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Romans: The Power of the Gospel Message 29 of 150
The Gift of Conscience
Pastor Anthony King· November 6, 2022
Romans 2:12-16
“For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;”
Romans 2:12
The series
Verse by verse through Paul’s letter to the church at Rome: the Gospel of God’s righteousness, from our ruin in sin to life lived as a living sacrifice.
November 6, 2022
How do cultures spread across the globe throughout thousands of years of world civilization come to an agreed upon code of acceptable moral behavior?
God has written his law upon the heart of every man.
How can man disobey God’s Law if it is written on his heart?
Man disregards God.
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.Romans 1:21
Man’s foolish heart is darkened.
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.Romans 1:21
Man creates his own morality.
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.Romans 1:25
God gives man up to his corrupt 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;Romans 1:28
God has given mankind the gift of conscience to keep us attuned to the Law written on our hearts.
Conscience: an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior: Self-awareness that judges whether or not an act one has carried out or plans to carry out is in harmony with one’s moral standards.
Conscience can be damaged.
The continual disobedience of the unsaved man defiles his conscience.
Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.Titus 1:15-16
The continual disobedience of the unsaved man makes his conscience numb.
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;1 Timothy 4:2
The continual disobedience of the saved man is a result of quenching the Spirit.
Quench not the Spirit.1 Thessalonians 5:19
Our conscience is only an early warning system, not an arbiter of Truth.
The conscience is rooted in the Law of God, but is also subject to cultural norms and societal influence. Therefore the conscience cannot be an objective source of Truth.
We cannot judge another based upon our own conscience, as conscience is subjective.
Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?1 Corinthians 10:29
For the unsaved, the conscience already declares them guilty and the Holy Spirit convicts them of their sin.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:John 16:7-8
For the saved, the conscience works in conjunction with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to guide us into Truth.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.John 16:13-14
The Gentiles, who don’t have the Law, failed to obey even their own conscience, so their conscience has declared them guilty.
12For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14For 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: 15Which 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;) 16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Romans 2:12-16
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