Winning the Internal Battle for Holiness

"We all know that the New Testament is filled with calls to holiness. We are familiar with the command to abstain from fleshly lust, to mortify the deeds of the body, to make no provision for the flesh, to love not the world, to flee immorality, to put off the old man and put on the new, to think on what is true and honorable and right and pure, to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, to wear the breastplate of righteousness, to buffet our body to bring it into subjection, to present our bodies a living sacrifices, wholly acceptable unto God." [00:00:43]

"John Owen wrote, 'Let not that man think he makes any progress in holiness while he walks not over the bellies of his lusts.' Owen also wrote, and it is here that we will stop to consider our subject, he wrote, 'If you want to kill sin,' quote, 'load your conscience with the guilt of it.' End quote. The key to holiness, I believe, in your life, is your conscience." [00:07:11]

"Conscience is a tremendous gift. We need to understand the role that it plays in holiness. Conscience is the God-given warning mechanism, the God-given warning device that tells us we are on a path to spiritual collision. I suppose the best parallel to it is pain. Pain, do you understand, pain is a good thing? Do you understand that? Because pain tells you there's something wrong with your body, and you need to do something about it." [00:13:27]

"Conscience is the soul's warning system, and that is the point at which you have to win the spiritual battle. Now let me tell you something. Conscience fights that battle all alone. By the power, of course, of the truth, and the Spirit of God, but without any other human to help. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2, 'Only the spirit of a man knows what is,' where? 'in the man.'" [00:15:40]

"The conscience is not to be equated with the voice of God. It is not the voice of God. It is not to be equated with the law of God, or the Word of God. It is not. It is a mechanism of humanity, of the human soul. And to function properly, this is very important, it must have the right information. The radar on the airplane sent back the right information. And the conscience must have the right information." [00:22:48]

"Holiness comes as a result of the process of the Word of God informing the conscience, and conscience informing the person. The Bible is that true standard. And the radar is accurate. And when your conscience is fully, carefully, accurately, completely informed by the Word of God, then it can operate at maximum level. And that's critical. That's critical." [00:25:22]

"There are really two ways to assure that people are unholy. Misinform their conscience. Twist, pervert, moral law. That's the first way, and that's what we're talking about. And frankly, the standard for morality in our culture is falling faster than the NASDAQ, isn't it? When your cultural hero is Eminem you know how far you've fallen. And you have a whole generation of people being raised with a diminished moral understanding." [00:29:26]

"If you want holiness in your life, you must inform your conscience with the truth of God! Because if your mind, and what you think and believe is defiled, you're going to fall into that category of Titus 1:15, 'Both their mind and conscience are then defiled.' They go together." [00:31:51]

"On the other hand, for those of us who are redeemed, at the moment of salvation -- I love this -- Hebrews 10:22 says, 'The believer's soul is washed from an evil conscience.' The ninth chapter, I think it's verse 14 says that He cleanses our conscience with His blood. So, with the conscience washed, with the conscience cleansed, sanitized by the Holy Spirit, informed by the Word of God, the believer can react to its warnings, and sin can be dealt with where it must be dealt with -- on the inside." [00:37:15]

"Paul didn’t need letters. I suppose he could’ve said, 'Well, you know, we’ve appointed an ad hoc committee, and they’re going to assess me and give a full report in several months about my virtue.' He didn’t say that either. You know what he said? I love this. Go back to verse 12. 'For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our' what?, what? 'conscience.' Isn’t that good? That is the highest human court, my friend. You can’t get any higher than that." [00:41:02]

"With all you’ve said, Paul says, 'with all you’ve said, I will tell you that, on the inside, I have lived my life in holiness and godly sincerity. Not out of fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God and, by that, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. You can say all you want to say, and I will tell you the battle is won by the grace of God in my conscience.' Isn’t that great? It’s where you have to win the battle, my friend. That’s where you win it." [00:41:36]

"Father, we thank you that sin is most likely mortified when conscience is satisfied. May we love the truth, fully inform our conscience with it, and pull up when it tells us; that our lives might be to the praise of your glory. Amen." [00:42:52]