Power of a Pure Conscience — Tom Allen

Paul's Good Conscience Before God

Acts chapter 23 in verse 1 and Paul earnestly beholding the council. Said men and brethren. I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. Stop with me just a moment. Think who said that verse.

Paul who used to be called Saul the one who persecuted tormented had slain Christians. This is the man who now stands there before all of his brothers in the Lord and says I Have lived in all good conscience.

Think of the price that Paul must have paid himself to be able to say such a magnificent statement. I trust that your testimony in mind this morning as we go into this message. Let's pray together. Dear Lord Jesus, we are grateful for your word that makes it very plain this morning.

Thank you that you don't leave us out in the dark. We know what we're supposed to do we know what you expect of us. Lord, we know that obtaining a clear conscience is not good works that will bring salvation to us.

But we know that obtaining and working towards a clear conscience is simply a result of so great a salvation. Teach us this morning that we should want to be right with every known person and especially with you.

We should want that that should be a desire following our great salvation that you provided. Pray that you just increase the hunger of your people the hunger of this preacher. To be totally right with God and man.

May we live as Paul said with a good conscience. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ and for his own dear sake. Amen. I have a little different way this morning of approaching the introduction.

I want you to take out a little piece of paper. We're going to take a little quiz. All of your answers will be yes or no. I don't want any maybes. These are yes, and no if you don't want your wife or husband to see you scoot down.

Or cover up whatever you'd like to do. If you can't find any paper tear the back page out of that hymnal and. No, I would like you to see this though in writing your answers to the following questions.

Yes or no. Students have been out of school for a while. So you're ready for another little quiz. But this of course will be a spiritual one. Now be honest before God as you know, you should answer before him to these questions.

Seven Questions About Spiritual Condition

Question number one. Do you sense a powerlessness in your witnessing? Do you sense a powerlessness in your witnessing you go to witness for Christ? And it just isn't there the boldness the approach you just feel weak before people who are unsaved.

Yes, or no. Question number two. Are you going through the role of religion? But you find often you don't have your heart in it. That is you try to have your devotions. You try to come to church regularly.

You try to witness to one person a day. You try to pray. You do these things. But so many times your heart is not in it. Is that true of your life? Yes or no? Question number three. Are you prone to nervousness and and worry?

You see not until I took this quiz. Well, uh. Prone to nervousness or worry. Yes or no. Number four. Are you hampered by anxiety and frustration? Just a lot of things that don't seem to be going your way and you're anxious about it frustrated.

Number five. Do you have problems with fear? Fear of losing money. Fear of losing your job. Yes, or no. Number six. Do you have difficulty? Concentrating. Don't ask me to repeat the question or you have that problem.

Do you have difficulty concentrating that is sitting yourself down to do something and then doing it getting right into it. And the last question in our little quiz this morning. And be honest about this.

I know what a Christians answer ought to be but whether that's true in your life or not. Is your life characterized by sadness? I know Christians are supposed to be happy people. But you have to answer to God.

Is your life characterized by sadness? Now if you've answered yes to any of the seven questions in this quiz this morning, there is a good chance. It's not absolutely positive. But I say a good chance that there's something you have not dealt with in this area of a clear conscience.

You're going to see that unfold throughout the message this morning. Something you have not dealt with if you've answered yes to any of the seven questions. I've just presented I want to define a clear conscience.

And then we're going to answer three questions to make an outline for our message this morning. If you are taking notes, the first question we're going to answer will be How important is a clear conscience.

The second question? What are the results of a clear conscience and the third question? Why don't most Christians have one? We're going to look at those three questions in getting to this matter of the power of a clear conscience.

Defining a Clear Conscience

Now let's define a clear conscience. I think it is in the Bill Gothard ministries that we've heard this definition, and I think it's very good a Brother says clear conscience is being able to line up everyone you have ever known in one big line.

Whether they're living or dead. Line them all up all people you have ever known in your lifetime. Look them right in the eye and say brother or sister. There is nothing that I'm holding against you that I have not previously made right with you.

