For Conscience Sake (4-21-12)

Romans 14:14 - "I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."

When considering gray areas we need to be fully convinced in our own minds and not judge others according to our standards or convictions. We also need to be careful not to cause another believer stumble over our freedoms and be willing to set aside our rights and our liberties for the sake of love for the weaker brother.
Another thing to consider when thinking about gray areas is conscience. This is something else that Paul touches on in Romans 14 and also spells out in 1 Corinthians chapters 8 and 10. When contemplating gray areas and whether or not we should do a certain thing or participate in a particular event, or watch some movie or listen to a certain kind of music, or whatever (you fill in the blank), we need to take heed to our conscience and also think about how it might effect the consciences of those around you, both saved and lost. Paul deals with both of these aspects of conscience in 1 Corinthians 10:25-29 where he is again dealing with the issue of meat sacrificed to idols, and he says - "Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS. If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience?" The first two times he says "for conscience' sake" he is talking about your own conscience, but the last time he says it he's talking about the other mans conscience. We'll take these one at a time, and hopefully when we're done we can say, like Paul said in Acts 24:16 - "In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men."

First of all, we need to consider our own conscience because it is possible to sin against your conscience. Even though something may not be sin in and of itself, if you violate your conscience by participating in it becomes a sin for you. That's why Paul says in Romans 14:14 - "I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." And he says later in Romans 14:22-23 - "The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin." If you cannot participate in a gray area with a clear conscience then you should not do it at all. It may not be sin for other people, but if your conscience is bothering you about it and you do it anyway you are committing sin. If you cannot do it in faith it is sin, because "whatever is not from faith is sin."
One of the requirements given in 1 Timothy chapter 3 for those who desire to be deacons is that they must hold "to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience." So we need to be diligent that in every unclear situation we consider our conscience. We can't just say that because the Bible doesn't say anything negative about a given situation that we have the right to participate in it. That may be true, but if our conscience is bothered by it then we don't have that freedom.

Secondly we need to consider how our actions might effect the consciences of others. In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul says when you are invited somewhere to eat, eat what is set before you without asking questions (about whether it was sacrificed to an idol or not). But then he says "But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s." He also says in 1 Corinthians 8:9-13 - "But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble." I may have no issue in my conscience concerning something that I have the freedom to do, but that freedom, though it's not a sin for me, could cause others to stumble in their conscience. They may follow my example and in so doing violate their own conscience, and what wasn't a sin for me becomes a sin for them. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:12 - "For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you." Paul says that he had a good testimony in his conscience because of the way he conducted himself toward others, both saved and unsaved. In other words, he conducted himself in such a way that he would never by the way he lived give others occasion for sinning against their conscience because of something they saw him doing. He also says in 2 Corinthians 4:2 - "but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God."
We need to be careful in regard to gray areas that we do not violate our own consciences, or do anything that will cause others to violate theirs.

1 Timothy 1:5 - "But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."