Returning to the book of Hebrews for this lesson, one of the themes of the book is the difference in how the old and new testaments make an impression on our consciences. Our conscience is the instrument given to by God to prove or disprove the actions we are about to take. It is that voice in our head that says, “you should” and “you shouldn’t.”

Qualities of Conscience

It’s Role. Romans 2:14-15 describes our consciences as the law we have even when we don’t know God’s law. Our thoughts accuse or affirm our actions separate from a written set of laws. Paul writes of it as the law being written in their hearts. Furthermore, in Romans 9:1, the conscience bears witness to your and my conduct. II Corinthians 1:12 reinforces this by speaking of the testimony of conscience regarding how we behave among the world and the brethren. Our conscience convicts us, either positively or negatively, regardless of what others may tell us about our behaviors. In Acts 23, Paul is telling the Sanhedrin that he lived in good conscience even when in enmity to God’s word. It is not a faultless guide. We should temper it with God’s word. Finally, Romans 14:23 warns us that violating our standards of conscience brings sin into our lives.

The Conscience We Want. I Timothy 1:5 tells us we should want a pure conscience in harmony with God’s law. In Acts 24:16, in another of Paul’s defenses, the apostle says he has always worked to maintain a clear conscience toward all men. I Timothy 3, among the qualities of elders and deacons, Paul again speaks of a clear conscience, and Hebrews 8-9 describes a perfect conscience that can only be obtained through Christ’s sacrifice. He provides us a clean, pure, and guiltless conscience in Hebrews 9:15, 10:2, and 10:22.

Damaging Our Conscience. I Timothy 4:1-2 describes individuals who have seared their consciences. They have trained that inner voice to silence itself or adjust its standards. Our consciences can become calloused and insensitive to right and wrong. We may know our error, but we cease to care because of the calloused burns containing our consciences. Titus 1:15 writes of defiled, or contaminated, consciences. They are corrupt and unclean. In I Corinthians 8:7 and 10, Paul speaks of sensitive consciences that can lead to moral contaminations, sin through violations of moral convictions.

Conclusion

Hebrews 10:22 tells us we must cleanse our consciences, drawing near to the throne of God. Peter, in I Peter 3:20-21, describes baptism as an appeal of a good conscience toward God. These examples harken back to Exodus 24 when Moses sprinkles blood on the temple implements as well as the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant.” Hebrews 9:14 calls upon us to cleanse our consciences in the blood of Christ. Then, as stated in I Peter 3:15-17, we must continue to educate our consciences properly and exemplify that standard in our lives.

If my conscience is not blameless, fault does not lie with my Savior – with His sacrifice or with His blood. The fault is mine for violating what I know is moral and true. Jesus’ blood washes us clean, and our responsibility is to keep our conscience clean from that point forward.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: morality, obedience, sin

There are times when you and I feel powerless to do anything to affect the world around us. We may feel powerless against the price of gas, tragic world events, family tragedies. Despite things like these, we have power over self due to our power of choice. We can choose our companions, our occupation, our residences, our lifestyles, but, ultimately, we can choose our eternal home.

Fatalism denies this choice. Calvinism denies this choice. However, God’s word has much to say about choice, and we should respect the power our choices have.

The Power In Our Choices

God will not overrule our choices. He may disapprove of our choices. God may even try to warn us about our choices, but He will allow us to make the choices ourselves. Hebrews 6:9 speaks of promises to persuade us. Hebrews 3:15 warns us against choosing to harden our hearts. Ephesians 4:30 pleads for us not to grieve God through the choices we make, and Genesis 6:6 illustrates a time when God is grieved by man’s choices. There are consequences, but He does not overrule our free choice. Ezekiel 6:9-10 records God describing Himself as broken by their choices.

Psalm 78:40-41 describes God being limited by the choices of Israel. Their actions demanded reaction from God. Think about Jesus in Matthew 23:37 when he expresses how often he would have comforted Jerusalem and gathered her as children. Unfortunately, He could not due to their separating themselves from Him.

Satan cannot overrule our choices. Satan may make us think he leaves us no choice, but he cannot veto the choices we make. He cannot force Jesus to sin in Matthew 4 nor could he drive Job away Job’s choice whether or not to sin. In Acts 5, Satan uses physical threats against the apostles to dissuade them. In all of these circumstances, these individuals defy Satan. He can be resisted (James 4:7), for he is powerless against our power to choose. Ephesians 6:11 calls us to put on our godly armor to withstand Satan’s efforts.

