Do Not Let Your Conscience Silence God's Voice
VBC Albuquerque · May 26, 2024
This sermon explores the role of conscience in Christian life and the danger of letting conscience become a higher authority than God's Word. Using the stories of Saul and David, the pastor illustrates how conscience can change according to circumstances and personal perspective. The sermon emphasizes that only the blood of Christ can cleanse our conscience from sin and enable us to serve the living God.
The first section of the sermon presents the core issue: the voice of conscience is not a perfect authority because it changes according to the individual, life circumstances, cultural customs, and time. The pastor points out that while everyone can hear the voice of conscience, not everyone hears the same voice or understands it in the same way. By citing Romans 2:14-16, the sermon explains that conscience is an inner voice that reminds a person of God's law, but it is not sufficient to lead us into complete salvation.
The second section develops the theological argument by examining the life of Saul, the first king of Israel. The pastor notes that Saul was initially chosen by God and received the Holy Spirit, but later entered a dark path when his conscience became dulled. When Saul commanded Doeg to kill the priests and the entire city of Nob, this action shows how a person's conscience can be so distorted that we can commit sins and still feel we are right. In contrast, David, though he cut off a corner of Saul's robe—an act that seemed minor—immediately felt deep pangs of conscience.
The third section applies the message to the congregation's practical life by emphasizing the danger of letting conscience become a ruler instead of God's Word. The sermon points out that those with hardened consciences—who have deliberately ignored the warnings of the Holy Spirit many times—will stray into false doctrines and deception. The pastor reminds us that jealousy, rivalry, and material greed—things recorded in Proverbs and Exodus—will dull our conscience.
The fourth section focuses on the Gospel solution: only the blood of Christ can cleanse our conscience from dead works (Hebrews 9:13-14). When we believe and receive Christ, our conscience is cleansed from sin and we can draw near to God with a sincere heart. The pastor emphasizes that there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1).
The final section is a practical conclusion: we must keep our conscience clear before God and man (Acts 24:14-16), but this can only happen when we let God's Word, not our conscience, become our final authority. The sermon concludes by encouraging the congregation that the struggle to keep one's conscience clean is a continuous requirement, but it must be based on the foundation of God's Word and the Gospel of salvation.