GRACE GAZETTE
Volume XXIssue4
/Published occasionally for mourners in Zion/
/Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;And
make straight pathsfor your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out
of the way; but let it rather be healed.Hebrews 12::12-13/
A GOOD CONSCIENCE
//
/Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of
evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good
conversation in Christ. 1Peter 3:16/
//
//The scriptures teach us that GOD made man in HIS own “image”.Many are
those that have surmised that by this statement, that the LORD endued
man with a nobility and excellence of stature which made him to possess
immortality in some measure. This “immortal” part of man is often
described as his “soul”.I have heard many say that men have an immortal
soul that must live on beyond the grave.This is the source, in their
mind, of supposed blessing or horror depending on the ultimate
destination that one may arrive at. We don’t have the capability or
desire to engage in the philosophical aspects of this statement.Yet we
desire to be content in reading what the scriptures say, and hopefully
not adding our philosophy to them.
The first mention of a “soul” is when the scriptures say, /“And the LORD
God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; _and man became a living soul._” (Gen 2:7) /Now it
would seem clear to us that man was made “/a living soul/”.So that it
would seem in the same clarity, an accurate statement that “man _is_ a
soul”, rather than that “man _has_ a soul”.The LORD made him such by
breathing into lifeless dust, life itself.This is what Paul preached to
the Athenians at Mars Hill.“/For in him we live, and move, and have our
being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his
offspring.” (Acts 17:28/)
The LORD _“alone_” has immortality.“/_Who only hath immortality_//,
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath
seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1Tim
6:16/)This “immortality” is that which sets the LORD apart from mortal
creatures, of which man is one. /“For thus saith the high and lofty One
that inhabiteth eternity.” (Isa 57:15/) It is that which sets CHRIST
apart from those HE came to minister unto, “/For as the Father hath life
in himself; so _hath he given to the Son to have life *in* himself_.”
(John 5:26/)And it is this gift of “/eternal LIFE/” which sets the sons
of GOD apart from the world, /“And this is the record, that God _hath
given to us eternal life_, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the
Son hath life; and _he that hath not the Son of God hath not life_.”
(1John 5:11-12/)
So, we are not at all convinced that when the scriptures speak of man
being made in the image of GOD that it has any reference to being made
“immortal” in any sense.Rather the contextual reading of the scriptures
indicate that HE made man to have “dominion” over the “Earth” and its
creatures in the same fashion (though not to the same extent) as the
LORD rules over the entire creation.“/So God created man _in his own
image_, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he
them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and _subdue it: and have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every
living thing that moveth upon the earth_.” (Gen 1:27-28/)
It is interesting that the _result_ of the “new birth” of the spiritual
man is the same as that “original birthing” of the natural man./“For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to _be conformed to the
*image* of his Son_, that he might be the firstborn among many
brethren.” (Rom 8:29/)The sons of GOD are predestined to be like CHRIST
even as Adam was made to be like his CREATOR in the purpose for which he
was put in the earth. So the “new birth” is an event which is
transformative, in that those who are, by the grace of GOD, privileged
to experience it, receive “LIFE” which they did not heretofore
possess.This is not a restoration back to some state which they walked
in before Adam’s sin, but rather a “new creation” which never existed,
but to which they were ordained according to the purpose of
GOD./“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Cor 5:17/)
That which is SPIRITUAL is lasting in nature, while that which is
natural must and shall pass away. /”That which is born of the flesh is
flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I
said---, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:6-7/)
The word “conscience” appears 29 times in the New Testament.Each time it
is found, it is translated from the same Greek word, which means a
“perception of a moral consciousness”.All men are born with a
conscience, which operates in varying degrees, according to the purpose
of GOD./“For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the
things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto
themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts,
their _conscience _also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean
while accusing or else excusing one another” (Rom 2:14-15/)The operation
of this “natural conscience” is demonstrated in the account of the woman
taken in adultery. /“And they which heard it, _being convicted by their
own conscience_, went out one by one.” (John 8:9/)This conviction is
natural and not of the SPIRIT in like fashion as Judas who went out and
hanged himself due to his guilt. This is not true repentance, but
rather, natural sorrow.
It has pleased the LORD to turn this natural “conscience” in some over
to a “/reprobate mind/”, /“And even as they did not like to retain God
in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those
things which are not convenient.” (Rom 1:28/) The most severe case of
this is found among those who deny the gospel, twisting it into a
perverse lie.“/Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their _conscience
seared with a hot iron_. “ (1Tim 4:2/)/“Having the understanding
darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance
that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past
feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all
uncleanness with greediness.” (Eph 4:18-19/)
While this “conscience” works in all men to a greater or lesser degree,
there is a “conscience” which is bestowed on none but the children of
GOD. Paul testifies of it, “/And herein do I exercise myself, to have
always a _conscience void of offence_ toward God, and toward men.” (Acts
24:16/)He is speaking of the “HOPE” which he has been given in the
“resurrection of CHRIST”. Even the “reborn” sons of GOD, have doubts and
fears due to their corruptible flesh, yet it is this “conscience” from
which they cannot (thankfully) escape, as the SPIRIT of GOD works in
them both to will and to do of HIS good pleasure.It is that which Peter
spoke of when the LORD asked them if they do would depart from HIM.Peter
confessed, “/Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal
life.” (John 6:68/) It is the same with Job, who said, “/Though he slay
me, yet will I trust in him.” (Job 13:15/)
It is this “conscience” which caused Paul to preach nothing but
/“_CHRIST and HIM crucified_/_”_among those to whom he was sent, “/For
our rejoicing is this, _the testimony of our conscience_, that in
simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the
grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more
abundantly to you-ward.” (2Cor 1:12/)
When the high priests made continual offerings of bulls and goats, they
could only outwardly make an atonement for sin. Neither the priest nor
those for whom the offerings were made could have any lasting peace and
“/_as pertaining to the conscience_//.” (Heb 9:9) /Yet CHRIST as that
PERFECT SACRIFICE has brought this PEACE. “/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/) This is the ministration of that “good” and “pure”
conscience, which is given to the sons of GOD as they are reconciled
unto HIM.mam