Life Church Vineyard

Founding Pastor Ron Grubb

We returned last night from my nephew’s wedding at the Basilica@Notre Dame. What a beautiful ceremony that honored our Lord and blessed their union. I am thankful for my family!

You can have all this world. Give me Jesus!

“The Power of a Clear Conscience”

A clear conscience makes a soft pillow. 

Your conscience has to do with your soul. It is not the Holy Spirit speaking. The clearer your conscience the more you can hear Holy Spirit. 

5 injuries inflicted by a guilty conscience:

1. Invites personal hatred. It is the source of internal reproach. It can be influenced by the opinion of others especially those we love the most. God is consistently speaking we need to believe we are worthy to hear Him because of the cleansing of the Blood of Christ. It is fostered by the reading of the Word of God and knowing that it applies to you.

Job 27:6 

6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.

God empowers us to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. He does not intercede in our lives until we are prepared to listen.

2. Induces poor self image. It is the source of self-condemnation. God does not inflict condemnation. When we die to self Holy Spirit can guide us in to God’s will.

1 John 3:20-22 

20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

We need more confidence in how God views us not others. 

3. Initiates warped perspectives. It causes us to view things as defiled versus pure. The fruit of the Spirit allows us to view the lives of others through the lens of God’s love not through our distorted view of our culture. We can love others without judgement. 

Titus 1:15

15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.

4. It damages our faith. It undermines or “shipwrecks” our faith. 

1 Timothy 1:18-19

18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,

5. Invokes God’s alienation. It hinders intimacy with God. Christ’s covers our sins.  We are forgiven our sins in Jesus. Most things we may not even realize as sin. We confess our sins when we realize that it is a sin. God knows our sins…we often do not. Confessing our sins makes us in aggreement with God and gives us a clear conscience. This happens in reading the Word and letting Holy Spirit life it to us.

Guilt is debilitating. 

A clear conscience improves our life:

1.Our inner life thrives 

Proverbs 10:3 The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked.

2. Our leadership is enhanced:

Proverbs 10:6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

3. Our memories are sweeter:

Proverbs 10:7 The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.

4. Our thoughts result in wisdom:

Proverbs 10:11The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

5. Our work is more meaningful:

Proverbs 10:16 The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin.

6. Our speech is valued:

Proverbs 10:2 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little.

7. Our words improve others’ lives

Proverbs 10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom.

The New King James Version