Again, I say it's lining up everyone you have ever known in a big long line looking them right in the eye one at a time. And saying brother or sister. There is nothing that I'm holding against you that I have not previously made right with you.

That's what it means to have a clear conscience. Some of you may not be able to do that with your wife or your husband this morning, but this is what it means. So let's look at the first question then.

The Importance of a Clear Conscience

Just how important is a clear conscience we're going to look at many scriptures so turn with me first Timothy chapter 1 and verse 5. Want everyone to turn to these passages with me this morning? You remember 70 more of what you both see and hear as to opposed to just what you hear.

So see it in here this morning first Timothy 1 5 just how important is a clear conscience? Paul says now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfaithful or true faith real Christianity.

Paul tells us here very plainly that you and I will not be able to love apart from these three ingredients. He starts out by saying pure heart. I believe that speaks of a clear conscience with God a pure heart in this direction.

And then he says a good conscience and that must speak of our relationship with men on the earthly level. Got to have that to be able to love and thirdly. He says we've got to be truly Christian. Did you know that only true Christians can love?

Do you ever stop to think about that? The Bible says God is love and a person who does not have God dwelling in them cannot love. Only true Christians can love in a genuine way. So you see how important is a clear conscience this morning and the scriptural answer is it's so important that if you don't have one.

You can't love people. You can't love lost people. You can't love your wife your husband your children your parents. You can't love. Let's look at the second reason the second answer to this question.

Reconciliation Before Worship

How important is a clear conscience back in Matthew 5? Matthew the gospel of Matthew chapter 5 Verses 23 and 24. Matthew chapter 5 verses 23 and 24. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has ought against you.

Leave there your gift before the altar go your way first be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift. Every time we find this word first in the New Testament, it speaks of priority and Christ here is speaking to us of a priority.

Jesus says do you want to know what I think is the number one? Important thing in your Christian walk. It's not the money you put in the offering plate. It's not your offerings of time for service. Jesus says I don't want your money if it's apart from if it's Exclusive of a clear conscience with that brother or sister that you've offended or that has offended you.

Now note in our passage here that Jesus says if you remember that your brother has ought against you. So often we think and rightfully so that it's when we offend a brother where to go back and ask forgiveness.

That's indeed true and that's made very clear in another passage. But here Jesus says if you know that your brother has ought against you. It's still your responsibility and my responsibility to go to that person and say things are right between us.

Let's get it straight. What's wrong? That's our responsibility as Christians. This is a Very overlooked truth in the Word of God that it's our responsibility whether we were the one who offended or we were the one Who did the offending?

So you see how important is a clear conscience? Well, Jesus doesn't want your money. You can't buy him off a lot of people. You know commit sin all week and then come to church and throw a few extra dollars in the offering to sort of sue their conscience and Jesus says I don't care about it that money doesn't count if you don't have a clear conscience to go with that money.

Your service your time for me in service doesn't count if you're not right with those people that you're serving. Now the third answer is in Matthew 6 just turn the page. How important is a clear conscience?

We can't love without it. Our gifts are unaccepted apart from it now. Matthew 6 14 and 15. And I must confess to this audience this morning. These are two verses I don't like do you have any verses like that?

These are two I just don't like. They hit hard. For if you forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.

These are hard sayings. How important is it to you this morning to have God Almighty forgive you of your sins? That's on the top of the list for me, how about you. I want to be forgiven by God. But if that's as important to us as we really believe it is this morning.

Are you willing to be forgiving? Jesus says if you hold one bitter unforgiving attitude towards other people. Your father can't forgive you. How many people are just wrapped up in bitterness and unforgiving attitudes?

Some that go back to 1972 when someone came to you and said brother sister forgive me. And you said inside yourself. I can't it's impossible and In the flesh you were right. You didn't trust the Spirit of God and to this day nine years later.

You may still be holding bitterness and an unforgiving spirit. The Word of God has strict strict words hard sayings for you. That is that God will not be able to forgive you in that great day. That's how important is to have a clear conscience.

