— To uplift, inform and challenge —

Fellow Soldier,

Oh! ... how painfully convicting it can be in the midst of a thought, sentence or activity, to have the Spirit quietly inquire: “Is this pleasing to God?”  Moreover, an even greater pain deriving from brushing the pang aside.  Having frequented both places, we know the discomfort ALL too well.

Has your own conscience been likewise pricked?  Perhaps you were entertaining an ungodly thought or perchance, were "sharing," when made aware it was gossip?  Maybe it was when your eyes had been captured by a view which aroused your flesh?  Been there?

Alarm bells and flashing lights should be going off if such questions do NOT elicit a resounding “Yes!”  Maybe even, "Oh-me, oh-my!" and ... "Please forgive me Lord; I repent."

Pleasing our God

The Spirit’s conviction  is a good thing.

“But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” — 2Thes 2:4.

Last evening while browsing a website featuring hand-made vehicles, I was taken back after clicking on a photo to summon its slide-show.  In addition to the promised views, the sidebars were sprinkled with photos of bikini-clad gals, the kind seen on the covers of car magazines.  Er, ah, well ... it was more difficult to concentrate on the cars.  My eyes kept wandering (if you can still fog a mirror, it’s doubtful this surprises).  But here’s the kicker (drum roll, please).  Having inadvertently moved the computer screen's display box slightly, it exposed the header portion of the one behind it; one I’d previously opened but hadn’t yet read.  Uncannily and convictingly, it quietly haunted: “Is this pleasing to God?”  Aaarrgg!  Busted.

Conviction & Conscience

Can you imagine going through life, unable to smell?  Although merciful on occasion, you would not be able to pick up the first hints of a fire in your home ... nor the fragrance of sweet basil, a spring rain or apple pie.  What if you were blind?  That would immensely complicate life and personal safety.  If we couldn’t hear, feel OR taste, not only would we miss many of life’s delights, life would be fraught with undetected dangers.  Now, if minus ALL five senses, we would be cut off from the world, sentencing us to a very lonely existence.

That’s not unlike the lot of those severed from God; the unregenerate.  The glaring difference ... they don’t even (consciously) realize their isolation.  But, with a born-again, it’s quite a different matter.  THAT blessed soul is keenly aware of and treasures their lifeline to God.  And just what forms that umbilical?  Nothing less than His indwelling Spirit.  It is this Holy One, forever on duty, Who, in manifold ways, ALWAYS points us to God (Jn 16:13-15).  He teaches us about Him through the Word; opening it to our understanding and empowering us to live accordingly.  He leads, guides, comforts and corrects.  He also convicts.  All to the end that Christ be formed in us, that our lives increasingly glorify God.

In the person of the Spirit, God pricks our conscience when we are tempted: “No.  It’s not pleasing that you do that, go there or say thus.”  This divine tweak might be likened to a car’s dashboard warning signal.  It doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll crash and burn if we don’t hit the brakes immediately.  However, it DOES tell us that the indicated issue needs attention; preferably, sooner than later.  Should we fall into the habit of dealing with warnings later on, it could blunt our sensitivity to them, endangering our temporal and/or eternal life.

Conviction: the Spirit’s pricking of our conscience is needful to help keep us within God’s will.  This divine gift of communication to our inmost being is FAR more valuable than five fallible faculties, which cannot.  It’s also the reason we are to protect this tender gift which helps guard our lives.  Scripture abounds with references to its importance, as Paul reminds: “... our glorifying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward” (2Cor 1:12).  Facing accusations regarding his character and integrity, Paul here appealed to the highest human court: conscience.  But, even if our senses and reasoning itself failed, the conscience still knows right from wrong.  All the more reason it be kept in good repair; prompt obedience being the most potent elixir.

Paul also used a medical-based term, "seared," to describe how some (notably, false teachers) can live with themselves in the face of speaking blatant lies.  It’s as though their conscience had been cauterized by the flames of hell, coating this fragile faculty with scar tissue.  It then becomes insensitive to the Spirit’s whisperings.  Paul put it this way: “Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1Tim 4:2).

