Thirdly, if we are praying this prayer
that we might grow in graciousness;
in grace, we are praying
that we might progress in conscientiousness.
That is, in responsiveness
and obedience to our own consciences.
Because God has placed that monitor
in our minds,
and it reproves us when we do wrong,
and it encourages us when we do right.
Well, how is it with your conscience and you tonight?
How are things between you
and that monitor; that voice of God?
You know there are many consciences,
and in Thomas Boston's words,
they're too persnickety.
They condemn what God's Word doesn't condemn.
We must educate that conscience.
Does the Bible condemn blood transfusions?
For example.
And there are other consciences
and they let anything pass.
They let pass what God's Word condemns.
They are less sensitive than they should be.
They are much too broad; much too open.
So, we must always bring our conscience
under the light of the Word of God.
You know the Puritan illustration then
of the sundial?
And the sundial will work
if it's at the right angle,
and in regards to the light of the sun.
But on a bright moonlight night,
you can go out to your garden
and you can look at a sundial,
and there will be a shadow -
a moon shadow.
And it will give you the totally wrong reading.
Because it's not a moondial,
it's a sundial.
And so there is the conscience
of the cannibal.
And there is the conscience of the abortionist.
And they are not living in accord
with what the Word of God
who created the conscience gives to us.
Now, let's suppose that you have
an enlightened conscience.
Let's suppose that you have
the full light of God's Word
on your conscience then.
Are you carefully obeying it
when you are emotionally disinclined?
When you're lying on the floor
in despondency and sulking
and unhappy because your worst fears
are being realized?
When you're in the depth of depression
and self-pity,
and there's a duty that you have to attend to?
It's a duty. It's very unpleasant.
It's very demanding.
Do you do what your conscience tells you
that you should do?
Do you have the maturity to stand on your emotions
and reject them
in the face of their reluctance
and aversion to attend to
what God commands us?
There's no greater peril in the Christian life
than to make our emotions
the touchstone of our duties.
And time and again, we have to
pick ourselves up off the floor
of discouragement,
and say I have a duty,
and I know this is right,
and I'm going to do it.
Or again, let me ask you,
are you conscientious about small things?
Because there most of all,
Christians are tested.
We don't have huge sacrifices to make,
but every day, there are many
little duties that you know have to be done.
And we have to pay careful attention
to matters of detail,
because our Lord,
He commends people
who are faithful in little things.
And so often, we are losing the battle
in little things.
It might seem to you
not a big issue to be in prayer meeting
on a Wednesday night there.
It might not seem a big issue
to be in Sunday nights of church.
A small thing.
It might seem just a little thing
to ignore writing a letter to someone
to say thanks for all your kindness to me.
Certain things.
But we must make conscience, then,
if we are going to grow in graciousness,
our conscience - we respect it.
Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.