Our Responsibility

God gives us the opportunities and the power to choose, but accountability comes with these choices. I choose my priorities. I choose how I use my time. I choose where I am during worship. Our freedom comes with the weight of accountability for how we use that freedom. Moses, in Deuteronomy 30:15, tells the children of Israel that they have a choice between life and death, between good and evil. Their choice is to follow God and prosper or fall away and face God’s justice. Our choice is the same. Day to day, we can either choose to follow or deny God. We choose eternal life or death in the decisions we make.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: morality, obedience

The Vineyard Song

The first few verses of Isaiah 5 are referred to as the Vineyard Song. The song describes a vineyard planted on a fertile hill. It is tended to and cared for, but this vineyard produces thorns and wild grapes instead of the harvest that was expected. Jesus, in Mark 12, recalls this passage as a backdrop for a parable about workers who mistreat their masters messengers and murder the master’s son. Both Isaiah and Jesus deal with how God’s people respond to His care and protection.

Notice the care put into this vineyard. The planter picks a fruitful hill. He tends to it and tills it, picks the choicest of vines. He builds a tower, a hedge, and a wall to protect the vineyard. The landowner goes above and beyond to protect and nurture the vineyard, but this vineyard ends up producing worthless fruit. Through Isaiah, God asks the people what they would do with such a vineyard. He asks what more He could have done. He tells them that He will remove His protection from the vineyard, and He will allow it to go dry. Then He explains that His people are reflected in this vineyard.

Wild Grapes In Judah

God promises destruction upon His vineyard of Israel for the wild grapes of sin that fill their land.

• In verses 8-10, Isaiah describes how landowners and homeowners continue to expand based on their greed. He says the harder they work, the less they will bring in. This same attitude is addressed in the minor prophets when they describe people who horde money in a bag only to discover the bag has a hole in it.
  
  
• Verses 9-12 describe individuals who live only for pleasure. They party from morning to night – reflecting carnal and sensuous minds.
  
  
• Verses 18-19 speak of people who pile sin upon sin and have no shame. Verse 20 is similar to this in the promotion of evil, putting down those who are trying to do right.
  
  
• Finally, verse 21 describes people who are proud of their own knowledge, thinking highly of themselves and disregarding the council of God.
  
  
  

Our Application

Hebrews 6:7 speaks of a land that drinks rain from God and tilled by God. The Hebrew author is speaking of us, drawing a direct parallel with the vineyard of Isaiah 5. God gives us His blessings, His promises. He watches over us. I Corinthians 10:13 describes God’s protection for us from temptation. He has placed a hedge around His people. We are that good ground in which He plants the seed of His word. He has cultivated us, but what grapes do we produce?

Do we produce wild grapes like His people in Isaiah 5? Do we make the things of this world main priorities in our lives? Are we motivated by greed and covetousness. II Timothy 2:22 warns us to flee worldly lusts that war with our souls. We can become so carnally minded, we don’t realize we are surrendering our souls. I John 2:16-17 makes a distinction between the corruptible things of this world and the incorruptible things of God.

We must be careful that we are not bearing worthless fruit. Hebrews 6:6 speaks of the danger of falling away, how easy it is to pile sin upon sin and how difficult it can be to turn back to God. We are surrounded by influences that calls good evil and evil good. Being over-tolerant can lead to embracing sin, trying to be like the world. Like the people in Isaiah 5, we can begin to think too highly of ourselves, and Romans 1:22 describes individuals who become foolish in their own perception of wisdom.

Isaiah’s vineyard song is not a happy song, and Jesus delivers some unhappy news in Matthew 7:15-23. He tells of people who claim to honor God but are rejected by Him. They claim to do His will, but their fruits reveal their hearts, their motivations, and their true priorities. We can call ourselves the vineyard of the Lord. We can recognize the Son He sends to us, but we must honor Him and produce for Him lest we wither in His sight.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: parallels, sin, our example, morality

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus speaks of His followers in terms of light – light that is visible to others in the good works they demonstrate. Light guides us in the darkness. Lights line our streets at night. Lights help guide airplane pilots in landing. Light draws attention. Our light should draw attention and guide others to God. Our efforts are not to glorify ourselves, but our lights should shine regardless of where we are.

Specific Points of Light

What does our clothing say about who we are. Whether justified or not, we and others often make snap decisions about people and their morality by how they dress themselves. I Timothy 2:9-10 speaks specifically to women, warning them to avoid putting too much concern in their adornments. (See also I Peter 3:3-4.) However, the application applies to both sexes. Paul speaks of respectable apparel, using self control, not drawing improper attention to one’s physical appearance. Our dress can differentiate us from the world and show that we really are trying to be different. (On a related note, what does our dress reflect when we come to worship?) We should be more concerned with people noticing our godly behaviors than what we are wearing.