God placed a conscience within all persons and uses it to draw us into salvation by convicting us of sin.  After which, it serves to guide and correct; to keep us on course.  Once seared, we lose that compass and are set adrift; though it doesn’t happen in one swell swoop.  A seared conscience is the fruit of slow erosion; be it doctrinal or moral.  Repeatedly ignoring its holy pricks leads to spiritual deafness and greater vulnerability to demonic wiles; from deception to debauchery to defeat.  Conscience and conviction are vital assets.

Sneezing & Pleasing

We once trained our dog to sneeze in order to get a treat.  Quite humorous at the time, especially since he was a large German Shepherd.  However, it is not so funny to realize we believers have a tendency to do likewise; we do foolish things for fleshly rewards. Of course, employers, sales folk and behavioral experts know all about "incentive motivation."  As does God.  The Bible is full of rewards for the righteous; for those who please Him.  For example: “... He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him ... the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Heb 11:6b; Mt 16:27).  Our loving God prefers incentive motivation over fear.

With lowered eyelids, we confidently smile and nod as we contemplate eternal rewards.  However, in the meantime, we too often allow the seemingly innocent habit of “sneezing” for temporal trinkets.  Oh, nothing reeeelly bad.  Ya know, not entirely pregnant (Hello?).  We give in to worldly ways: “go along to get along.”  We sit through doctrinally deviant sermons because the worship service is so “anointed."  Besides ... all our friends go there.  We minister so as not to offend a listener, reader or supporter. We lower the volume on our conscience to pick up only emergency tweets ... rationalizing that grace will cover the little stuff.  Much of which we justify on the grounds of maintaining unity, or whatever else soothes.  We conveniently ignoring that Jesus was a revolutionary Who came to divide; to turn the world upside down.  Oh my!  These are compromises that erode our conscience and pave the way for even greater sin.  Scripture suggests such should re-calibrate their rewards expectancy.

Well, dear friend, let us be reminded that we serve a just God Who also guarantees the FLIP side of rewards.  "Love" HIMSELF ... with all the mercy and compassion conceivable ... exhorts us to choose life ... or die (Deu 30:19).  He tells us there’s a broad way and a narrow gate which lead to opposite eternal ends (Mt 7:13,14) and declares that faith is the ONLY key to open heaven’s door (Heb 11:6).  Jesus warns of the trials, dangers, pitfalls and penalties of living amid the wolves in our own strength or worldly ways; of “sneezing” to pick up a few temporal trinkets.  Of compromising Truth for a lie.  On the very heels of His call to "repent," He commands us to "come out" of the world's system and leave its evil ways.

“Sneezing” to please man is a sure way to DISplease the Lord.  May we testify as did Paul: “... we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts” (1Thes 2:4b; Gal 1:10).  Yet, obeying His Word and holy nudgings THESE days, can lead to being an outcast. Are you prepared to be called "divisive" for the sake of Truth; for standing with God?  

How to please God

The surest way to please our heavenly Father is to take Him at His Word.  To believe and trust Him.  To say, "Yes Sir! ... then get about the doing as though He was sitting right beside us.  Spiritually, He does! (Eph 2:6).  If we could SEE Him there, would we disobey?  Would we say or do a thing which we KNOW to be displeasing?  Are there things we now think, say or do, which we would never, EVER consider doing in the Lord’s sight?  (Ouch!)

Lovingly and mercifully, the Lord has provided each of us with a conscience; a "black box" receiver to help guide our walk and guard our lives; to help assure our testimony is pleasing.  Since we do not know the time or details of our certain face-to-face appointment with Him (which could be this very day) it behooves to keep short accounts.  Love and fear plead to please Him Who loved us from the start.  Conscience whispers.  Can you hear it?

"For this cause we also ... pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col 1:9-12).  A-men!
 

ABOUT US:  Founded in 1993, Hallelujah Living Ministries is a donation-based, non-denominational Christian outreach to uplift, inform and challenge followers of Jesus Christ.  For more information or a copy of our always-free print newsletter, please include a  postal mail address along with your comments and prayer requests. Thank you for visiting  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

STS17-07