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 Good exercise!

Acts 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a good consciencs void of offence toward God, and toward men.

I want to address this verse of scripture if you don't mind bearing with my weak ability as a teacher.

This verse has really made an impact on my life. The Lord showed me something recently in my life that has really helped the way that God has been able to work in me. In this verse of scripture Paul is addressing Felix. This verse kind of gets lost in the context of the chapter if your not looking. So much is going on that this verse just kind of slips through the cracks. The depth of this verse is so profound that if we could really grasp it, we could have victory snd peace every day of our life no matter what storm arises.

Now lets go back and look at the garden of Eden. God has created man in his image. Then he creates a woman to be a help meet for the man. There they are in the garden, a paradise, walking with God taking in the perfection of the creation. God has established all the trees in the garden for food, (even the tree of life), except the tree of the knowlege of good and evil. God says you can eat any tree in the garden except this one. Leave this one alone. In the day that you eat you shall surely die. I'm paraphrasing of course. Why would God not want them to have the knowlege of good and evil?............ Lets move on.

Then satan comes on scene. He's so beutiful and easy to be around and so easy to talk to. Eve never even shuddered, she felt real comfortable around him. He gave her no reason to be alarmed. Typical of the dark one. He's a fallen angel I might add. So there they are. Eve and Satan face to face with the tree that God told Adam was off limits. Thats right. He told Adam, not Eve! Actually God told Adam this before she was even created. Which could explain why she said "neither shall we touch it" which is not what God said at all. Could this of been Adams fault? Was this what he told her because he was so afraid that she would be tempted to eat it, and in his own thinking and reasoning told her a lie so that his worst fear would not come true? Could this prove that even without the temptations of Satan, when left to ourselves, were just as capable to sin? Even without eating the apple Eve told a lie. Did'nt she? Is'nt that sin? By what standard? AHHHHHHH now were getting somewhere..............Lets move on.

So Eve eats the fruit and gives it to Adam her husband who the bible says was "with her". Could it be that Adam was right there watching all this take place and done nothing to stop it? He was watching his own wife fall into a trap and just stood by and let it happen? Was this not sin? By what standard? Ahhhh now your thinking. Why would he do such a thing? Was he curious himself and wanting her to make the first move?.....Lets move on.

So they both ate the fruit and the bible says the "eyes of them both were opened".

So we have established that there was in fact sin before the fruit was even eaten. Right? A lie from Eve, a weak leader as a husband. The fact of the matter is that it DID NOT BECOME SIN UNTIL THEY HAD RECIEVED THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. It was the knowledge of good and evil that gave them the mind of the judge. Why did they hide from the presence of God? Because they thought God was mad at them. Right? OHHHH no!!!! we got to hide from God because were naked The bible says, Adam told God "I was afraid".

You see God was not mad at all. He never even addressed the eating of the fruit specifically as being the reason man was fallen. Man was fallen because of the knowlege of good and evil. The conscience had awakened and hence condemnation, not by God, but by man. The fear of God was a result of the awakened conscience. They condemned themselves by knowing good and evil. Did'nt God create them like that? So why were they naked? Because their conscience condemned them. Why were they afraid of God? Because their conscience condemned them, and told them they were naked. Why did they hide from God? Because their conscience condemned them.

Now!!!!!If we are in Christ, is there any condemnation? "There is therefore no condemnation" right? If were in the spirit. But if were not in the spirit we condemn ourselves. Right? I'm worthless. I'm no good. I'm such as sinner. God is so mad at me. I'm so unworthy. I should just die. Has anyone said that before? Yeah me to. Just like Adam and Eve.

Now lets go back to Acts 24:16 "And herein do I exercise myself to HAVE A CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENCE toward God, and men." What I believe Paul is saying is that He knew who he was in Christ. All sin is purged. He has complete access to the throne. There is no condemnation. He knows his sins are forgiven. He knows God is not mad at him. He knows that God loves him no matter what and he only wants the best for him. He has peace with God through Jesus Christ, Rom. 5:1. He thinks no evil of man. He does not judge them or try to clean them up. He knows the dept has been paid and the gospel is hope. He knows that Christ working in them is the only hope for the unregenerate man. That by Christ working in them, Christ will finish what he has begun. He doesnt preach law which can only condemn. He doesnt preach religion which is only good for the outside. He ONLY preaches the gospel to a lost and dying world. That my friend is the only hope. If we could grasp that we would rekindle a fire in our hearts. Christ is hope. He can change people. He is able. Do we really believe that?

