Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.
-Acts 23:1
How do we live our lives "before God in all good conscience?" What is it God requires of us?
In the book of Micah we read, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).
Do justice… love kindness… walk humbly….
Pretty simple. Jesus summed up the whole Bible with these words, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… (and) love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39).
Love is the core of the Christian message; love for God, love for others and love for ourselves. We are most like Christ when we love. We are the greatest reflection of the Father when we love. Jesus said, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
Love exposes un-love. Notice what immediately follows Paul's statement: "'Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.' And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth" (Acts 23:1-2). Religion, devoid of love, is ugly.
When we are honest before God, he exposes the un-love in us. He doesn't expose in order to condemn. Not to punish. But to remove it, and free us to love; Him… others… ourselves. It is this process of honesty before God - the openness, exposing, cleansing and freeing - that allows us to live "before God in all good conscience."
Never confuse conviction with condemnation. God convicts with a purpose to restore. Condemnation is not from God; its source and purpose are destructive. Paul writes, "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).
Jesus said, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36). We have been set free. Free from condemnation - by God or others. Free to love. Free to live "before God in all good conscience."
God, thank you for setting me free.
For now...
D
