Is it so mysterious that I am not growing? Couldn’t the main reason be my prayerlessness? We need to become focused on the encouragement of warm, loving times with our patient Savior—the One who does not cease whispering our names into the ears of His Father. We must deal with this besetting sin. We are not going to grow in Christlikeness until we meet regularly in the secret place with Jesus.
All Christians are being tested in their responsiveness and obedience to their own consciences. God has provided within them that great monitor of their conduct and behavior. So how is it between us and our consciences? Are we infinitely particular about paying attention to what our consciences say? Are we careful to educate those consciences because any conscience can be in darkness?
There are many Christian consciences that, in the words of Thomas Boston, are “too pernickety.” They condemn what God’s Word does not condemn, and Christians must educate their consciences. There are other consciences that can let everything pass, even those attitudes that God’s Word condemns. They are not as sensitive as they should be; they are too broad and too open. Our consciences must constantly stand under the scrutiny of God’s Word. The conscience must always be open to commending what God’s Word commends and condemning what God’s Word condemns. The Puritan Thomas Manton reminds us:
Conscience must be satisfied with something. So professing Christians can please themselves with giving to God as much obedience as is least contrary to their feelings and inclinations. Like a servant who obeys his master when he sends him on a mission to a fair or a feast, but deceives in errands that are more demanding. This man is satisfying self, his own inclinations. Such men are not so much serving God as their own interests.
Let us suppose that every reader of Tabletalk has an enlightened conscience. What allegiance are we showing to it? Are we careful to obey it when we are emotionally disinclined, when we lie in the depth of depression, or when we’re wallowing in self-pity? We know that there is a duty to attend to, but it is very unpleasant and unattractive, an unwelcome responsibility. Do we have the maturity to stand over our emotions and in the face of our feelings determine to attend to what God commands us to do, even though we are emotionally disinclined to do so?
There is no greater peril in the Christian life than to make our emotions the touchstone of our duties—in other words, to wait for the moment of inspiration before we obey our Lord, who has told us always to pray and not to faint.
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