Our light is also evident in our language. What attitude do we demonstrate in how we speak and the words we choose? Depending on our work or living situations, we may be inundated with improper language to the point we might become numb. However, as Christians, our standard is supposed to be God’s rather than man’s. Exodus 20:7 sets forth a principle that His followers should not take God’s name in vain – a mild curse by society’s standards. Colossians 4:5-6 asks us to watch our conduct, reminding us to watch what we say and how we say it. Our choice of words and topics we engage in can cheapen the examples we set, and, if we are digesting unworthy topics and language, that’s what we will reflect. This is why, in Philippians 4:8, Paul asks that we focus on certain qualities over others, and Philippians 5:4 warns us of the tone in our speech. Our words are to build up. We should be thinking before we speak.

Our schedules and priorities can also stifle our lights. To an extent, some of our schedule is out of our hands. We can’t predict every event that will demand our attention. Work schedules can be unpredictable. However, when we do start cutting back, it’s often God’s work that gets cut first. Mark 16:16 speaks of teaching God’s word as our primary responsibility. If we claim to be Christians, but if we schedule God out of our lives, how can we follow Him? How can we bring others to Him? God comes before anything else in our lives, and our time use should reflect that priority. We dishonor Him when other worldly concerns come before Him.

Conclusion

Matthew 7:3-5 speaks to the problem of hypocrisy, the way it hinders our ability to reach out and help others. If what we teach does not agree with what we do, then we are allowing our light to fade. These items are just three small focuses that can help us be better examples and concentrate on putting God first in our lives, and there are many other applications we can make in letting our lights shine. Our appearance and our language reflect our inner selves. These qualities demonstrate to others the true quality of our hearts, and our time use is one reflection of how we prioritize God in our lives.

We should be concerned that we avoid blinding others with our light, demonstrating our own sense of righteousness. Rather our lights should be pointing others toward God. Whether or not it is considered popular, our lives should reflect godliness if we want to draw attention to our Father.

By Kris Casebolt

Tags: morality, our example, priorities

This morning’s lesson focused on the grace God has shown us and the hope we have in that. Building upon this, Peter, in I Peter 2, asks his audience to put away all carnal qualities and form themselves as living stones built upon the foundation of Christ. He calls them and us a royal priesthood, a people of God’s possession who have obtained mercy.

A Spiritual Priesthood

Back in Exodus 19, as the people congregate at the base of Sinai after escaping slavery in Egypt, God uses these same descriptors regarding the children of Israel. He calls them a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. He sets them apart and sanctifies them as His own before leading them to the Promised Land. Back in I Peter 2, He asks the same of us for the same reasons. Just as Israel was to remain righteous, we are to do so today.

Galatians 6:16 refers to the Israel of God in describing Christians, and Galatians 3:28-29 as well as Romans 9:6-8 bear this same concept out. God’s children are His spiritual Israel, and I Peter 2:5 refers to us as a spiritual house. All who follow God are priests of God, and that obligates us to offer up proper spiritual sacrifices in that role.

A Priestly Service

We have to maintain our personal holiness. I Peter 1:14-16 calls us to be holy as God is holy, quoting God’s levitical mandate. His priests were to be separate and sanctified in His service, and we are to be likewise separated. Leviticus 10:1-3 records the tragedy of Nadab and Abihu, and God tells Aaron (through Moses) that He will be sanctified by all who come near Him. I Corinthians 6:11 refers to Christians as sanctified. We are to view God and ourselves differently due to His difference that we are to emulate. Only by changing our view of ourselves, then we will not behave separately from the world. Too many examples exist in the Old Testament of priests who do not act like priests. What of us today?

We should be able to discern godliness from ungodliness. Leviticus 10:10 describes a function of the priest as creating a distinction between the clean and unclean, the holy and the unholy. Ezekiel 22:26 as well as Micah 6:8 both call on God’s people to discern good from evil and live justly before God. James 4:17 warns us to choose our action carefully when we know the right thing to do, and I John 2:6 admonishes us to walk as He walked. We know we are His if we follow His commands. Finally, Hebrews 5:14 describes a mature Christian as one who has practiced discernment in differentiating good from evil.

We have to serve each other in our service to God. In Exodus 7:16, God reveals that the people of Israel are to be freed for the purpose of serving Him, and Romans 6:15-16 states that we either present ourselves as servant to God or to sin. In their service, the priests of the Old Testament served the people and each other, and our spiritual service reflects this. Philippians 2:1-8 reflects upon the service Christ yielded to us and to God in the sacrifice He provided. In this, Paul asks us to emulate His mindset – humbling ourselves in service of God and one another.