Avoiding Offense Among Believers

Matthew 18 6 is the next answer. Matthew 18 6 you see how important is it to have a clear conscience? Matthew 18 6 Jesus often used Exaggeration to get his point across here is a very clear use of that.

This really hits home. There's no mistake about what Christ is trying to get across Matthew 18 6 who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me. It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depths of the sea.

That doesn't sound too kind either does it? But this is the word of our Savior. He says don't you offend even one. Make sure your conscience is clear with everyone. Now don't over sentimentalize this passage and think that Jesus is just talking here about mean old men who kicked little three-year-old children around.

That's not the point here. Jesus is expanding the meaning of this and to be sure it means all the children of God all of the family of God. Jesus says don't offend one of them. Are you ought to just have a big rock tied around your neck and dive off a bridge somewhere and drowned yourself?

Do you see how important do you see the intensity of this subject in the thinking of Christ here? Over and over again. He pleads with us. Make sure you're right with everyone. Have a clear conscience.

Confession, Prayer, and Unresolved Sin

The last answer to our first question James 516 heard an evangelist on TV. Refer to James 516 without referring to the very first sentence. Which says confess your sin one to another? He started right in there where it says Pray for one another that you may be healed.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avail of much. That's got to be one of the worst forms of blasphemy against the Word of God to leave out this crucial crucial word confess your sins one to another reads false and some of your translation, but the Greek word here is very clearly sins and Pray for another that you may be healed because of the it's the effectual prayer of a righteous man.

That avail of much or accomplishes much. You see how important is a clear conscience. Well psalm 66 18 puts it in another way, but it's all the same. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

That's how important it is to have a clear conscience friends apart from one our prayers don't go any further than the ceiling to which We're yelling. God can't hear your prayers this morning if there's sin known sin between you and another person.

Regardless of who started the conflict the scope of confession of sin must always equal the scope of transgression. You see Tom, what should I do if I'm going to confess my sin one to another as the scripture tells me here?

Well, don't go to somebody and say well forgive me for my 50 Isn't that a cleverly devised way to get out of things I've done that. What you do you see is you heap a burden on the other person you play Holy Spirit in their life.

You see now come on you cough up your half of this deal. I wasn't alone. But that's not the scriptural way the Bible says I'm to go and get right for Tom here to go and get right for yourself and Leave them alone leave them and God To their part of the deal, whatever it may have been.

Go to a person saying I have sinned against God and you forgive me. Don't you say I'm sorry. Bible doesn't tell us to tell people we're sorry. It says to seek forgiveness. Forgiveness. Say I've sinned against God and you please forgive me.

Personal, Private, and Public Sin

Now, there are three kinds of sin. Outlined in a wonderful little track put out by the Canadian Revival Fellowship confession restitution and forgiveness. Three kinds of sin personal public and private.

Some of this will be review for some of you, but others I think this will be new and so I want to give it to you. Now there are such things as private sins and that's sin of the thought life. We don't go confessing our thought life to other people.

Only when those thoughts have been translated into action. Do they become personal sins and then need to be dealt with on a personal one-to-one basis. We don't stand up in front of a crowd and say I want brother bill over here and and sister sue over here to forgive me.

That's not scriptural. If it's between us and that person we go to your brothers as the scripture in a personal way and deal with it. But so oftentimes these are private sins. Let me give you an illustration and many camps that I've spoken in.

At the end of the week young person will come up and their heads kind of hanging down, you know. See Tom I say what? Is he I want you to forgive me because I've hated your guts all week. I have a hard time with that.

I don't mind being hated at least when it's for Christ's sake and for what I've spoken about. But I didn't know anything about it. I Didn't even meet them all week. You know, they're the kind of young person sat at the back of the camp Tent or wherever we were meeting and tore off after every sir.

I never saw them never met them and they cause it forgive me. I've hated you all week. That means nothing to me their hatred should have been dealt with God. It was a private sin between them and God and if they gossiped about me said boy I sure hate that Tom.

