“My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” 1 Corinthians 4:4
Paul knew that his conscience was not an accurate measure of right and wrong. God was going to judge him by an absolute standard.
I have known people whose consciences did not hurt them when they violated clear moral commands of God.
Ignorance of the command may have been their reason, but it is not good enough.
"If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible.” Leviticus 5:17
Their consciences may have been seared.
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. ” 1 Timothy 4:1-2
Their consciences may have been weak, when they feel guilty they are guilty.
“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” 1 Corinthians 8:9-12
“As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.” Romans 14:14
Paul knew that his conscience was not an accurate measure of right and wrong. God was going to judge him by an absolute standard.
I have known people whose consciences did not hurt them when they violated clear moral commands of God.
Ignorance of the command may have been their reason, but it is not good enough.
"If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible.” Leviticus 5:17
Their consciences may have been seared.
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. ” 1 Timothy 4:1-2
Their consciences may have been weak, when they feel guilty they are guilty.
“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” 1 Corinthians 8:9-12
“As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.” Romans 14:14
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