Holding on to Faith and a Good Conscience

- before we know God, we set our own standards, we are contented to only live before man, living with defiled conscience
- living with a good conscience doesn't just come from knowing the truths, but hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit
- as we made judgements throughout our day, we should test our hearts if we are inclined to god's love, do his will.

<1Ti 1: 18 - 2:4>
18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wantsall people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 

1. Faith --> Good Conscience

1) real connection
- it is impossible to blind your conscience and go on growing your spirituality
- smearing conscience: ignore it --> spoil the co-knower mechanisms --> lose all spiritual sensitivity & alertness
- when your conscience is corrupted, our actions will speed up in corruption


2) warning (to Timothy) --> shipwrecked the faith
- our faith can be shipwrecked through ignoring our consciences
- the evil of sins don't come in a big manner, but by first corrupting our consciences
- and after some time, you will find yourself losing the simple faith, you become cold to people and holiness doesn't appeal to you anymore
- shipwrecked faith = not mending the small cracks & letting water (evil) seeps in

3) basis of a good conscience
- start from the prophecies of Christ: no one can be saved by abiding to their already corrupted conscience
- the right conscience always start from us:
a) admitting our guilt before God (departed from him, fall short of his glory, live own image, self exalt, self seeking)
b) continual repentance (denying of self, constantly humble before God not man)
c) striving towards perfection (through the truth)
{conscience mechanism = born again conscience}


2. Praying for others in relation to a good conscience

1) summation of god's instructions: to love
- no need to worry about if we can love unconditionally, but love first
- therefore, anything that we do that does not root from love (inability to love), will prick our consciences
- to love: is Christ's DNA
- by praying & interceding for others, we are actually acknowledging how limited we are and setting our motives to love
- to love from understanding the love of the Calvary cross

2) it's the easiest way to love
- love through prayers, entrust to God through prayers
- when u hear from a brethren, do not stop there but bring to God in prayers
- it's a great joy, satisfaction, assurance to entrust people to God
- if we don't remember anyone in prayers, we will only grow our Self-centeredness

3) it's the most effective & practical way to love
- <1Sam 12:23> "far be it from me that I should sin against the lord by failing to pray for you Israel"
- not praying = not loving = not seeking convictions = self-centered
- the more we pray for our brethren, the clearer we know how to minister to them (new convictions will be revealed through intercession) 


3. Evangelism in relation to a good conscience

1) <1Tim 2:4> heartbeat of God --> Evangelism
- 1 Timothy 2:4 [4] who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
- when we don't evangelise and felt accused, it is our conscience acting on us (not just people or circumstances)
- sometimes we unconsciously find excuses, not discovering that our consciences are speaking to us

2) fight the good fight
- we may not deliver the best outcomes but fight a good fight, heed our calling
- God don't reward us for the good outcomes but for our good fights

3) no longer ashamed of the gospel
- usually we are not ashamed to help man materially, outwardly, but we are ashamed to give man the gospel
- when you are not ashamed of the gospel, you will have a good conscience before God