Do You Hear A Whistle?

Most cars today have a wonderful feature. Whenever you forget to turn off the headlights, a shrill warning goes off the minute you open the door. Although you may not like its jarring sound, it has a very useful purpose, it saves you from—a dead battery. Our conscience can work like that. When we we get off on the wrong track as we're traveling the road of life or tempted to, our conscience blows a whistle. It's a sign that the Holy Spirit is either convicting us or warning us before we do. If we do wrong, the jarring feelings from our conscience are meant to lead us to repentance. When we confess and repent, God forgives and clears our conscience.

The apostle Paul knew what it was to have a bad conscience. In I Timothy I:13, he wrote, " I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man but I obtained mercy." He received the mercy of Christ's forgiveness, faith, and a good conscience. He charged young Timothy to fight the good fight and maintain his faith and good conscience. Paul said that some had rejected these, and spiritual shipwreck was the result (vv. 18-19). Be thankful if you have a good conscience when you're on the wrong track. When it gives you a warning whistle, pay attention so your life don't end up in a spiritual train wreck! Then fight to preserve your faith and keep your conscience clear. That jarring sound is there to help keep you on the right track and stay in fellowship with God.

Our conscience is a gift from God,
It is a guiding light:
And when aligned with His sure Word,
It tells us wrong from right. --