Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna | Wednesday, April 25, 2018 | Topic: Conscience 2
Scripture: And he trembling and astonished said, “Lord, what will you have me to do?” And the Lord said to him, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.” Acts 9:6
Note: The conscience of man is greatly impacted by the type of knowledge one has acquired in life, the type and depth of information available to the person, the one who mentored the individual, the understanding the person has on the knowledge and information so far acquired as well as the wisdom required to be able to apply all these critical metrics judiciously, at the right time and in a just, fair and equitable manner. All these aforementioned factors impacting on the conscience of a person, would normally conform to a belief system that’s considered superior in relevance, essence and function to all the factors enumerated.
Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul, had his own benchmark for what was right and wrong that was catalysed by his personal zeal and the speed with which he expected the assumed detractors of Yahweh, who were then the Christians, to be dealt with, before they entrenched themselves as a sect in Jerusalem, thereby defiling the worship of Yahweh according to his understanding of the laws of Moses. Saul considered himself faithful in the fight against the Church, based on a conscience that was heavily influenced by the acidic religious environment of hatred and murder that he found himself.
The enumerated factors above on the classic example of Saul who became Paul, clearly establishes the fact that the conscience of man isn’t necessarily sacrosanct. The conscience is susceptible to error based on one’s knowledge, understanding and judgment. Paul’s unparalleled zeal together with a matching speed in execution reflected his fervent desire to protect the worship of Yahweh. It finally proved to be an error filled execution, a misguided venture of youthful exuberance that differed significantly in essence and belief from the viewpoint of his mentor, Gamaliel, who would have advocated for a more cautious approach.
Being always right in one’s own eyes and conscience can prove to be a disastrous and dangerous way of looking at things. It can easily lead to self-destruct behaviours and actions that may eventually mark out the person as a recluse within society. Grace intervened on the part of Paul. It was grace that changed a dangerous, religious zealot of a murderer like Paul, from a blood baiting passionate terror of a person into the greatest Apostle and Evangelist in the history of Christianity.
Food for thought: Paul’s conscience failed him. Yet, grace picked him from the ashes of error and placed him on the firm foundation of truth.
Declaration: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1:17
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
