16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, Heb 7:27 9:26 the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit
I. Good Conscience leads to Good Conduct in Christ
“constantly seeking and faithfully doing God's will regardless of the cost”
Truth re right/wrong ? Belief/Sincerity/authoritative=majority opinion, but God has objectively communicated (Revelation/Reason/Reality)
Acts 24:15 Hope=resurrection of just 16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men 1Tim 1:5 purpose..love from: pure heart, good conscience, sincere faith, 19 having faith and a good conscience... rejected..shipwreck Heb 9:14 blood of Christ, thru Spirit offered Himself w/o spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
II. Good Conduct leads to Good Communion with God:
I have come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly Jn 10:10 Heb 2:10 For it was fitting for Him...in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Mk 12:30 you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart/soul/mind/strength 31...and love your neighbor as yourself.
A. Forgiveness experiencing the freedom from the consequences of rebellion and guilt Ezk 18:4 The soul who sins shall die Rm 6:23 Lev 17:11...for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul Heb 9:22 without shedding of blood there is no remission/forgiveness Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, acc to the riches of His grace cf 2:8-10 faith vs works
Isa 59:2 your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. 53:5 He was wounded/bruised for our transgressions/iniquities; The punishment for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Rm 5:12 just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned 1Cor 15:22 as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. Rom 3:23 for all have sinned (miss the mark or transgress) and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Jn 3:13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man...14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (Num 21), even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Jn 5:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Jn 1:12 receive=believe
B. Fellowship experiencing the victory and delights of intimacy with God's continual presence (“to cheer and to guide”) Jn 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, I t is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
C. Fruitfulness experiencing the abundant new life and it's consequences of God-glorifying HS-prompted fruit, answered prayer, etc 2Cor 5:14 if One died for all, then all were dead 15 He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.17 if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Jn 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
D. Fulfillment experiencing the temporal and eternal joy of fulfilling the purpose for which we were created Jn 15:8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 17:13 these things I speak...that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response
Are you living the Abundant Life? If not, why not start now? 1. If our conscience can be immature/untrained, guilty, bad, defiled, or seared, how do we get a good one? How would one defile their conscience? 2. Why do many folks stop at forgiveness and fail to progress to a full communion with God? (Justification/Sanctification/Glorification) 3.Specifically why do people need a Savior? Exactly what does someone have to do or believe to be “saved”? Who sets the standard? 4. Why would anyone chose to have no, or a bad relationship with God? If God desires a rlshp with us (Jn 4:23) what's the problem? 5. What do you need to believe/do to further your relationship with God and experiences His perfect plan/desire for your life? |