Conclusion

God has set us apart to His service, and our life should reflect that sanctification. We are no longer of the world. Rather, we reflect the God we serve in all areas of our life. We are His priests. We strive for holiness, for God is holy.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: godly qualities, one another, morality

A couple weeks ago, one of our members prayed that we be aided by God to remember who we are and the example we set for others as we engage in the celebrations and festivities typical during this season. We do have the challenge of being lights to the world, of being positive examples to those around us, without being adversely affected by the world. While Jesus was on Earth, He was no recluse, shielding Himself from the world, but he claims in John 17:9-11 that neither He nor His disciples are of the world. He prays that His disciples not be isolated from the world but instead guarded from its corrupting influences. From this, we derive the phrase, “In the world, not of the world.”

A Separate People

When we think of separateness and distinction, we can turn to the Old Testament nation of Israel for example. In Exodus 19:4-6, God separates His people and He calls them His holy nation. He has forged a special relationship between Himself and the people, but they would grow weary of their differences from the other nations and often stumble. Many of them wanted to act and think like the wold while reaping the blessings of God. This attitude does not work for them, nor does it for us.

In I Peter 2:9, we are described in terms similar to ancient Israel. Peter calls us a royal priesthood and a holy nation. Like those Jews, we are to be a separate people for God, and this is to be reflected in every aspect of our lives. Peter goes on to remind us that we once had no spiritual identity, but now we are of God, benefactors of His mercy, keeping our conduct in check and avoiding the temptations of this world (verses 10-12). Paul, in II Corinthians 6:14-17 reminds us that we are not to tie ourselves down with the world and that we are to separate ourselves from this world, and he calls us to cleanse ourselves in 7:1.

Maintaining Our Identity

We must remember our relationship to this world. When Jesus prayed in John 17, He did not encourage us to physically isolate ourselves, but, rather than be influenced by the world, we are to be a good influence upon others. In I Corinthians 5:9-10, Paul admits that Christians must interact with those in the world, but he addresses their conduct around others.

In this, we have to remember the importance of Heaven above anything in this world. There are many things of this world we place emphasis and importance on, but all these things are temporary. They do not last. In relation to our eternal lives, these are unimportant.

Furthermore, I must be willing to be changed by God’s word. I must resist the pressure to follow the tides. Rather, God’s word must move me to do what is right. In Romans 12:1-2, we are encouraged to be living sacrifices – not conformed to the world but transformed into something spiritual and new.

Conclusion

The big question for us is how we view the distinction we carry. Do we view it as a punishment? Do we feel deprived or inhibited by the lives we are to lead? (“Look at what I must give up.” “I’m not allowed to…” )However, if we take this view, it will not be long before we slip back into the world. Really, when it comes to those prohibitions, what are we asked to give up that really matters in the long run? On the other hand, what do we gain that really matters? The answer in this case is everything. When stacked against those sacrifices we are asked to make, the gains are vastly overwhelming and far more permanent than anything in this transient life.

The children of Israel continued to falter because they were busy looking back at what they thought they lost while failing to appreciate what God gave them. In I Peter 1:3-4, Peter gives thanks for his incorruptible inheritance paid for by the blameless sacrifice of Christ (verses 18-19). He goes on to speak of the purification of our souls, and I Peter 2:5 then brings us to the new identity we gain in our service to God. We can maintain our separateness and distinction if we keep our goal in mind and remain thankful for the blessings God has provided for us.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: our example, morality, identity

Looking at Acts 24:24-27, we read of a man named Felix who comes to hear Paul’s case, but, in listening, Felix is partially convinced by Paul. However, he did not respond to the message. In this lesson, we’re going to look at what Paul talks about and the reaction Felix has during this testimony.
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The Message & Response

