CONSCIENCE
A FEW OPENING THOUGHTS ON CONSCIENCE...
Preface: Let me preface my thoughts today by saying that if a person completely agrees with the doctrines professed by a certain religious group it doesn't mean that they are in complete agreement with the application and behavior of that particular group. The following Thoughts on Conscience are intended not to offend but make us think bigger than what we've observed the last 15, 35, 55, 155 years to what we (as Christadelphians) have really been called to do and how to act. With that said...
Many-a-times and through the years, my perception of Conscience (C.O.) was structured around the idea of
How Far Must I Stay Away From Something Just To Be Safe (the idea of "Constriction"). Safe from what?
Safe from myself? Possibly. Safe for Fear of Contamination, Criticism, and Not Being Accepted? More than likely. This "Fear" holds us to "a path" that we (as Individuals) would not travel unless someone else was on it or unless it was easily traveled. This "path" may not be or possibly is not "the path" that the Lord intended for us to travel. I know...I know...the Lord can travel us down any path that he would like us to go (the ole argument of Free-Will vs. God's Will) but God (99.99999999% of the time - excluding Jonah, Saul-Paul, etc.) doesn't grab us up and force us down a path of his choosing. It is sometimes a combination of the two aspects of "Will and Direction" (either ours and his {or} his and ours). Since we ask God and then go the direction "we think" he wants us to go, we sometimes find ourselves on "a path determined and directed by others" as "the safe path" (maybe so-called "old paths") that they want us to travel for social uniformity and acceptance without little or no Biblical foundation. As you are well aware, these "paths" are not physical walking paths but paths that may include terms, codes, or key-words that draw us down a particular path. They may also include which and how many expositional books we read. They may also include our desire to conform to a sociopathic pattern of regimented behavior (sometimes called Organized Religion, Ordinances, or Sacraments to which "The Symbol becomes The Substance")(new term "socioreligous"). Jesus in the Gospels (especially in the Sermon on the Mount)(also spoke of in the Book of James - Ja. 2:1-10) warned and spake heavily against this type of conformity and regimented religion. It cannot be denied that order is necessary and "decently and in order" is needed. But, if Jesus would have "conformed" to "the order of the day", he would fallen into the same Club, Category, Path, Condemning Affairs in which he came to reveal in the light of "the weightier matters".
Acceptance
Whether we like it or not - right, wrong, or indifferent - I think we tend find ourselves on the "safe path" to which someone else has constructed. This path is not based on a Conscience melded and reinforced by Jesus Christ and how he acted and\or how he treated other people (this is what I call "taking Christ out of the Christadelphian"). As we focus solely and wholly on him as our "forerunner", he (as well as we are as an extension) was and is a physician to an ailing world. The ailing world in his time was the Jewish world and in our time is Gentile. But he treated everyone respectfully and without bias as long as they pursued this path of healing (themselves and others). His respect was more in this order (to step back and see the big picture of the Gospels): His Disciples, the Jewish People, the Samaritans, the Gentiles, and lastly, the ruling class of Jews who had developed a "Club-Like" mentality that had little to no Biblical foundation (maybe hiding behind a few doctrines) unless it fit their current political needs to rid an adversary. Jesus became that adversary in his day because his mission was not to lift up the so-called leaders but make them servants (even eliminate their jobs or traditional ways of worship Jn. 4:20-24). Jesus came to criticize and reveal "The Club" for what it really was. Jesus would not walk "their path". That's why they sought to kill him (reflect on Stephen's last response-Acts 7:51-60).
Of course, in "The Club" stoning is not prohibited today, "Blackballing" has become more "socially acceptable". As one might say, it does "narrow the playing field". Please excuse the sarcasm for a moment but we must...
Do We Have Clubs?
Face it. At least in the South we do (I will not provide boundries). How do we compare and how can we be accepted?
In our Organized Religion (call it "denomination" if you will), no one can really be accepted unless being part of "The Club" {or in Jesus' time = "The World" i.e. The Jewish World}. Not to stereotype but "The Club" is defined and can overlap into at least 4 categories of acceptance:
Classification A - The Hunting, Sports Attending, Blood of the Covenanter's (sometimes associated with the Katakrima Club)
A white, middle-class, gun-toting, shoot anyone that may break into my house, Puritanical, looking for a witch hunt, meet on Sunday for 3-hours and not associate the rest of the week for fear of someone finding-out who you really are, wanting to find some respect out of life by feeling that you are important for speaking in front of a small group(Let me again preface for clarity and identification, "Not all but those who in person agree fully but soon as you leave find a reason to gossip about you - very, very sad!") of socially dysfunctional, "Un-Christlike" misfits {Don't even think about "spinning" Jesus into this somehow!} {Websters: a person poorly adjusted to his environment; Biblical Supposition to "misfit" (normally out of context): Stranger & Sojourner, "Love not the world", "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are"; Biblical Correction to "misfit": 1Co 9:19-22 :"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."} for 45 minutes straight, one-time a year, and the list could go on, and on, and on...Is your Conscience bothering you yet? ooooo! I forgot one: "Armchair Christadelphians". Sorry if it sounds a little familiar to Matthew 23.)
...Note: Some of the remaining "Classifications" may include some of the previous qualities mentioned in Classification A.