I want to exercise myself as Paul did. To know who I am in Christ, and to know that there is hope, and to think no evil of God or the world.

 2008/2/22 0:01









 Re: Good exercise!

Could I get some thoughts on this? Please.

 2008/2/22 10:49









 Re:

Anyone? :-(

 2008/2/22 13:22









 Re: Good exercise!

Hi chief,

I appreciated what you shared. It was timely for me. I've never heard events in the Garden expounded quite this way, although I've heard a few explanations of what was going on.

Paul mentions conscience elsewhere, and there was a thread a while back which I didn't follow thoroughly, which looked at conscience in more detail... I'm saying that because I'm not sure if your use of the word 'conscience' would tie in with Paul's others.

Quote:
I[b]t was the knowledge of good and evil that gave them the mind of the judge.[/b] Why did they hide from the presence of God? Because they thought God was mad at them. Right? OHHHH no!!!! we got to hide from God because were naked The bible says, Adam told God "I was afraid".

You see God was not mad at all. He never even addressed the eating of the fruit specifically as being the reason man was fallen. Man was fallen because of the knowlege of good and evil. The conscience had awakened and hence condemnation, not by God, but by man. [b]The fear of God was a result of the awakened conscience. They condemned themselves by knowing good and evil[/b]. Did'nt God create them like that? So why were they naked? Because their conscience condemned them. Why were they afraid of God? Because their conscience condemned them, and told them they were naked. Why did they hide from God? Because their conscience condemned them.

Now!!!!!If we are in Christ, is there any condemnation? "There is therefore no condemnation" right? If were in the spirit. [b]But if were not in the spirit we condemn ourselves. Right? I'm worthless. I'm no good. I'm such as sinner. God is so mad at me. I'm so unworthy. I should just die. Has anyone said that before? Yeah me to. Just like Adam and Eve.[/b]

Now lets go back to Acts 24:16 "And herein do I exercise myself to HAVE A CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENCE toward God, and men." What I believe Paul is saying is that He knew who he was in Christ. All sin is purged. [b]He has complete access to the throne. There is no condemnation. He knows his sins are forgiven. He knows God is not mad at him. He knows that God loves him no matter what and he only wants the best for him. He has peace with God [u]through Jesus Christ[/u],[/b] Rom. 5:1. He thinks no evil of man. He does not judge them or try to clean them up. He knows the dept has been paid and the gospel is hope. He knows that Christ working in them is the only hope for the unregenerate man. That by Christ working in them, Christ will finish what he has begun. He doesnt preach law which can only condemn. He doesnt preach religion which is only good for the outside. He ONLY preaches the gospel to a lost and dying world. That my friend is the only hope. If we could grasp that we would rekindle a fire in our hearts. Christ is hope. He can change people. He is able. Do we really believe that?

I want to exercise myself as Paul did. [b]To know who I am in Christ, and to know that there is hope, and to think no evil of God or the world.[/b]

I may not have highlighted the sentences you were emphasising, but for me, these stood out. Thank you.


 2008/2/22 13:50









 Re:

Thanks Dorcas,

I want to go on with this. I will say more later but for now, REAL BUSY. Work never seems to be finished.

 2008/2/22 17:05









 Re:

I Tim. 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

I bet your wondering what this has to do with what I've been talking about, but it all works together.

So it's clear from this passage of scripture that the thing that is most under attack is faith. Right? O.k. so let me ask another question. Who in the bible took doctrine more seriously than anyone else? THE PHARISEES. Who was always quoting scripture? THE PHARISEES. Who did Jesus say was like their father the devil? THE PHARISEES. Who did Jesus say was beutiful to behold but full of dead mens bones? THE PHARISEES. How did the pharisees look? RELIGIOUS. So if children look like their parents, it's safe to say that SATAN IS RELIGIOUS, AND WANTS US TO BE RELIGIOUS.

So they were beutiful on the outside but on the indide full of death. Right? Doesnt that sound like us at times? (Im right, and your wrong. I'm the one who is right in his doctrine, AND YOUR NOT. ) Let me ask a question.
Have you ever said something that sounded real religious and sincere, but inside it wasnt right. Your spirit knew something was wrong?