Hey, what he said they should go to the person they gossiped with and ask their forgiveness. For gossiping for the bad example that gossip says. It's a private sin. But then there are those personal sins many of us had to deal with these during the great revival in 1972 and that's in between me and one other person and I go to that person one-on-one in private say brother sister I want to get right.

Here's the thing. And thirdly there's public sin that sin that's committed before a whole group. I can remember Several years ago. This play football some of the fellows from the church. Terrible temper that God had to deal with in my life.

I lost it over there in South Park and really got mad and was kicking a few people and God really had to speak to me about that and because it was a public sin. It had to be confessed publicly and I got that group back together again and asked them as a group to forgive me.

There are a lot of sins that are public that we don't deal with in the way they ought to be dealt with. You know that hypocrisy is a public sin. If you're playing a game by coming here on Sunday and living something else on Monday through Saturday.

Going against the very things that you would say amen to here in the service. Do you know that ought to be confessed publicly before this whole audience? Because your life your hypocrisy is in some insidious way going to affect this entire body.

We often think of body life in the positive way and how we contribute to one another but friends we can also be detrimental to the body. When we're living hypocrisy and lies that are full of sin and yet putting it on here like we're all right with God.

That's needs to be confessed publicly. It's a public sin. So you lost your temper at your job and I want you to know that God will never be able to use you. You'll never have power and witnessing to those people where you work until you get them together as a group.

Confess that public sin publicly. You affected the whole group. Do you see it? So deal each of these kinds of sins in their respective manner personal sins personally private sins privately public sins publicly.

But deal with them that's the issue. So we see how important it is to have a clear conscience. Now, let's answer our second question and that is. What are the results of one? See Tom if I really work at this now and and I go home and write out a list of people that I need to Get straight with and I really get serious about this what's going to happen in my life.

Spiritual Growth Through a Pure Conscience

I want to show you some powerful positive things that are going to happen. Let's turn first to Hebrews 5. That's right back from James. Just turn backwards a few pages Hebrews 5 13 and 14. Oh. Here's the power of a pure conscience.

Hebrews 5 13 and 14 for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a baby. But strong me belongs to them that are full age. Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Now answer this question out loud if you will, please. What part of our makeup? Do we discern good and evil what do we call that our Conscience, that's right. Someone said it our conscience. Now notice that the writer of the Hebrews is saying here a mark of spiritual maturity.

Is a Christian a person who knows how to use their conscience? You see that there side to? Now notice that the writer of the Hebrews is saying here a mark of spiritual maturity is a Christian a person Who knows how to use their conscience?

You see that there in verse 14 and a mark of spiritual immaturity. Is that person who resists this who pays no attention to what God is trying to say to them the people they need to get right? With. They're going to be a spiritual, baby.

Now you've heard this illustration over and over you know, how cute it is dear one or two-year-old child say mama dada. But when that child is 20 years older and they're 21 or 22 saying mama and dada is not cute any longer.

It's a tragedy. And this is what's happening. So many Christian people they never grow up. Spiritual babies some of you know the Lord as long as I've been alive and some of you longer. But you've not grown up spiritually why.

Because you resisted dealing with your conscience you resisted going back to people that you have offended and hurt and wronged and You'll never grow up says Paul. You'll never be able to take the meat of the word To deal with your conscience and learn to discern good and evil so you're gonna grow.

Spiritual Exercise and Taking a Leap of Faith

What'll happen you say tell what are the results of a clear conscience? You'll grow you'll become spiritually mature. Look at the second grade result acts 24 16. Remember this famous verse. This is probably the most famous verse and the subject of a clear conscience.

Acts 24 16 you say what are the results of a clear conscience this morning? Here's another beauty. As I go through these it gives me a desire all over again friends to check my heart out to make sure That I'm right with God in every person.

This is acts 24 16. And Herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense or clear of offense? Towards God and towards man the horizontal the vertical. Paul says I wanted both ways.

I want to be clear now. I want to key in on the word exercise here. Herein do I exercise now what happens when you don't exercise? What happens when I don't exercise when anybody does we get out of shape you walk upstairs?

