By Bob Clardy
I heard about a man who once
promised the Lord that he would sell one of his calves and
give the money to the church to be used in mission work. But
he disregarded this promise and never followed through.
Every time he went to church services his conscience would
remind him, ‘The calf must be sold!’ Still he did nothing
about it.
One Sunday he decided to go to an
outdoor meeting in the rural community where he lived. As he
approached, the people were singing an old familiar hymn,
“The half has never yet been told.” Since the man’s
conscience was still bothering him, he misunderstood the
words and he thought he heard, “The calf has never yet been
sold.” Running toward the group, he shouted, “Stop! Please
stop singing! I know the calf has not yet been sold, but it
will be tomorrow.”
A conscience trained in accordance
with God’s will can be of great help to us in many
situations. It has prevented many a person from lying,
cheating, stealing, etc.
It is also wonderful to have a
clear conscience. If your conscience is not clear you need
to take the necessary steps to make it so.
But you can reach the point in your
life when your conscience no longer bothers you. It can
become hardened or seared as with a hot iron. 1 Timothy 4:2-
“Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared
with a hot iron” This is a pitiable condition! Where it no
longer bothers one that he is lost and in need of salvation.
The dishonest person can get to the
point that his conscience doesn’t bother him. The cheat,
liar, adulterer, or meddler in other men’s matters can reach
the same sad state.
Be thankful for your conscience and
always keep it trained correctly. Keep it clear by being a
faithful Christian.
- Bob Clardy; via
The
Contender, the weekly bulletin published by the
Walnut Grove Church of Christ in Benton, KY. Kevin
Williams preaches for the congregation. He may be
contacted through the church's website:
http://walnutgrovechurchofchrist.org/
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