“Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.” (Romans 2:14–15 NLT)

 

A well-lived life is one that is guided by a Spirit-controlled conscience. Someone once said, “Conscience is that inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking.” Someone else said, “Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good.” And someone else said, “Conscience doesn’t always keep you from doing wrong, but it does keep you from enjoying it.” Apparently, the idea of a conscience triggers the cynical instincts of certain people.

Everyone has a conscience. The apostle Paul wrote, “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right” (Romans 2:14–15 NLT).

The conscience acts as an alarm. And like a car alarm or a smoke alarm, it can be disabled—or at least quieted. If you ignore your conscience long enough, its “chirping” will become less and less noticeable to you. In time, it will fade into background noise, something you pay no attention to.

The Bible warns us against allowing this to happen. The apostle Paul wrote, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead” (1 Timothy 4:1–2 NLT). A deactivated or dead conscience makes us susceptible to all kinds of evil.

To live well, spiritually speaking, you must keep your conscience functioning at a high level. Keep in mind that your conscience is not infallible. Sometimes it will try to condemn you for something that’s not actually wrong. The apostle John wrote, “Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20 NLT).

Similarly, there will be times when your conscience refuses to condemn you after you do something wrong. It will try to justify your actions or downplay their seriousness.

So, it’s important to teach your conscience how to function properly. You do that by placing it under the control of the Holy Spirit. Spend time in God’s Word, learning everything you can about how God wants you to live. Then pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s prompts so that you’ll know when to make changes in your life.

Martin Luther said, “My conscience is captive to the Word of God.” If you effectively educate your conscience to do what it’s supposed to do as designed by the Lord, you will have the foundation in place for a well-lived life.

 

Reflection question: What does a Spirit-controlled conscience look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;Even Gentiles, who do not have God&rsquo;s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God&rsquo;s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.&rdquo; (Romans 2:14&ndash;15 NLT)
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A well-lived life is one that is guided by a Spirit-controlled conscience. Someone once said, &ldquo;Conscience is that inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking.&rdquo; Someone else said, &ldquo;Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good.&rdquo; And someone else said, &ldquo;Conscience doesn&rsquo;t always keep you from doing wrong, but it does keep you from enjoying it.&rdquo; Apparently, the idea of a conscience triggers the cynical instincts of certain people.
Everyone has a conscience. The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;Even Gentiles, who do not have God&rsquo;s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God&rsquo;s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right&rdquo; (Romans 2:14&ndash;15 NLT).
The conscience acts as an alarm. And like a car alarm or a smoke alarm, it can be disabled&mdash;or at least quieted. If you ignore your conscience long enough, its &ldquo;chirping&rdquo; will become less and less noticeable to you. In time, it will fade into background noise, something you pay no attention to.
The Bible warns us against allowing this to happen. The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead&rdquo; (1 Timothy 4:1&ndash;2 NLT). A deactivated or dead conscience makes us susceptible to all kinds of evil.
To live well, spiritually speaking, you must keep your conscience functioning at a high level. Keep in mind that your conscience is not infallible. Sometimes it will try to condemn you for something that&rsquo;s not actually wrong. The apostle John wrote, &ldquo;Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything&rdquo; (1 John 3:20 NLT).
Similarly, there will be times when your conscience refuses to condemn you after you do something wrong. It will try to justify your actions or downplay their seriousness.
So, it&rsquo;s important to teach your conscience how to function properly. You do that by placing it under the control of the Holy Spirit. Spend time in God&rsquo;s Word, learning everything you can about how God wants you to live. Then pay attention to the Holy Spirit&rsquo;s prompts so that you&rsquo;ll know when to make changes in your life.
Martin Luther said, &ldquo;My conscience is captive to the Word of God.&rdquo; If you effectively educate your conscience to do what it&rsquo;s supposed to do as designed by the Lord, you will have the foundation in place for a well-lived life.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What does a Spirit-controlled conscience look like in your life?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

A Spirit-controlled conscience is essential to a well-lived life.

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