In this address, Paul speaks to three issues in speaking of faith in Christ: righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come.
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Righteousness is sometimes referred to “rightness with God.” It is trying to emulate godly attitudes and conduct every day of our lives. Consider Romans 12:1-2 where Paul reminds Christians that service to God is being a living sacrifice. This carries an idea of holiness and separateness between the world and ourselves. I Peter 1:13-16 tells us to be obedient and holy in every aspect of our lives – just as God is holy.
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Felix may have felt himself a good person. He may have been comfortable with his own standard of righteousness, and we have to ask ourselves if we have this same problem. We use comparative standards in measuring ourselves, and we sometimes choose intentional ignorance of God’s standard.
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Self-Control is a concept we often try to get our children to exercise. Christian self-control goes beyond us controlling our actions – it is following God’s will in guiding our choices. Proverbs 25:28 says a man with no self control is like a defenseless city. He becomes defenseless against Satan. In Galatians 5:22-23, self-control is enumerated as a Christian characteristic (Fruits of the Spirit), and II Peter 1:5-7 says self-control is a quality we are to be continually developing.
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Felix, like us, may not have been receptive to the idea of “no.” We are good at reacting thoughtlessly, at being impulsive. We are comfortable living out of control because it requires less effort and less discipline. Unfortunately, as Proverbs pointed out, lack of self-control opens us up to temptation.
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The Coming Judgment is a difficult topic to absorb because of the personal accountability involved. How have we been living? What have we been told? What opportunities have we ignored? Romans 14:12 enforces the fact that each one will give account before the Lord. Ecclesiastes 12:14 concludes its book with a reminder of the coming judgment.
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Did Felix hope he would slip through the cracks and not be judged? Do we hope the same? Was he, like us, resistant to the idea that he would be held to a standard other than his own? Did he assume he had enough time to fix his life later? He puts Paul off. Are we persistently putting God off, hopefully delaying acceptance of the accountability inherent in acknowledging Him.
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Conclusion

As far as we are told, Felix’s “convenient time” never came. Felix frequently met with Paul, apparently interested but never taking that final step of obedience. Will we be stuck in the same position as Felix? There is no more convenient time to do what is right than now.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: paul, examples, judgment, morality

Sexual purity is emphasized in the Bible. Even Song of Solomon, a book centered on the beauty of the marriage relationship, emphasizes the importance of purity. However, sexual purity is not valued by much of our society and media. As Christians, we fail if we are merely telling our young people each other, “Don’t commit fornication,” and go no further in discussing these matters openly and honestly – looking to the good points as well as the bad.
Three reasons are often given for ignoring the Bible’s plan for couples.

1. It is accepted more and more by society. Everyone else says it is all right, so, if it is acceptable to everyone else, it must be acceptable to God.
   
   
2. It can be financially advantageous. It just makes financial sense to live together even if not marries. Costs are basically cut in half.
   
   
3. It is practical. By living together or engaging in sexual activity prior to marriage, compatibility and quirks can be discovered before marriage.

However, the vast majority of couples who live together before marriage end up divorced once they marry, or many end up in a cycle of moving from place to place, living with others as past relationships fall apart. By treating marriage casually, we are in danger of treating it as something that can be easily disposed of.

God’s Plan for Sexual Activity

Opening in Hebrews 13:4, the author says that marriage is honorable, and the relationship involved with that marriage is pure. Sexual relationships are not bad or dirty, but God has a context for such intimacy. Additionally, in the first few verses of I Corinthians 7, the sexual relationship between a husband and wife is pictured as a good thing. However, fornication is consistently condemned within the pages of God’s law.
Why has God placed these limitations on sexual activity?

• Man & Woman Are Now One. See Genesis 2:24-25 and I Corinthians 6:16. God intends for a couple to be one. How many times and with how many others can you become “one” with?
  
  
• Marriage Is a Covenant. Marriages are instituted in the sight of God before witnesses. This is a covenant. It is binding and honorable. The blessing and privileges of marriage should be reserved for this covenant. Otherwise, we are acting outside our rights in God’s eyes.
  
  
• Simply, It Is God’s Way. Three times in Song of Solomon, the maiden warns her friends with an oath to maintain sexual purity until the proper time. Proverbs 5 paints a vivid picture of sexual sin and the loss of honor as a result. Conversely, Proverbs 5 also illustrates the love a man should maintain for his wife.

In Proverbs 30:20, the adulteress maintains that she has done nothing wrong. (This applies to males as well.) However, she has ignored God’s plan, and her honor, her respect, possibly her health, and her soul are all damaged because of her actions.

Practical Applications

• Start with respect for God and His ways. We have to purpose in our hearts that we will not violate God’s plan. If we respect God, we will respect His wishes.
  
  
• Respect yourself and the other individual. Not only do you want to avoid sin, but you should want to prevent another from sinning.
  
  
• Avoid situations where checks and balances are absent. In other words, do not set yourself up with situations that can lead to troubling situations.
  
  
• Recognize the consequences. It affects the man, the woman, both of their parents and immediate families, future relationships, and it can bring in a life that neither may be prepared to care for.

Proverbs 6:27-28 warns us to avoid playing with fire because we will get burned if we do so. If we see how close we can get to sin, eventually we will cross the line and commit that sin we are flirting with.

Conclusion

God has a plan for sexual relationships between men and women. He has ordained that relationship and deemed it honorable. We should honor Him and ourselves by following that pattern, saving ourselves for our husbands and our wives, then loving them as we should.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: behaviors, morality