Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: bible

A Good Conscience

Encouragement, Faith

A Good Conscience

Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”
Acts 23:1

A Clean Slate

If you remember the life of Saul before the Lord changed his name to Paul, you will remember how he was persecuting the church and killing Christians.  He was not considered a good person in our perspective.  But here in this verse Paul says to the Sanhedrin council, “I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”  How could he say such a profound statement?

Paul knew his past was not good.  But he also knew that he had received God’s forgiveness and grace.   Even though he had previously acted out violent persecutions against Christians, he was a new person in Christ.  He always used his testimony to show people how Jesus changed his life.  So Paul could honestly stand before the council and declare that he had a good and clear conscience before God.  His slate was clean and he was cleared from all unrighteousness.

That is a great way to live.  We should all seek to live before God with a good conscience.  The only way you can effectively do so is to confess your sins and turn from all evil.  A problem occurs when we confess our sin but keep doing the same sinful things.  We are to confess, repent, and turn away from repeating the same sins.  The only way to receive a good conscience before God is to be clean and free from sin.  Paul was able to let the past stay in the past and live in the present for the Lord.  Is there any sin in your life that is troubling your soul and keeping you from having peace with God? Confess and repent today.

Prayer

Pray and ask God to reveal any unconfessed sin and repent from it today.

Saved

Encouragement, Trust

Saved

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭

Power of God

The message of the cross is all about Jesus Christ. It is a redemption story that will be retold for eternity, even in Heaven. The most amazing element of the message is love. Jesus endured the punishment of sin so that you would be set free. Set free from your bondage and guilt of sin.

For those who are spiritually blind and ignorant of the truth, it is foolishness. Paul was stating the fact that for some people the message of the cross is meaningless. Some people do not realize how much love God has for them. Even though God hates sin, He loves the sinner and wants to redeem him/her and bring them into a right relationship and fellowship with Him and the Saints of God.

However, for us who have been saved the message of the cross brings us power. The power of God is given to us through the Holy Spirit of God that reveals to us what it means to be saved. Being saved of our sins gives us freedom to live under grace and not by the Law. No one can keep the Law perfectly but everyone can experience the grace of God. It’s given and not earned. It is power to the Believer because we know the truth. The power of God is what makes us live confidently in this evil world. It produces boldness and courage for those who desire to please the Lord.

Prayer

Lord Father, we thank you for sending us Jesus to die in our place. We boldly confess You as King. Give us someone to share Your love and grace with.

I Am With You

Encouragement, Trust

I Am With You

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬

His Presence Is Everything

This is a verse we all should memorize and keep close to our hearts.  Whenever you feel that God may not be listening, remember this promise.  Or when you feel you just can’t make it another day, know that God is still there.  When you just cannot do it, He will.  He holds everything together in the palm of His hand.

The truth of this great verse is found in the promise of His presence. We never know what we may encounter from day to day, but we can count on God being right here with us.  If we have fear, His presence is all we need.  If we are without understanding, His wisdom surrounds us.  When we are lacking, He fills us with His love.  The power of His presence is overwhelming when we realize how close He is.  God is not far away.  As a Christian, He is living inside of you.  He wants to be part of your life.

We should seek and desire His presence everyday.  Moses said to God in Exodus 33:15, “If Your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”  Moses didn’t want to make a move until he knew God was going with them.  Moses was so use to seeking His presence that He would be lost without it. That should be our same attitude and desire.  God’s presence is the most important thing we know.  The Holy Spirit is God’s presence.

Prayer

Praise Him out loud by saying or singing, “You are my strength, You are my help, You are my God!”