Don't they have a conscience?

"Whatsamatayou, don't you have a conscience?!" 

I've been thinking about this for weeks (and, no, I don't know why I've been thinking to myself in the voice of Chico Marx). 

What's wrong with people who don't know what's wrong...and what's right? Not just shootings, but everything.

The Bible talks about a conscience and even the unsaved have one. But for the next few days, spend 500 words or less (today's word count: 250) in a devotional about your conscience, your internal guide to what is right and wrong. And sorry Jiminy Cricket, your conscience should not always be your guide.

And just so you'll be knowing where we're going, here's an outline of the progression or actually digression of a conscience.

1. A sensitive, convicted conscience: John 8:9, "Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience..."

2. A struggling, compromised conscience: 1 Corinthians 8:7-13, "When YOU thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience..."

3. A soiled, contaminated conscience: Titus 1:15, "...to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled."

4. A seared, corrupt conscience: 1 Timothy 4:2, "in the latter times, some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits ...having their own conscience seared with a hot iron."

And finally, the cure:
5. A saved, cleansed conscience (always with faith): 1 Timothy 1:5, 1:19, 3:9, "a good conscience and sincere faith"; "having faith and a good conscience"; "holding the mystery of faith with a pure conscience".

Tune in tomorrow for a devotional on #1 and how the Word can convict and sensitize the conscience.

Our prayer for today:

Heavenly Father, as we study the Word, your Commandments, today, help us to love from a pure heart with a good and cleansed conscience and with a sincere faith. Keep us sensitive to obeying you, so that our faith will be strong and our consciences pure so that we will not sufffer shipwreck. In Jesus's Name, Amen.