I was deeply moved today in the assembly when one of our brothers spoke on the idea of "Letting your conscience be your guide." Many of his views where: What if you were trained as a child to steal or cheat your friend. So your conscience would lead you to believe it was all right to steal and cheat others when you became older and began to disregard others. You would be allowing your conscience to lead you away from the narrow way or the teachings of our Saviour and Messiah and our heavenly Father.
He pointed out the Father intended for us to have a conscience. The Gentiles knew the principles of righteousness from their actions of treating their neighbors as they wanted to be treated. Gentles would be hospitable, giving and cared for those around them who were less fortunate. Gentles would not have immortal relationships. Tom also pointed out sometimes we in all good conscience believe our decisions are in line with Yeshua's teachings. Saul of Tarsus to the Sanhedrin said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” Saul persecuted believers thinking our Father would want him to "bring them to justice."
The point was if we didn't get our minds in the scriptures, learn and listen to the Father and the Messiah's teaching, and train our minds in the ways of the eternal Father, then we would be in jeopardy of teaching and practicing our thoughts and beliefs which could be opposite of the true way.
So what was Saul of Tarsus teaching the Romans in Chapter 2: 12-29? "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law; for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified:(for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves; in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them); in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by the Messiah."
"But if thou bearest the name of a Jew, and rest upon the law, and gloriest in God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them that are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth; Thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou rob temples?"
"Thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonorest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, even as it is written. For circumcision indeed profits, if thou be a doer of the law: but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is become uncircumcision. If therefore the uncircumcision keep the ordinances of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be reckoned for circumcision? Shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who with the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." AVS
Picture: Mary Cassatt: Children at Play
