Tag Archives: Good Conscience

Having a Good Conscience

Lent

February 19, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Peter 3:18-22
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the Ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

People invest much time and energy in our outward appearance and behavior. How much do we deal with our inner being, body, and soul? In reviewing Adam Hamilton’s new book, The Walk, I discovered a postscript that deals with physical exercise. The book centers on spiritual disciplines, which are crucial to our spiritual wellbeing. Caring for our bodies is supportive of caring for our souls. I read the scripture used each day in these devotions to discern what I will write. My walking usually follows that reading. I am amazed at times at what insights come to me in those short walks. Fresh views of very familiar scriptures arise. Often, I gain insight into how these ancient words relate to issues of our times.

My goal is to take ten-thousand steps each day in ten-minute intervals each hour. I must switch some of those walks around because of a meeting or some other conflict. I miss those walks if they are interrupted. Our spiritual disciplines, too, can become primary parts of each day. Peter advises us to appeal to God for a good conscience. We do not talk much about having a conscience today, much less a good one. We must examine ourselves regularly to know whether we have a clear conscience or not and take whatever actions are necessary to maintain a good conscience. That can only be achieved by being in tune with God’s plan for what is right.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for sharing time with each of us so that we may have clear consciences as we do our part as workers in your Kingdom. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Good  Consciences

Lent
February 16, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22

who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. –1 Peter 3:20-22

I checked out my purchases at one of the do it yourself machines now prevalent in stores moving items from one place to another to make sure I ran them all. I then pushed my full cart to my car several yards away in the cold wind. As I unloaded the bags, something hanging from the seat for children caught my eye. I reached down and pulled up a long thin plastic bag filled with those little plastic ties used to pull together cords and keep them from being an unsightly tangle. The little plastic ties cost 79 cents. I looked at the ties, I looked at how very far I was from the store entrance, and I confess I thought the store would not miss my 79 cents. My conscience disagreed with my brain, and I trekked back into the store, ending up at a card only check out machine, ran the scanner over the package, and charged 85 cents with tax added on my bank card. God was certainly the ultimate source of my conscience; my parents made sure I got the idea. Doing the right thing is a habit of the heart. A part of the discipline of being a follower of Christ is engraining doing right things, even the smallest things, into our very being. If we do the right thing in the small things, it becomes easier to do the right thing in the tough, perhaps controversial things.

The story of Noah’s Ark is a story of one man doing God’s will while others did not. I do not readily get the connection with baptism that the author of I Peter is trying to make, but I do know that being cleansed of old habits and old hurts that limit our abilities to love like Jesus is important as we grow in wholeness with Christ as our example.

Prayer: Lord, cleanse us as we grow out of old bad habits and strengthen us as we strive to build new good habits. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.