NATURE OF CONSCIENCE - Smyrna
Transcript of NATURE OF CONSCIENCE - Smyrna
NATURE OF CONSCIENCE: A n O l d F r i e n d Y o u M a y H a r d l y K n o w
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NEW “CIVIL RIGHTS” BATTLE
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THE UNITED STATES DOJ
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GREEK:
συνείδησις (suneidēsis); from; συνεῖδον (sunedin) to see together,
hence to comprehend:—aware(1),
realized
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Conscience—that faculty of the mind, or inborn sense of right and wrong, by which we judge of the moral character of human conduct. It is common to all men. Like all our other faculties, it has been perverted by the Fall (John 16:2; Acts 26:9; Rom. 2:15). It is spoken of as “defiled” (Titus 1:15), and
“seared” (1 Tim. 4:2). A “conscience void of offence” is to be sought and cultivated (Acts 24:16;
Rom. 9:1; 2 Cor. 1:12; 1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 1 Pet. 3:21). (Easton Bible Dictionary)5
conscience (Lat. conscientia, ‘knowledge with another’, ‘knowledge within oneself’). The word has followed its Lat. predecessor in acquiring a
moral significance, and now denotes the capacity for judging the rightness of actions, either
considered generally, or actually proposed or already performed. Christians agree that it is
unique to man and that its effectiveness is increased by experience and through grace. (The
Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. rev., p. 405)
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In England the establishment of Protestantism as
the national religion diminished, but did not
wholly stop, persecution. While many of the
doctrines of Rome had been renounced, not a few
of its forms were retained. The supremacy of the
pope was rejected, but in his place the monarch
was enthroned as the head of the church.
(The Great Controversy, pp .251, 252)
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In the service of the church there was still a wide departure from the purity and simplicity of the
gospel. The great principle of religious liberty was not yet understood. Though the horrible cruelties
which Rome employed against heresy were resorted to but rarely by Protestant rulers, yet the
right of every man to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience was not
acknowledged.
(The Great Controversy, pp .251, 252)
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All were required to accept the doctrines and
observe the forms of worship prescribed by the
established church. Dissenters suffered
persecution, to a greater or less extent, for
hundreds of years. (The Great Controversy,
pp .251, 252)
(The Great Controversy, pp .251, 252)
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This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child,
in accordance with the prophecies previously
made about you, that by them you may wage
the good warfare, holding faith and a good
conscience. By rejecting this, some have made
shipwreck of their faith. (1 Timothy 1:19 ESV)
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A single departure from moral integrity blunts
the conscience, and opens the door to the next
temptation. (Sons and Daughters of God, p. 111)
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The drunkard sells his reason for a cup of
poison. Satan takes control of his reason,
affections, conscience. Such a man is destroying
the temple of God. ...............................................
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The drunkard sells his reason for a cup of
poison. Satan takes control of his reason,
affections, conscience. Such a man is destroying
the temple of God. Tea drinking helps to do this
same work. Yet how many there are who place
these destroying agencies on their tables,
thereby quenching the divine attributes.—
Manuscript 130, 1899. (Temperance, pp. 79,
80)13
It seems almost incredible that any one professing to worship the true God, can have
such false ideas of Him as to suppose that He is pleased with that kind of service; yet Saul of Tarsus, one of the most bitter and relentless
persecutors of Christians that ever lived, could say years afterward, “I have lived in all good
conscience before God until this day.” Acts 23:1.
(E. J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, pp. 37, 38)
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Although kicking against the pricks (Acts 9:5),
and endeavoring to silence the growing
conviction that would force itself upon him as
he witnessed the patience of the Christians, and
heard their dying testimonies to the truth, Saul
was not willfully stifling the voice of conscience.
(E. J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, pp. 37, 38)
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On the contrary, he was striving to preserve a good conscience, and so deeply had he been
indoctrinated with the Pharisaic traditions, that he felt sure that these inconvenient prickings must be
the suggestions of an evil spirit, which he was in duty bound to suppress. So the prickings of the
Spirit of God had for a time only led him to redouble his zeal against the Christians.
(E. J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, pp. 37, 38)
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Of all persons in the world, Saul, the self-
righteous Pharisee, had no bias in favor of
Christianity. Yet his misdirected zeal was a
“zeal for God,” and this fact made him good
material for a Christian worker. (E. J.
Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, pp. 37, 38)
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[At conversion] Man is not endowed with
new faculties, but the faculties he has are
sanctified. The conscience is awakened.
We are endowed with traits of character
that enable us to do service for God.
(Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 99)
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The one thing essential for us in order
that we may receive and impart the
forgiving love of God is to know and
believe the love that He has to us. 1 John
4:16. Satan is working by every deception
he can command, in order that we may
not discern that love.
(Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p.
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He will lead us to think that our mistakes and
transgressions have been so grievous that the
Lord will not have respect unto our prayers and
will not bless and save us. In ourselves we can see
nothing but weakness, nothing to recommend us
to God, and Satan tells us that it is of no use; we
cannot remedy our defects of character.
(Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p.
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When we try to come to God, the enemy
will whisper, It is of no use for you to
pray; did not you do that evil thing? Have
you not sinned against God and violated
your own conscience? But we may tell the
enemy that “the blood of Jesus Christ His
Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7.
(Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p.
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When we feel that we have sinned and cannot
pray, it is then the time to pray. Ashamed we
may be and deeply humbled, but we must
pray and believe. “This is a faithful saying,
and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of
whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15. (Thoughts
from the Mount of Blessing, p. 115)22
The greatest want of the world is the want of
men—men who will not be bought or sold, men
who in their inmost souls are true and honest,
men who do not fear to call sin by its right
name, men whose conscience is as true to duty
as the needle to the pole, men who will stand
for the right though the heavens fall.
(Education, p. 57)23