It is my understanding that I am wrong periodically. I know this, because when I hear or learn that I have been wrong in my perceptions, opinions, ideas, thoughts, understanding, a metaphorical ding ding bell goes off in my head (a clarifying sound that rings out truth), and I must acknowledge with my thoughts, then with my mouth, that I was in error. Matters that are material in nature, like getting garbage day wrong, is no big deal, unless of course you have bags a plenty cluttering up your garage: matters of a spiritual nature, on the other hand, can be a very big deal, as in, sinning egregiously, and believing what you do, is good, rather than evil in the sight of God; accumulated sin can stink up your entire spirit, and the more sin piled high, the greater the stench of wasting and rotting soul.
Some of the sneak attack, weapons of spiritual warfare, is to say things like, Let your conscience dictate your actions; If it is right for you, and you feel good about it, then, you be you. This approach to choice making has nothing whatsoever to do with conscience, and everything to do with condoning sin. If each person does what feels right for them, it can and often does, put those that share their living environment, at risk of loss and injury. I think of the city of Sodom, rife with rapists, giving us the reference and association to the homosexually of sodomites, going to Lot's door and demanding he send out the angels they saw entering his abode. They were insistent to the point of threatening to rape Lot, that they have their way with the men (angels) they saw. Even the young men of the city, were deliriously desirous of gratifying their disturbing lust.
Genesis 19:1-11
And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house, and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: and they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, and said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Unnatural ungodly lust is evident in the account of Lot, the angels, and the Sodomites. Rape was a common occurrence in Sodom; the old and young men of the city were outrageously insistent and bold, as though it were their right to do wickedly unto these travellers, by having their vile physical way with them. These Sodomites were violent men and unwilling to take no for an answer. Look too, dear reader, at the sickeningly sad state of affairs for the house of Lot. Lot lived in Sodom, a city saturated with sin, and he offered up his virgin daughters as replacements for the angels, to be brutalized by the deranged rapists: clearly, our environment and the people with whom we keep company, can corrupt our thoughts and decision making. To go back to the concept of garbage accumulating mentioned above, and missing garbage day... garbage in, garbage out... if we don't get rid of what stinks up our thinking, we guarantee ourselves that dirty choices and a filthy life, will be our lot, in life!
Here is my driving point: we can't make what is good, evil, and what is evil, good, by thinking it so. We do not have the power to convert the two and make them interchangeable: they each have essence and they are made of different stuffs. Just like bone is not muscle, nor is fat sinew, righteousness cannot be confused with wickedness, to accommodate error, and then call it my conscience or your conscience. Conscience is conviction, of what is righteous, what fallenness looks like, what constitutes good and alternatively, what evil consists of. Conscience is a tattletale for the misled soul that craves correction. It is a You are bad, and I am telling Dad on you, voice in the head, that impacts the tender heart, when something is amiss.
The Sodomites were hell bent on satisfying themselves and were of one accord in their mob mentality to rape angels they thought were men. The angels blinded them and they still strove to enter in and violate... see with me, how spiritually blind the men of Sodom were, and dear reader, need I say much on how very blind, our global society is; how very godless and erroneous their mutual "conscience"?
The city of Sodom was destroyed, and the land was cursed. Lot's daughters, the two he offered to be violated as replacements for the angels, raped their own father to produce children, and it is quite a warning to parents to be diligent in their duties as godly parents, to be protective of the minds, hearts, bodies, and sweet souls, of their offspring.
Truth cannot be confused and convoluted to accommodate falsehood or a desire to do whatever we want. We help or hurt one another, and we are accountable to God firstly, and to one another secondly.
If you fear your conscience is dirty and needs cleansing, you can go to Christ and he will speak Truth that will wash you of your wicked ways, once you repent. From there, sinning no more becomes o so appealing.
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