A “moral compass” given to every man by God

It must not be ignored

It will either “accuse” us or “excuse” us

It must never be violated

A good conscience before obeying the gospel is still not enough

Acts 23:1Acts 23:1

And Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, And Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.”good conscience before God up to this day.”

This included his activity in persecuting Christians.This included his activity in persecuting Christians.

A good conscience before obeying the gospel is still not enough

Obeying the gospel

1 Pet 3:211 Pet 3:21

And corresponding to that, baptism now saves And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God -- the answer of a good conscience toward God -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A good conscience before obeying the gospel is still not enough

Obeying the gospel

The redemptive work of Christ

Heb 9:13-Heb 9:13-1414

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living conscience from dead works to serve the living God?God?

Heb 10:22Heb 10:22

Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.washed with pure water.

A good conscience before obeying the gospel is still not enough

Obeying the gospel

The redemptive work of Christ

The danger if we fall away

1 Tim 4:1-21 Tim 4:1-2

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.branding iron.

Let your conscience be your guide…but not your only or even your best guide

The best guide is the inspired & objective word of God

It can do something your conscience cannot do… it can save your soul