Today’s reading is Acts 23:1-24:27.

As Paul defended himself to Felix, he made one statement that really caught my attention today. In Acts 24:1 he said, “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”

This really struck me because I’ve learned over the past two or three years how truly important this is. Having a clear conscience is not simply important because I need a clear conscience to be right with God. A clear conscience is important because an unclear conscience sets me up for defeat and failure on Christ’s narrow way. 

I have come to recognize that when I think I’m being smart and pooling the wool over other people’s eyes, I still know what I’m doing. When I state a half-truth or tell a story in such a way that is technically true but still deceives, I know I’m lying. If I blow up at my family and try to go on like it was just no big deal, there is a prick in my heart. The problem is, I have found that I can’t just move on from those things like nothing happened. In years past, I simply covered them up, buried them, and moved on. However, more recently, as I work harder at staying on the strait and narrow, I realize that those little conscience splinters sit there and get infected. They cause discomfort on a level I don’t always recognize. 

When that happens I only have two choices. I either have to escape through some means that will make me forget. That happens by medicating through sin. Or I have to pull that splinter by making amends to whoever it was and setting things right. 

Those are my only two choices. If I don’t remove the splinter by making amends and setting things right, I’m just going to end up going deeper and deeper into sin. There is no way for me to have just a slight foray into sin that I can control and enjoy. No, I have to keep my conscience absolutely clean or I nose dive into more and more sin.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t keep my conscience clean by being perfect. No, this means I have to do a lot of amends making. Even with that I’m on a path of progress not perfection. But I find that victory over sin comes more readily when I am keeping my conscience clean and not letting even the little things go by as if they aren’t that big of a deal.

***Question: How do you go about keeping your conscience clean?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is I Thessalonians 3:1-4:18.

I Thessalonians 4:3-8 says:

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Sex is a great thing. Sexuality is a natural desire. Sexual immorality is an abomination. There is no greater way to have intimacy than to commit your life totally to another person, getting to know them emotionally, mentally, spiritually and then celebrating that union physically. There is not greater cheat or destructive force than to take that great celebration and waste it on just a few moments of physical pleasure with someone to whom there is no commitment or union. Therefore, abstain from, avoid, flee sexual immorality. 

But do not stop there. It is not enough to simply say, “Well, I won’t have sex unless I’m married.” We have to know how to control our bodies or possess our own vessel as some translations say. We need to present our bodies in a way that befits holiness and honor. We must not present our bodies in a way that says, “Look at me, I’m sexual.” We must not present our bodies in a way that says, “Look at me, I’m aroused.” We must not present our bodies in a way that says, “Look at me, I want to arouse you.” We must shine forth holiness in the way we dress these bodies, in the way we walk with these bodies, in the places we go with these bodies, in the way we allow our bodies to interact with other people and their bodies. 

But do not stop there. It is not enough to simply say, “I’m going to present myself in a modest way.” We must not live in the passion of our lusts. We must work on our minds as well. We may follow the strictest of rules about bodily modesty, but if our minds are filled with lust and thoughts of sexual immorality for those around us, we are still not living in holiness. Men, we need especially think about this as we walk through the mall and the Victoria’s Secret store. We need especially think about this as we pass the magazine rack at the grocery store. We need especially think about this when we are firing up our computers and heading to the internet.

Then I notice the reasons why. First, so we won’t transgress against our brother. I think this is an interesting statement and perhaps I’m missing the point. However, since I see the issue being discussed as mostly a male problem, I think what Paul is saying is when I look at a woman to whom I’m not married to lust after her, if I present myself in a way to purposefully arouse a woman to whom I’m not married, or if I even pursue a sexual encounter with a woman to whom I’m not married, I’m not only transgressing against me and against her, I’m also transgressing against her husband or future husband.

Additionally, I should avoid these fleshly sins and attitudes because God has called me to holiness. He hasn’t called us into a special club in which we can mentally trade wives because we are all becoming spiritually intimate and vulnerable with each other in Christ. We may greet each other with hugs and even kisses, but they are to be holy hugs and kisses. They are not to be attempts to satisfy fleshly lusts. God has called us to holiness, not to cop a feel in the name of Christian greeting and relationships.

Finally, Paul says if we disregard this, we aren’t disregarding him, we aren’t merely disregarding the men and women against whom we are perpetrating our sins, we are also disregarding God. No matter how far down the path of lust, immodesty, and immorality we have traveled, we need to get back to God’s call of holiness. He will work with us if we will surrender to Him.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Just a quick note today because Titus 2:1-10 has a very subtle point I think every young man, especially preachers and teachers need to note.

In this text, Paul told Titus what to teach older men, what to teach younger men, what to teach older women and what to teach slaves. Interestingly, when it came to the younger women, he told Titus to teach the older women what to teach them. 

Why the shift? Why not tell Titus what to teach the young women? 

Isn’t the reason a bit obvious. Titus has no business getting involved in the lives of the young women. He doesn’t need to be in any situation where he might be alone with a young woman teaching her anything. 

This just demonstrates exactly how insightful God is and how practical the word really is. Even in this subtle statement we see God’s understanding of practical ways for us to stay pure. I realize there can be all kinds of temptations even in the other relationships mentioned. But one of the most natural places to stray even while intending to be pure is when men start hanging out with younger women trying to support and educate them in anything.

Guys, don’t do it. Teach the older women to teach the younger women and protect yourself from this temptation.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC