Sometimes we want to justify what we’re doing and say, ‘It feels right, so it can’t be wrong.’ But if God’s Word says something is wrong, it’s wrong, no matter how right it feels. The old saying, ‘Let your conscience be your guide,’ is only half the truth. The other half should read, ‘as long as your conscience is grounded in and guided by the clear teachings of God’s Word.’ As a redeemed child of God, you’re called to live by His commandments instead of your feelings, impulses, emotions, or popular thinking. When those things guide you, the winds of temptation can sweep you off course and shipwreck you. Paul wrote: ‘Timothy, my son, the instructions I am giving you are based on what some prophets once said about you. If you follow these instructions, you will fight like a good soldier. You will be faithful and have a clear conscience. Some people have made a mess of their faith because they didn’t listen to their consciences. Two of them are Hymenaeus and Alexander. I have given these men over to the power of Satan, so they will learn not to oppose God’ (vv. 18-20 CEV). We don’t know much about Hymenaeus and Alexander, but what we do know is sobering and instructive. They failed to develop, protect, and live by a conscience that was grounded in God’s Word and ended up spiritually shipwrecked. What a graphic image: a ship broken to pieces on the rocks because it drifted off course. So today, remember – your conscience must be based on God’s Word, and you must always keep it clear!
