What Does the Conscience Say? Has the Body of Sin Been Cast Out?

1. : Wars and fights.

2. : The greatest shall be as the least, the slave of all.

3. : Whenever you come together, each of you [have something with which to serve].

4. : Godliness with contentment.

5. : Love not the world or the things in the world.

6. : Partiality, paying more attention to a person in fine clothes than to a man in poor clothing.

7. : Flattering words.

8. : Factions are works of the flesh.

9. : Suing each other; lawyers. .

10. : Seeking to please men and not be a servant of Christ.

11. : The same mind; speaking the same thing.

12. : Not costly clothing or finery. .

13. : Be an example to the flock so you can say, “Follow me.” .

14. : Wives submit to your own husbands in all things.

15. : Adorning yourself with a meek and quiet spirit.

16. : Winning your unbelieving husband without a word by your conduct accompanied by fear.

17. : Hate gifts.

18. , : Obey the authorities; income tax declaration; taxes.

19. : Devour widows’ houses; thoughtlessly accepting her earthly goods.

20. : Doing everything without murmuring.

21. : Continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God; always rejoice.

22. : I have been anointed with fresh oil; I am not dry.

23. : Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing; do not let anyone know about your charitable deeds.

24. : Quick to hear, willing to yield, slow to speak.

25. : Have believing children, obedient children. .

26. : Love one another, as I have loved you; to the same degree.

27. : Do not delay to keep what you have promised.

28. : If a man is blameless, he can be an overseer, the leader of an assembly.

29. : Do not provoke your children to wrath; do not require too much from them.

30. : Do not forget hospitality! .

31. : I am jealous for you with godly jealousy.

32. : In honor give preference to one another.

33. : Give all diligence!

34. : “Moreover, I will be diligent to ensure . . . .”

35. : How you need to strive to be . . . .

36. : Conduct yourselves throughout the time of your sojourning here in fear. .

37. : But let each one examine his own work . . . according to what he is.

38. : Giving and lending. .

39. : If someone strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.

40. : Give thanks always for all things to God the Father.

41. : Do not be bitter toward your wife; do not demand or expect obedience! . Remember that she is the weaker vessel; bear, forgive, ignore.

42. : Do not be anxious for the future.

43. : That they may be made perfect in one.

44. : Do not avenge yourself; commit it to Him who judges righteously.

45. : “For three years I did not cease to exhort everyone night and day with tears.”

46. : “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak.”

47. : I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Paul overcame when he had abundance and when he suffered lack.

48. : That you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

49. : As for your works, the last are more than the first.

50. : “Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’

51. : “That according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing.”

52. : “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

53. : Put away lying, and speak truth everyone with his neighbor.

54. : “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

55. : Do not be conformed to this world; keep yourself unspotted from the world.

56. : “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”

57. : “And joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods . . . .”

58. : “A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.”

59. : The thoughts of the diligent lead only to plenty.

60. : “The righteous considers the cause of the poor . . . .”

61. : Zealous (diligent) to do good works.

62. : “To be well pleasing in all things, not answering back.”

63. : “But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that . . . .”

64. : The older woman shall teach the young women to love and obey their husbands.

65. : “But do not forget to do good and to share . . . .”

66. : Written [enrolled] not with ink.

67. : “He who gathered much had nothing left over . . . .”

68. : But rather stay in the lowly places.

69. : “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them . . . .”

70. : We give no offense in anything . . . but in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God in much patience . . . in . . . by . . . in . . . by . . . as . . . .

When you have carefully reflected on your life in the light of all these points, and your conscience does not have a single word to say to you on any of these points—and you have totally lived like this—then you can safely speak about an overcoming life. However, the body of sin has still not been taken away; it is just that you do not obey its lusts.

But what shall we think and say when a person has, practically speaking, not lived according to a single one of these points and still tries to imagine, and get others to imagine, that the body of sin has been taken away??? We cannot say it any better than the Scriptures say it themselves: “We deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” .

Elias Aslaksen