PAUL HAD A GOOD CONSCIENCE!

[DO YOU?]

Conscience: moral consciousness; to see completely; respectively means to understand or become aware; to be conscious or [clandestinely {secretly}] informed of; consider, know, be privy, be aware of. Acts 23:1 (King James Version)

In following up on the article yesterday I wanted to show you a very good example of someone doing something in good conscience. The following is a brief outline of the life of the apostle Paul.

We hear first of Paul at the stoning of Stephen.
Acts 7:57 (King James Version) 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Following the death of Stephen we continue to follow Saul and see his actions toward other Believers.

Acts 8: 1 [King James Version] And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

From these scriptures we can plainly see that Paul was not a friend of the Believers of Christ. If anything he was someone that the believers did not want around.

There are three accounts in the book of Acts telling about his conversion.
Acts 9 1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatening's and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

We can also read of this account in Acts 22:1-22 and Acts 26:1-24.
In each one of these accounts he describes being blinded, led to Demascus where his sight is restored and he was then baptized.

Paul himself tells us that he persecuted the church.
1 Corinthians 15:9 (King James Version) 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Galatians 1:13 (King James Version) 13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
Now let us look at what Paul says in Acts 23.
Acts 23
1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

Wait a minute is this the same Paul that persecuted the Believers, held the coats of others while they stoned Stephen? Is this the same man who reeked havoc on the church, going into homes and taking men and women to prison for their beliefs? Yes it is. How then can he stand there and tell people “I have lived in all good conscience.”

Paul was raised up in a Jewish family, instructed in the Laws of the Torah. He had lived a good and faithful life. According to the teaching he had, which were the truth, he was obeying the Laws. This is why he could boldly say he had done nothing in bad conscience. Until he was converted on the road to Damascus, Paul was going by the teaching that he had stood on his entire life.

Once he was informed of the truth about Jesus, it was his decision to receive it, or to turn from it and go back to his old ways. Paul took the good news, he received it with an open heart and his life was changed.

How many of us have heard the Word of God and turned to our old ways? How many of us have lived as Christians for years and suddenly a revelation comes to us that something we believe and hold to be truth is in fact a falsehood, and turned from it.

Have we in good conscience did what we felt was right? I am not speaking of twisting the Word of God here; I am speaking of not being informed of the truth. Once you have the truth, do you in fact act on it?

Study, seek God in all you hear from others. LJG and I cannot tell you this enough. Do not take any man or woman’s word for fact, try the Word, and test the Word. Look it up and study it for yourself.

Do not twist the scriptures to make yourself happy, take the truth of the Word and ask the Lord to change you.

God Bless,

rECj/LJG