Conscience and Conviction

The more we know God's character and attributes, the more we trust His Word. The blind must see and deaf must hear by the Holy Spirit. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14). Can we trust the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, to reveal Christ, to open our minds to understand spiritual truth? If He doesn't do it, it doesn't get done despite all our efforts. All of us are born with "conscience" but not holy. When a Christian who is saved by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, this Christian is living in a new Creature with holy conscience rather than sinful conscience. Every Christian must decide whether they will us their liberty to decide on their moral decisions. We are free, but our freedom must prove a source of real temptation of this world. We are free from the chains of sin because by grace we are saved by Christ that we are forgiven. Spiritual liberty means the freedom to be all that we were designed to be, but this is not a freedom that is without restrictions or responsibilities. Grace is about loving other people that we have the freedom to do so but at the same time, respect how they practice their beliefs. As long as our conscience is clear and our heart is pure before God, don't be concerned with issues. I mean, it's like losing ourselves in the pursuit of Christ and let everything else take its place. In Romans 14:5 "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." 1 Corinthians 10:28-29 "both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake, the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?" As a Christian, I still can have sinful desires, foolish desires, proud desires and at the same time, have godly desires. Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. 1 Timothy 1:5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is tuned to speak to our inner conscience and demonstrates with spiritual convictions. When the Holy Spirit convicts me not to sin, I tell people that I choose not to simply because I don't want to hurt my relationship with Him. I want to have the peace of conscience, not war within when I sinned. When I sinned, I am grieving the Holy Spirit; "not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30). I am saved and when the Holy Spirit convicting me not to sin, I will not sin. I tell them that if I didn't feel the conviction and didn't have the motivation to change from "within", then I am concerned whether I am truly saved or not. I choose not to sin because not the Bible says so but rather I CHOSE not to sin because the Holy Spirit convicts me (told me) NOT TO. God is always convicting my to search my heart to follow my conscience that God have given me. Romans 12:9 (NIV) "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Ephesians 4:24 "and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." 2 Peter 3:11 (NIV) Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives. I know I will never be perfect as long as I live in my sinful body. My role model, David, who was never perfect but God announced that David was always after God's heart. "David son of Jesse is a man after my own heart, for he will do everything I want him to do." Acts 13:22 & 1 Samuel 13:14 (NLT)God meets us in our heart rather than our mind therefore we need to focus on the "heart of the matter". Every wrong act or practice begins with a "thought". Legalism does NOTHING for my heart. Paul said, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection ..." (1Corinthians 9:27). The key word here is "discipline." I tell people that legalism can't produce a pure heart. Rules do not protect us from sin because rules are basically guidelines that will help you avoid sinning. Jesus had a problem with the pharisees who were very legalists and they had about 613 rules to protect God's commandments. This is my "personal relationship" with God. My concience is what I follow. If I sinned and my conscience told me that I have sinned, I should not sin again.

Worship is Personal

Worship is to be personal, in spirit and the focus should be on GOD only. Worship to me is DAILY and Sundays are my worship with my fellow believers. When we worship in Church, we focus on God and no one else. When we worship God in image, we are to "Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy." (Psalm 99:9). In the Beatitudes, worshippers instead of purity of their hearts, they have corrupted imaginings among themselves. Christian will use their human nature to worship based on self and feelings. I have visited similar churches and seen posts in CF. The main focus from what I have seen "What's in it for me?". This also applies to the new movement called "emerging" which is a "friendly environment" for those who desire to have a community for self. God is asking Christians to surrender their own selfish little kingdom and focus on God's Kingdom. . People are so used to seeing everyone serving their own interests that no other kind of spiritual conduct is expected. "And anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whosoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:38-39). Many people are forgetting the REAL purpose of the CHURCH. Over the years, movements have changed the way we worship God. I have left and avoided many churches that do not Worship God the way God expected us to worship. I know what you are talking about. This issue have been bothering me in the last 10 years. Worship have been changed to conform to the wishes of the people's desires

Being Tested

There does come a time when the Holy Spirit says, "Today this disciple is going to be tested." Tested is NOT the same as temptation. We should all be aware that every day is a day of testing. God have been using Satan through Pharaoh to persecute Jewish people for years. In Exodus 9:16 "But I (God) have raised you (Pharaoh) up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." In the New Testament, Romans 9:17 "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: 'I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' " It is through the goodness of God we may go to the school of our failures. Spiritual growth requires Christians learn from mistakes. While examining our mistakes, we must be careful to avoid two opposite errors: the first is being too easy on ourselves and the second is being too hard. There are lessons in life we learn best from failure as we have in the past. Satan may not be aware that God is taking advantage of Satan's plans. God knows everything before Satan even think up a plan. Romans 8:28-29 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." In Hebrews 12:10 "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." Then we see the next verse, Hebrews 12:11, No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Without these temptations circumstances, your self-discovery of spiritual maturity will not be learned. Our greatest teachers are those circumstances you are facing because they are reminders that we are still sinners and we are to be trained into spiritual growth. When we most aware of our weaknesses, we are more inclined to collapse into God's strength and experience His amazing grace. "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9). Ephesians 6:4, "And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Parenting is loving your children so that they're not angry with you and bringing them up to know the Lord. Psalm 94:12 Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law. Proverbs 3:12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. Proverbs 5:12 You will say, "How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! Proverbs 5:23 He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly. Proverbs 10:17 He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. Proverbs 13:18 He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. Proverbs 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. Proverbs 15:5 A fool spurns his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence. Proverbs 15:10 Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die. Proverbs 15:32 He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death. Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul. This is a daily sanctification process of repenting throughout our Christian life. We will never be perfect and at the same time we desire NOT to sin. This is an "inward" relationship with the Holy Spirit and His conviction in our hearts to repent which is why we are to pray as we breath because we will sin accidently. If you do not repent when the Holy Spirit tells you to repent, then you many not be saved in the first place. You cannot lose salvation because the Holy Spirit secures your salvation. I have more but this is enough for now.

Holy Spirit Conviction

When the Holy Spirit convicts me not to sin, I tell people that I choose not to simply because I don't want to hurt my relationship with Him. I want to have the peace of conscience, not war within when I sinned. When I sinned, I am grieving the Holy Spirit; "not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30). I am saved and when the Holy Spirit convicting me not to sin, I will not sin. I tell them that if I didn't feel the conviction and didn't have the motivation to change from "within", then I am concerned whether I am truly saved or not. I choose not to sin because not the Bible says so but rather I CHOSE not to sin because the Holy Spirit convicts me (told me) NOT TO. God is always convicting my to search my heart to follow my conscience that God have given me. Romans 12:9 (NIV) "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Ephesians 4:24 "and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." 2 Peter 3:11 (NIV) Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives. I know I will never be perfect as long as I live in my sinful body. My role model, David, who was never perfect but God announced that David was always after God's heart. "David son of Jesse is a man after my own heart, for he will do everything I want him to do." Acts 13:22 & 1 Samuel 13:14 (NLT)God meets us in our heart rather than our mind therefore we need to focus on the "heart of the matter". Every wrong act or practice begins with a "thought". Legalism does NOTHING for my heart. Paul said, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection ..." (1Corinthians 9:27). The key word here is "discipline." I tell people that legalism can't produce a pure heart. Rules do not protect us from sin because rules are basically guidelines that will help you avoid sinning. Jesus had a problem with the pharisees who were very legalists and they had about 613 rules to protect God's commandments. This is my "personal relationship" with God. My concience is what I follow. If I sinned and my conscience told me that I have sinned, I should not sin again.