My mind was thousands of miles away because of something that just happened. A friend in passing spoke to me. Understanding what he said, yet, I was preoccupied with this unpleasant thought. I acknowledged his comment with a wave of my hand. Within a few minutes, my conscience bothered me. I felt that I was impolite because I did not answer him. I tried to call him a few times to apologize, but was unable to get him. A few days later, I got a chance to see him in person. I apologized to him, explaining my mindset. He, being a fine Christian man, understood and all is well between us.
Our conscience is a gift from God. It behooves us to continue to improve its capacity as we study God’s Word and comply with His Will. We need to continue to get a conscience tune up. Our dictionary defines conscience in part as: “The awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one’s conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong. A source of moral or ethical judgment or pronouncement” (The Free Dictionary by Farlex). According to Farlex’s Thesaurus, “Tune up, means to alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard; to adjust, correct or set.”
Our hatred for evil, and our love for moral goodness keeps pace with our service to mankind, and our service keeps pace with our growth in knowledge of what is right and wrong. Our conscience does not bother us at all, since our daily practice is in harmony with our moral judgment. Our minds are clear; we develop no neurotic complexes; and our usefulness in this world becomes greater. Friends, our moral judgment is our guide. Before our conscience can ever operate, we must first decide, (from our fund of knowledge) what is right, and then act according to our best judgment. The thing that guides us is our moral judgment — our knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. This knowledge we must gain from God’s book, the Bible. It is our only accurate teacher in matters of righteousness. (Fred A. Amick. Hearing for Eternity, Vol. II. 73-74)
We are unable to grasp why those who practice orthodox Islam can kill innocent people. We cannot comprehend the vile nature of those who practice evil and say they are doing the will of a god. We are thankful that God’s Word, the Bible, guides us straight unto true ethical/morale principles that have stood the test of time. May we continue to serve our God in good conscience. It is our prayer that mankind will seek the God of the Bible, a God of goodness and peace.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:12-13 KJV). “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron”(1 Timothy 4:1-2). “Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly” (Hebrews 13:18). “The conscience of a people is their power” (John Dryden, 1631 – 1700).
