Our Family Time with God

November 21, 2009

CLEAR CONSCIENCE--

VICTORY OVER SIN

"I just can't get victory over this sin in my life! I try and try and try and keep falling. What is wrong with me?

Two men in the Bible allowed something to happen in their lives that caused great damage to their relationship with God and with others. They were once spiritual leaders in the church, but something devastated their spiritual lives. The apostle Paul says they "made shipwreck" in regard to their faith.

Their names were Hymenaeus and Alexander. In relation to their faith, they allowed their consciences to be violated. The apostle Paul says he had to kick them out of the church. See what God says about them in 1 Timothy 1:19-20. "Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme."

I don't know what happened. Maybe they became bitter because of something that happened or toward someone who hurt them. Perhaps they became involved in some kind of sin and never made it right with God. Whatever the case, we know they failed to clear their consciences before God and others. As a result, they "made shipwreck" of their faith. Their relationship with God was devastated.

Having a clear conscience means we know that no unconfessed sin is hindering our relationship with God. No one can point a finger at us and accuse us of a wrongdoing we have not made right.

What can we learn from these two men? We learn that if we allow sin to go unconfessed in our lives, we will make shipwreck of our faith. We learn that we can't have victory in our lives until we have a clear conscience.

ASSIGNMENT: Acts 24:16 says, "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." What does God say in this verse about a clear conscience? Look up 1 John 1:9 to see how to get a clear conscience.