ABF Series: Understanding and Training the Conscience – Lesson 2

Dustin Folden |

In our Adult Bible Fellowship (ABF) classes this fall we will be studying the conscience. This ABF series is designed to help us biblically understand what our conscience is, learn how to train it and pursue unity in the body of Christ especially when our consciences differ.

Lesson 1 Review

  1. Conscience is a Human Capacity
  2. Conscience is part of being an image bearer of God
  3. Conscience often feels independent
  4. Conscience is a gift from God
  5. Conscience is digital, not analog (on/off vs. dimmer) Rom 2:15
  6. Your Conscience vs. God’s Will
  7. You can damage your conscience 1 Tim 4:2-3, Mt 23:24
  8. Two Great Principles of Conscience
    1. Principle 1: God is the only Lord of Conscience – Acts 5:29, 10:9-16
    2. Principle 2: You should always Obey your conscience – Rom 14:5, 14, 23

Lesson 2 Preparation

Please consider reviewing all the passages in the NT where the word conscience is used.

  1. Acts 23:1 – Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.”
  2. Acts 24:16 -“In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.
  3. Romans 2:15 – in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
  4. Romans 9:1 – I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,
  5. Romans 13:5 – Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
  6. 1 Corinthians 8:7 – However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
  7. 1 Corinthians 8:10 – For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
  8. 1 Corinthians 8:12 – And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
  9. 1 Corinthians 10:25 – Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake;
  10. 1 Corinthians 10:27 – If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake.
  11. 1 Corinthians 10:28 – But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake;
  12. 1 Corinthians 10:29 – I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience?
  13. 2 Corinthians 1:12 – For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.
  14. 2 Corinthians 4:2 – but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
  15. 2 Corinthians 5:11 – Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.
  16. 1 Timothy 1:5 – But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
  17. 1 Timothy 1:19 – keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.
  18. 1 Timothy 3:9 – but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
  19. 1 Timothy 4:2 -by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
  20. 2 Timothy 1:3 – I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,
  21. Titus 1:15 – To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
  22. Hebrews 9:9 – which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,
  23. Hebrews 9:14 -how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
  24. Hebrews 10:22 – let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
  25. Hebrews 13:18 – Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.
  26. 1 Peter 2:19 – For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.
  27. 1 Peter 3:16 – and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
  28. 1 Peter 3:21 – Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
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Dustin Folden
Pastor Dustin Folden and his wife Trisha joined the Pastoral Staff in 2010. They have two children, Sawyer and Mackenna who absolutely love children’s ministries, mostly because of the singing and snacks. Pastor Folden shepherds the 9:30 worship service, oversees the Adult Bible Fellowship ministry, as well as serves in the Biblical Counseling Ministries.