Remember the knowlege of good and evil? I'm right and your wrong. This is good and that is bad. Good, bad. Right, wrong. Good, evil. This is the division that the concsionce causes in us. That is what Satan wants. TO CAUSE DIVISION IN US.

O.K. Does the bible say that "if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness?" So why do we keep going to him confessing sin over, and over, and over again. The answer: DIVISION: But if we understand that there is therefore no condemnation for those of us in Christ, than our conscience can no longer condemn us because we are ONE WITH CHRIST (no division, unity, one).

Thats what the devil wants to create in us. DIVISION. Because if he can create divison in us the bible says, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" Jam. 1:8. You see? Good, Evil. Right, Wrong. Division!!!!!No peace, no joy. Just condemnation!!!

Jesus said "I come not to CONDEMN the world." So Jesus was not here to condemn. Who was he here on behalf of? THE FATHER!!!!!! "My words are not my own words, but the words of him who sent me"? Right? So the father never wanted to CONDEMN. Right? So who wants to condemn us? SATAN!!! and ourselves. He makes us think that God is not who he says he is. He makes us think God hates us, and is mad at us, so he can break our fellowship with the father!!!!!!!!!!!!!Just like adam.

Are we Gods children? Are we his creation? Do we belong to him? But we don't beleive that do we?????!!!!!! No!!!!! God is after us, he wants to kill us, he is full of wrath, and so on and so forth. So God the father sends his own son to show us how much he loves us. He said I'll Kill my own son to show them that I DO LOVE THEM, and he'll pay for all sin, with his own blood.

The devil wants you to think you have to do something to get it. (Be predestined, speak in tongues, turn from sin, the right kind of faith, this kind of faith, that kind of faith, works,, you name it hes said it) But God says it's FREE, JUST BELIEVE!!!!!!!The devil says "Yea, hath God said?" Doctrines of devils, Phariseeism, works, thats the spirit of this world. God says "But without FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God". The devil says faith is not enough.

What is the power of God? Rom. 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL OF CHRIST: for it is THE POWER OF GOD." Having a from of godliness but denying THE POWER THEREOF. What are they denying? Christ!!!!"Yea, hath God said??" Are we still sinners if we are in Christ? NO!!!! The bible says we are a "royal priesthood", a "peculiar people", and THE CHILDREN OF GOD. Yea, hath God said???? We are no longer sinners. God loves us. He's not mad at us. And we have everything were ever gonna need, In Christ.

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." A mind not of condemnation, but only of love. Full of faith, and hope. Jesus knew he was the beloved son. He knew that his father loved him. Thats what we need to realize in order to have faith. That our father loves us, and there is therefore no condemnation. This causes faith to grow in us, when we realize this truth.

 2008/2/23 21:07









 Re:

Rom. 12:2 And be not comformed to this world but be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewind of YOUR MIND......

This verse goes right along with this. How do we renew our minds? By knowing who we are and what we are in Christ. The devil wants us to think were defeated, powerless, hopeless. But the bible says "we are more than conquerors through Christ". We have overcome this world through him because he overcame this world.

 2008/2/24 8:27









 Re:

Rom. 2:15 Which show the work of the law written on their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;

You see, here again, the law is written on our hearts is it not? The knowlege of good and evil. This is the conscience. We accuse and excuse on another dont we. Thats good, thats bad. Thats right thats wrong. This is what Paul is talking about. Having a GOOD conscience toward God and man. Think no evil of your neighbor. Think no evil of God. The bible says "there is none good", so what does it matter what they do. All we should see is potential for the gospel, or a brother or sister in Christ who is double minded.
We should know that God is not out to get us and he loves us, and he only wants the best for us. This is work. Like Paul said it's EXERCISE!!!

 2008/2/24 22:51









 Re:

Does anyone understand this?, or is it clear as mud. :-(

 2008/2/26 18:58









 Re: Good exercise!



Quote:
How do we renew our minds? By knowing who we are and what we are in Christ.

Hi chief,

I've been a bit busy so didn't read till now. I enjoyed your points about division.... well explained.

Quote:
Does anyone understand this?, or is it clear as mud.

It's clear. But I know how you feel when there is very little response. This often happens when the topic is affirming and spiritually sound... so don't worry about the appearance of no-one even noticing. All you need care is that the person\people who are on God's heart to benefit from your effort - do indeed benefit.

:-)

 2008/2/26 20:44





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