You just don't have it. You're out of shape when you don't exercise. Now this is what's happening on a large scale in so many Christians lives. They're out of shape spiritually. Pardon my grammar, but we have a lot of fat spiritual Slobs in the Church of Jesus Christ today.

I meet them everywhere. I go. I'm not talking about physical overweight. I'm talking about spiritual overweight people who have never learned to exercise and work off the spiritual food they receive on Sundays and Wednesdays if they're here.

Paul Valentine draws the picture of the church. And he says it's like a group of little baby Robins up in the nest and they're all going come on. Give me some more. Give me another sermon pastor. And here the mother Robins flying over dropping worms in and these little baby birds are getting fatter and fatter.

And they're crowding each other out of the nest. It's a humorous picture, but it's also sad. They never get out on the limb and take a leap of faith and go flying out for themselves. Go witnessing go winning souls for themselves.

They like to sit here in church and just soak it all in and get spiritually fat. Let others do the exercising and the work. Are you in shape for God this morning? Paul says do you want to know I take a run around the block spiritually?

Do you want to know how I keep healthy for God. I'll tell you how I make sure I've got a clear conscience with everybody. This is spiritual exercise friend. Someone's need to jog a mile. We need to get out to that friend around the corner there that we've offended it get it right with them.

We need to get back to the government where we've done some shady IRS dealings and get back and say I'm wrong. I've got to pay for my sin. You'll become spiritual healthy. Paul's is here to exercise myself.

This is how I keep in shape for God so I can be used of God. So spiritual maturity spiritual health look at the third one. 2nd Corinthians 112. You see what are the results of a clear conscience. 2nd Corinthians 112.

You're kind of tired of this word conscience when you really take a study of it and find all the verses in which it appears. Seems that God's trying to say something doesn't it? 2nd Corinthians 112 for our rejoicing is this.

The feeling that we got when we heard that group sing. Oh Pardon me for our rejoicing is this. That everything is going right and I have no trial. Oh Let's reread hold it. Here we go. That's the reversed vision.

Let's get back to the revised version. Our rejoicing is this the testimony of our conscience. Paul says do you want to know why I'm so happy. Do you want to know why I feel praise in my heart for God?

I'll tell you I put my conscience up on the witness stand and you know something have testified a good testimony about me. It's clear. I Have a good conscience. Does your conscience testify good things about you this morning in this audience.

You know a lot of our testimonies we hear these days somebody will stand up and say I Just want to thank the Lord for the joy That he brings to my life and when I think about him and Christian life is so Thrilling wonder why nobody ever comes to meetings when we invite them.

Why nobody ever seems to be touched by our lives. What happened to that zip that joy of the Lord that just takes over a person? I'll tell you what happened it got lost and we quit dealing with our conscience and quit saying Oh God I want to be right with every known person on earth.

And just drains the joy sucks every last minute of it out of our lives. Paul says our rejoicing is this a testimony of a good conscience. Do you have that joy this morning? What if I'd asked four of our men in the church here some of the bigger and stronger ones to help carry a baby elephant?

Around. Right around the church here. Now. This is a wild illustration. But it will get across the point if you listen and the elephant now is coming. We got his little baby elephant here and I say now man I want you one on each leg and I'm gonna sort of coach you here and I'll say lift.

But don't just carry this elephant. I want you to smile while you carry it. Okay, here we go now and they all lift. They just can't quite get that smile out. Can they why you can't carry an elephant and smile friends.

There are people in this audience this morning that have an elephant Titus conscience and it's weighing down on you. You've got seen that you haven't dealt with in your past parents that you're bitter against teachers that you've cheated on exams with.

And you expect God to give you the joy of the Lord. Listen, you've got an elephant on top of you. And you better get it off. You'll never smile for Christ in a genuine way till you do. So this is a result of a clear conscience.

