A CLEANSED CONSCIENCE IS THE KEY TO CLEANER LIVING

While reading John MacArthur's "The Vanishing Conscience" I was struck by his discussion of how society seems bent on encouraging us to blame our wrong doing on someone else or teaching us to ignore feelings of guilt as a means to feel better about ourselves.

Now making yourself feel better when you are feeling bad about something you've done wrong sounds like a good idea until you consider that those feelings of guilt we are trying to "get rid of" or "ignore" are the gift of conscience that God has blessed all human kind with.  That conscience is the regulator of our actions.  Without feelings of remorse for our wrong doing we easily violate God's laws and those of the land.  In a world where there is no conscience there is only anarchy and lawlessness.

Feelings of guilt over the commission of sinful acts is a normal reaction.  It is acknowledgement of sin and the inherent sense that repentance is required for forgiveness.  No amount of blame shifting or attempts to ignore sin will make the feeling go away.  The guilt is only replaced with depression, aggression, or other harmful conditions.

The only true freedom from guilt lies in the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  1 John 1:8-9 says "If we say that we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Basically, if we admit what we know we've done wrong and ask for forgiveness it will be forgiven.  Our conscience is cleansed.  We have not forgotten what we have done but we know we have been forgiven.  A CLEANSED CONSCIENCE IS THE KEY TO CLEANER LIVING.