John Bevere - How to PROTECT Your Conscience
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It is wonderful to sear a steak. As a matter of fact, the best steaks I've ever had, I have said to the chef, I have asked the guy who was grilling it, "How in the world did you make this so juicy?" He shared how he seared it on both sides and locked the juices in. Well, let me tell you, steak may be really good when it's seared, but it's not good to sear a conscience, and that's what I'm talking about now. How do you sear a conscience? You know, Paul made this statement to the Apostle Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:19. He said, "Cling to your faith in Christ and keep your conscience clear."
Now, why does he say to keep your conscience clear? Because the blood of Jesus Christ gave us a clear conscience. There are a lot of people who say, "I can't trust my heart because you know the heart is deceptively wicked." That is an Old Testament quote from the book of Jeremiah that does not apply to the New Testament because in the New Testament, God said through the prophet Ezekiel, "I'm going to give you a new heart and I'm going to give you a tender conscience, a clear conscience." So the most important thing we must do is protect our conscience.
Have you ever been offered something that looked like it was really going to be beneficial, but it seemed a little shady, a little under the table, or a little underhanded? Listen to your conscience; your conscience is screaming out, "Don't do it." Your head is screaming, "Oh my gosh, this will propel me so much further than what I know I'm supposed to do." Don't do it. Protect your conscience and keep it clear. When we obey the voice of our conscience, we keep it clear. When we ignore the voice of our conscience, we silence it.
I gave the example in the book about someone feeling like a knife hits their gut, and they say, "But what I said is right." They justify their slander; they justify their gossip. So the next time they speak against somebody, it's not a knife; it's just a pinch. But they justify it again. The next time they speak against somebody, it's not a pinch; it's a little tingle. But they justify it again. The next time they speak against somebody, there's no feeling at all. They are now past feeling because they've seared their conscience. When you sear it—if I were to take a hot iron and sear my skin—it would hurt, but you know what happens? I lose feeling; I deaden the nerves.
We deaden our sensitivity when we don't obey God. I will never forget when this minister said to me, "John, what do I do to keep from falling as others have fallen?" Out of my mouth came these words: "Protect your conscience." I didn't know what I was saying; I was a young minister at the time. I remember coming home and starting to notice all over the New Testament statements like "Keep your conscience clear," "Protect your conscience," and "Do not sear your conscience." All these different statements made me realize how important our conscience is.
That's the connecting point between your mind and the Spirit of God and your human spirit. It is like the channel, and if you plug up that channel—like when you plug up your sink—you won't be able to get any water down. It's just like when you sear that steak; the juices can't come out. The juices of the Holy Spirit are refrained from you when you sear your conscience. That is ignoring it repeatedly. That is how you sear a conscience. Don't do it. Be tender and sensitive to the voice of the Spirit so you can fulfill what God created you to do.