It's rejoicing. Rejoicing in the Lord the joy of the Lord renewed. Look at first Timothy 1 now. First Timothy 1 18 and 19. See Tom, what are the results of a clear conscience so far? We've seen spiritual health spiritual maturity spiritual joy.

Now look at first Timothy 1 18 and 19. This charge I commit unto thee son Timothy according to the prophecies which went before on thee that thou by them. Mightest war a good warfare. Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning the faith have made shipwreck.

Notice the context here. Paul's talking about spiritual warfare. You see Tom what will a clear conscience do for me? And I tell you this morning dear friends a clear conscience will give you power for spiritual warfare.

Against the world the flesh and the devil. That's what it will give you that is the result of a clear conscience the ability to fight off all the powers of the enemy. Do you have that power this morning?

You see Tom, you're crazy. You think I'm going back and getting things straight with my parents. You say Tom I'm not going back to the government and pay them back. They've ripped me off enough in taxes and this and that I'm not you can say that this morning and Paul says of you your life will be shipwrecked.

You can do that if you please you have a free will but your life your Christian example will be shipwrecked. How many Christians are like that today? Shipwrecked all docked up for God can't be used. So full of holes were sin.

Undealt with is crept in first Peter 3. You turn there, please first Peter chapter 3 verses 15 and 16. Here's another powerful positive practical result of a clear conscience. First Peter 3 15 now get the context of witnessing in verse 15 here.

Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man. That asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Having a good conscience getting a little weary of seeing that.

Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evildoers. They may be ashamed of falsely accused your good life in Christ. You say Tom? What will be the result of a clear conscience the Word of God says this morning if you have a clear conscience you have power to witness.

You have authority from God to touch souls. That was the first question in our quiz. Do you sense a powerlessness in your witnessing? How many Christians are trying to witness to a boss that they're bitter against?

To a boss who they've talked behind his back. Some of you ladies are trying to witness to neighbor ladies. In some sly some subtle or some very known way you've offended them. You'll never get through to them.

Why. Because this verse 16 here says they're gonna accuse your life in Christ. But Peter says if we have a clear conscience, it's a false accusation. They can't hold water. I think I've told my testimony of the revival in 1972 here before.

There were certain people that I was working with. That I just couldn't get along with a Certain job that I held here in Mansfield. God so spoke to my heart during that revival. Tom get right get right get right.

I Had to get right. I had to go back. I had to ask forgiveness. Two years later. This person others involved were gloriously converted. How I thank God for that. What an illustration of this truth you see as I got my conscience clear with them.

Then I had every right. I had the freedom to share Christ. The power of the gospel could flow through me. Because they had nothing they could point out in my life and say this is wrong in your life. You're a hypocrite.

As long as people do that, you'll never have power with God or with men. You have power with witnessing. The last thing I want to talk about this morning. The last result is in Psalm 38. Will you turn there?

Physical Health and a Clear Conscience

Psalm 38. So far, we've seen we can have spiritual health spiritual maturity spiritual joy spiritual power for warfare. Spiritual power for witnessing. And now here's the sixth positive powerful result of a clear conscience.

Psalm 38. I Want to read this the way I think David wrote it. Oh Lord. Rebuke me not in my wrath neither chasing me in my hot displeasure. Your arrows stick fast in me and your hand presses me sore. There's no soundness in my flesh or that could be translated.

No health in my body. Because of your anger neither is any rest in my bones because of my sin. David has arthritis no rest in his bones. Mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy burden. They're too heavy for me.

My womb is stink. They're corrupt because of my foolishness. I'm troubled. I'm bowed down great like a mourning all the day long. Don't pick up Psalm 38 if you want a blessing. Doesn't bless me a bit.

Now look at verse 17. Why was David so down? Why was his physical health? It's such a low place in this time of his life. Verse 17. For I'm ready to halt my sorrows continued before me. I will declare my iniquity.

I will be sorry for my sin. Davis. Oh God, I see it now. My physical problem is really spiritual. I have sinned that I haven't dealt with. Well friends how many times there are in our lives that our physical problem is really goes back to and relates very very clearly to Spiritual things.