Conscience Void of Offence

Driving home: I exercise myself, that at any point in my life, I can look upward into the face of my God, uncondemned, and outward into the face of my fellow man, unembarrassed.

The word 'exercise' in Acts 24:16 is linked to 'aesthetic,' illustrating Paul's commitment to rigid, self-imposed spiritual discipline to maintain a clear conscience.

Paul is saying, in essence, in the light of this resurrection and judgment, when I too must stand before God, I exercise myself. Now the word exercise, is the word which has the same root as the word aesthetic. When you think of an aesthetic, you think of someone who has put himself under strict, rigid rules of discipline, keeping under his body and the activities of his life. A person who was an aesthetic is one who lived under very rigid, self-imposed rules and disciplines.

2:05 - 2:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Fall before God, search the Scriptures, and ask God to show you your plight as a sinner cut off from God and man.

Sin is likened to a house with a 'roof' (cutting off fellowship with God) and 'walls' (preventing proper relationship with fellow man), vividly portraying man's fallen condition.

And their evidences of sin are found in the creature's attitude toward his fellow creature. Cursing, bitterness, murder, bloodshed, deceit. And so God shows to us in this passage that sin has affected not only man's uncondemned look godward, but an unembarrassed look manward. Someone has said, and I believe it's a very helpful illustration, sin has affected man's like a house. It has put a roof over his head that he cannot fellowship with God. It has

11:35 - 12:11 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Any professed faith in Jesus Christ that does not produce a vibrant demonstrated love to the saints is a mere notion.

A hymn about Christ's bleeding wounds is quoted to illustrate the power of Christ's blood to purge a troubled conscience and bring forgiveness.

and then left us at the mercy of our own divinings to bring it about but in the shedding of the blood of his son and that blood ever speaking before the throne of God and in the giving of his spirit God has made full provision that the roof might go off and stay off and the walls might go flat and remain flat but when I come to God as a smitten sinner my conscience alive with the sense of guilt and the thunderings of the holy law rising up before me and I say where can I hide and the Holy Spirit points to that finished sacrifice then the scripture says my conscience is purged through the blood...

29:54 - 30:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Plunge your troubled conscience in the blood of Christ to know the blessed reality of forgiveness.

Conscience is personified as a 'stubborn little fellow' who only knows 'right and wrong,' emphasizing its unyielding nature when sin is present and hindering prayer.

and you can know the blessed reality of that hymn which speaks of five bleeding wounds he bears received on Calvary they pour effectual prayers they strongly plead for him for me forgive him oh forgive they cry nor let that ransomed sinner die that's the starting point dear child of God you know we're going a step further that there'll be no real liberty in prayer if your conscience is not void of offense toward God you ever try to pray when your conscience is troubling you you ever try it you ever try to argue with God your conscience is a very stubborn little fellow he knows only two words r...

34:19 - 35:02 Read in full sermon