other believers. A healthy conscience is
worth the effort.
Are your internal signals in good working
order, or have they become muffled? Don’t
delay. Scripture warns us that we have a real Enemy who desires to lure us away
from godliness and into destruction. God
uses a clear conscience to guide,
protect, and lead us into His light and peace.
Father—I repent for deliberately choosing to disobey You and ignore my
conscience. Forgive me Lord I ask You to
remove any consequences of my actions.
Help me Lord to refuse to be disobedient to You, to Your Word, and to
Your Spirit, in Jesus Name. Amen.
