Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church
09/27/2026 Sunday Family Service

  • Introduction

    Turn to Romans 2:14-15
    Have you ever heard that little voice in your head that whispers, 'you know you shouldn't eat that second slice of cake'?
    Yeah, we’ve all been there. And we’ll soon be there again with the holiday season rapidly approaching.
    What is that little voice, anyway? Well, it’s probably your conscience speaking!
    When it comes to food, our conscience sometimes operates like a personal food critic. It’s like your nutritionist is looking over your shoulder every time you fill your plate. But when that cake happens to be your grandma’s recipe, that voice can get lost in the joy of the moment! Our conscience guides us through decisions, sometimes saying “yes” to a decision and other times gently steering us away from choices we might regret. Just like we sometimes ignore our nutritionist’s advice, we can also ignore our conscience for a little treat!
    I can’t tell you how many times I heard one of my coworkers at Walmart loudly tell the office, “I know I shouldn’t eat another piece of that cake!”
    The only problem is that she would say it while walking towards the break-room to get another piece of cake!
    How did she know she shouldn’t eat that cake? Her conscience.
    It may surprise you how much Scripture has to say about the conscience. It says quite a lot, actually.
    Read Romans 2:14-15
    We begin in Romans 2 because I want to quickly refresh your memory on what the conscience is.
    Next slide here:
    The conscience is not the Holy Spirit
    The Holy Spirit may use the conscience as a tool in His hands, but the two are not the same. The Holy Spirit is a person that has a very extensive ministry particularly in the life of a Christian; the conscience is built into every single human being.
    I have heard the conscience referred to as a moral compass, and I think that’s fair. But from this text I want you to notice that it is both a law and a judge.
    Next slide here:
    The conscience is a law written on our hearts
    Paul argues here that the Gentiles did not have the Mosaic law like the Jews did. However, because the gentiles had a conscience, they showed the work of the law written in their hearts.
    For example, the Jews were taught in the law, “thou shalt not kill.”
    The Gentiles did not have the Ten Commandments, but they still knew that murder was wrong.
    Next slide here:
    The conscience is a judge
    Paul notes this in verse 15 when he says, “their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;”
    It’s the difference between “Yes, you can go eat more salad.” Versus, “No, you shouldn’t go get that second piece of cake.”
    The Bible reveals that your conscience can take on several different characteristics, especially because it has been perverted by our sin nature. We’re going to consider these characteristics tonight and I want you to ask yourself this question:
    What kind of conscience do I have?
    Next slide here:
    A weak conscience - 1 Cor. 8:10-12
    Turn to and read 1 Corinthians 8:10-12
    Paul describes here a situation that was a common problem for Christians in Corinth.
    This Christian was comfortable eating meat that had been offered to idols, but this Christian would sin against their conscience if they ate meat offered to idols. The first Christian knew that an idol was nothing and that there was only one true God. But the second Christian still “had not come to the point where they could accept eating this kind of meat as a matter of indifference.” - Bible Knowledge Commentary, 1 Corinthians 8:7-8
    A weak conscience is one that is easily offended and cannot discern between what is right and wrong. In this context, it means…
    A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament ἀσθενέω

    to be doubtful about things lawful and unlawful to a Christian

    Application:
    What is the solution? In the context of this situation at Corinth, what should the stronger brother do? Neither eat that meat before the other Christian nor encourage them to eat of it. Eat it privately with thanksgiving to the Lord.
    Romans 14:6 KJV 1900
    He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
    What is the solution for the brother with the weaker conscience? What would help make their conscience stronger?
    “Toughen up buttercup!”
    No, they need exposure to the truth of Scripture and they need to accept it. There needs to be a “want to” on their part, a desire to be teachable and to grow.
    1 Timothy 4:3–5 KJV 1900
    Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
    Give that brother or sister time to grow in the Lord. The Holy Spirit is a much better teacher than you are. If they are not living in violation of Scripture, then give them grace to be different than you. You’re not the final arbiter of what is right and wrong - God is.
    Romans 14:4 KJV 1900
    Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
    Next slide here:
    A defiled conscience - Titus 1:15
    Turn to Titus 1:10-16
    Paul has just expressed in verses 5-9 the qualifications of a pastor. After laying out what a pastor ought to be, he then describes beginning in verse 10 what a false teacher looks like. Notice how he describes them, especially in verse 15.
    Read Titus 1:10-16
    Next slide here:
    Defiled: to dye with color, to stain, to pollute, contaminate, or soil
    Doesn’t sound like a very good conscience to have, does it?
    We see in the New Testament that the conscience is not the final ethical authority for human conduct because the conscience is capable of change. Whereas God’s principles don’t change, our consciences vacillate and develop.
    R. C. Sproul
    You tell a lie enough times and you’ll start to believe it. These false teachers were preaching error so much that they had started to believe it for themselves.
    When the conscience is repeatedly exposed to error, it can become so warped that good will become evil and evil will become good.
    Next slide here:
    John 16:2 KJV 1900
    They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
    The human conscience by default is repulsed at the idea of murdering innocent lives. How does it slowly become acceptable? When you’re told a lie enough times you’ll start to believe it. Jesus predicted it. Who lived it? What man was an example of this in the book of Acts? Saul
    Acts 26:9–11 KJV 1900
    I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
    Saul knew that murder was wrong, but in his mind, this wasn’t murder. This was justice. He thought he was doing God a favor by ridding the Jews of these heretics.
    Application: Be careful what you listen to. Error has a strange way of warping your conscience.
    How do men and women strap bombs to themselves and blow up innocent people? How do they crash planes into towers?
    How do young people decide to take life-altering drugs and have surgeries that forever mutilate their otherwise healthy bodies?
    Repeated error warps the conscience.
    Next slide here:
    A seared conscience - 1 Timothy 4:2
    Turn to 1 Timothy 4
    A defiled conscience and a seared conscience are similar, but different.
    As Paul is teaching Timothy about matters of the local church, he warns Timothy about those that will be enemies of the truth.
    Read 1 Timothy 4:1-3
    Repeated error warps the conscience, but repeated sin sears the conscience. These individuals will know better, Paul says, but they will choose to speak what they know is lies. The danger is that eventually their conscience will be seared - cauterized - and will no longer judge their wrongdoing. It will be silenced.
    Application: a seared conscience is one of the worst consequences of repeated sin.
    Preserve your conscience always soft and sensitive. If but one sin force its way into that tender part of the soul and is suffered to dwell there, the road is paved for a thousand iniquities.
    Isaac Watts (Nonconformist Hymn Writer)

    Conclusion

    Christian, carefully guard your conscience, for it is a great help to your Christian life. I might say it this way,
    Proverbs 4:23 KJV 1900
    Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.
    There was a time when Herod listened readily to John the Baptist.
    Mark 6:20 KJV 1900
    For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
    But then he threw John in prison.
    Mark 6:17–18 KJV 1900
    For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
    Finally, he executed John.
    Matthew 14:9–10 KJV 1900
    And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
    Carefully guard your conscience, both from error and from repeated sins.

      • John 16:2KJV1900

      • Proverbs 4:23KJV1900

Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church
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