Serving Your Conscience or the Living God

Serving Your Conscience or the Living God

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Heb. 9:14.

“Which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of restoration.” Vs. 9-10.

There is a great difference between serving your conscience and serving the living God. A person who serves his conscience has not given himself; he sacrifices only a part of what he has of energy, time, money, etc. Such people continually ask: “How much? Is it necessary? Is it allowed?” Their conscience forces them to do various things, and in order to have a good conscience and to have peace, they make various sacrifices. However, the motive behind their actions is always to get away with doing as little as possible. This is how the people served God in the old covenant. They were required to do it. They did not delight in bringing the sacrifices, yet they wanted to have God’s blessing; but in order to obtain the blessing they were required to do certain things to keep them in the place where God could bless them. However, they remained the same person. The works they did were dead works by which they were not transformed; these works only placated their conscience.

Many Christians in our days live in the same way. They want to go to heaven when they die, they want to be blessed, but they have not given themselves, and they continually ask, “Is this sin; aren’t you allowed to do that when you are a Christian?” Often the discussion about whether or not something is sin becomes very heated.

The conscience is not static. It is awakened, and it develops as a person becomes more enlightened. Because each person’s conscience is different, their works are different as well, even among those who live according to their conscience. A person does not have peace, and he is a sinner, if he does not have a good conscience. Having a good conscience is the minimum requirement for having peace with God. Yet someone who takes only his conscience as a measuring stick and guide is not a servant of God. Rom. 6:22. “But now having been set free from sin, [then they have a good conscience] and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end, everlasting life.”

Jesus is our brother and forerunner, and He came with something new. The old way was to sacrifice more or less of certain things. The new way is to sacrifice yourself in the power of the eternal Spirit. Those who have offered up themselves do not possess anything. They cannot sacrifice whatever they want. They are led by the Spirit. Only such people are children of God. Rom. 8:14. The others are God’s people and are earthly. Rev. 21:2-3.

Those who are led by the Spirit never have a bad conscience. They do not compare themselves with others and do not ask if this or that is necessary. They are a sacrifice and love the promptings of God toward perfection. They hate their own life and are transformed into the image of Christ. It is enough for a disciple to become like his Master. That is his goal. Heb. 13:20-21.

An athlete is driven by his desire. When his coach corrects him or criticizes him, and when the spectators shout to encourage him, he does not ask whether it is necessary to run faster. He does not feel as if this is something that is required of him. It is not his conscience that spurs him on. Not at all! He has given himself to run as fast as possible. He regards the work of his coach and the actions of the spectators as help and encouragement. He delights in it.

The preaching of the Word in the church has a different effect on different individuals. Those who serve their conscience have the feeling that they are being burdened more and more during conferences and meetings. They become restless when they hear a powerful testimony about generosity. In the past they had peace when they tithed (for example) and perhaps they even boasted about it, but after hearing such a testimony, they have to say, “I realize that it has been far too little. I suppose I have to give much more if I want to follow Jesus.” It is the same when they hear about patience, goodness, etc. Their conscience makes them restless. They do not have joy and rejoicing in their hearts; they have absolutely no understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.

However, those who have presented themselves as a sacrifice do not have the feeling that they are being burdened with something when they hear a powerful testimony. Just like the athlete, they see it as a help to perform that which is good in an even better and more perfect way, for that is their only desire. They are always glad and full of joy. They are apprehended. Such people are free and serve the living God. By their service they are transformed into the image of Christ. There is life and progress where such people are in a church.

Those who follow their conscience as their standard are also praiseworthy, but they are not in a race, and if there is no one around to awaken their conscience, they begin to backslide. They cannot stand on their own. But if there are some servants of the Lord present, they help to keep sin away.

May God give light, so that many are apprehended of Jesus Christ and become servants of the Lord so that the church can be built up and mature till the coming of Christ.