Classification B - The Self-Proclaimed Eggheads Club
...like someone can't read history, match-it-up, and remember & recall what you've read...Give Me A Break!
Classification C - Those Controlled by their Wives Club
...I don't want to even go down this path because This Club disappoints me so much...
Classification D - The Clearly Unstable Club
...so you think getting angry, losing your cool, exploding in business meetings is Christ-like and the method of getting your way. It does seem to be working! By the way, parents call this a temper tantrum.
...Note: The above four classifications really enjoy leading others "their way" and are summed up in these words: "For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men:...For you shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men. For you neither go in, nor do you allow those entering to go in....For you compass sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. "
Classification E - The Silent Majority but Sensible Club
This Club can normally be broken-down into the "Elder" Brothers (those who can reflect back more than 35 years) by experience and patience wait for the others to grow up. Others who fall into this group are those who portray the correct Christ-like spirit while the previous group(s) mentioned does "their thing".
"The Skinny" is this...Do we think that these "Classifications" are isolated to just our "Organized\Disorganized Religion"? We shouldn't flatter ourselves. For the multitude of people I talk to about what, who, and how they worship, the same "opportunity" (a Wal-Mart'ism) hovers and looms in all because we are individuals and our pride wants everyone to be "just like us". Biblically, "Same Mind and Same Mouth" doesn't mean that we look the same, like to do the same things, or even the same desire or mental capacity to be drawn and comprehend the scriptures the way everyone thinks one should (thus, we have a regiment of "Bible Readings" which solely is a mechanism to force ourselves to read).
You see, Brothers and Sisters, all of this "hubbub" is about our self-perception of the "Christadelphian Identity and Conformity": i.e. what we think the ideal Christadelphia would be like and literally forcing others to conform to it.
Here's My Appeal...Be Yourself As God's New Creation!
As I and reflecting back, you may feel that you've really never fit into this particular "way of thinking" but you've "forced yourself to fit" for acceptance. It could be that we've grown to emulate a person or others around us instead of being our own self. It's a subtile and easy (2 Cor.11:3) trend to fall into (Even serious dog-owners seem to change their expressions to look like their dogs! Only kidding!). But seriously, we don't want to become "manufactured" or "tape recorders" of someone else 1) for acceptance, or 2) it's easier than looking deeply into the scriptures and\or searching ourselves. For lack of words, we can become hybrids of other's habits or personalities to which the Apostle Paul asks us to deter from in the first chapter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:12-15) (The Apostle himself even took a "time-out" from conferring with men {Gal.1:12-16} to determine what and how this "revelation" meant to him personally).
Maybe this adapting to be like others and\or social adaptation is just the "Nature of the Beast".
Brother(s) or Sister(s), this is my appeal to you. You have been called individually and for a specific reason (i.e. individual parts of the body which correspond to the doctrines and behavior of Christ). Being part of the body is to use your talent to what it is intended for; not letting "the forced to fit in" change your individuality "in Christ" or stifle your "growth" (Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection). It's never too late to search yourself and engage into what you've been called for. Maybe (just maybe), we (individually) should re-think our "individual belief system" especially if it is solely based on 1) Knowledge without Spirit; 2) Fear and Hate instead of Faith and Love; 3) Sin Retention instead of Sin Forgiveness (1 JN. 4:18,1 JN. 3:14; 1 JN. 2:12).refer to Dyron's line of thinking on "Purity". The Question: (Be Honest) Who are you emulating? (we'll get more into this in upcoming articles)...
Back to Fear...
In the case of this Fear (as mentioned)(this particular Fear is a Phobia having nothing to do with Reverence), I had to ask myself, "In all that I'm staying away from, is what or anything that I'm doing or not doing (Consciously) furthering "The Cause of Christ"? Is my Conscience (of Christ) telling me to do more? Have I sold all I have and followed him? Have I laid treasure upon earth?
The Apostle Paul Says:"So run (for you Brother Dyron), that ye may obtain." ref. Rom. 9:16; 1 Cor. 9:24, 26; Gal.2:2; Gal.5:7; Phil.2:6; Heb.12:1. The emphasis is not sitting back and waiting for things to happen (or hiding our talents in the earth).
Today's Conclusion...
So you see (maybe not; but we will)...Conscience is more than just "Objecting" to something. Is has to do with also "Accepting" (like what we're supposed to be doing because we are purchased) and also possibly "Rejecting" like Jesus rejecting the temptation in the wilderness (explain it as you will). First and foremost, Conscience has to do with what you "know" about Jesus and Jesus the Christ. Conscience involves you AND the "other person" (Conscious). Conscience is Automatic, NOT, Thought-Out. Conscience (used New Testament only-used 29\30 times)in discipleship is only Good. A Conscience can be evil or seared. NT Conscience is solely regulated (though automatic) by a 24 x 7 recognition, relationship, memorialization of what God has done in his creative acts (old and new) and what Jesus has done, is doing, and will be doing (HB. 13:8) FOR US. Completely engage in his life and crucifixion - take up Your Cross and Follow him. This is a good start on Conscience. Lord Willing: we will continue our series on Conscience (Independent of my feelings and sarcarsm).
1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment. He who fears has not been perfected in love.