https://youtu.be/Oz_mmp7peC4
“In All Good Conscience”
Acts 22:23-23:11
Twice in this brief section Roman law comes to Paul’s aid. Paul declares his Roman citizenship sparing him from a Roman flogging. The flogging consisted of a scourge- a fearful instrument of torture consisting of leather throngs, weighted with rough pieces of metal or bone and attached to a stout wooden handle. If a man did not die under the scourge (which frequently happened), he would certainly be crippled for life.
Paul is then taken before the Sanhedrin- the ruling court of the Jews where he begins to explain his position and is struck by the high priest for claiming his “good conscience before God”, which seems to Annias the height of arrogance, even blasphemy.
Paul calls the high priest a “whitewashed tomb”, basically saying he is a hypocrite. As soon as it is revealed to Paul that he spoke harshly to the high priest, he repents quoting Exodus 22:28, “do not speak evil about the ruler of your people”
Paul then spies the room and sets the Pharisees against the Saducees stating the reason for which he is called into question- the resurrection
This triggers further arguing and becomes so violent for the third time the commander had to rescue him.
The violence of the last two days and the enmity of the Jews must have made Paul wonder anxiously about the future. There seemed little prospect of him leaving Jerusalem alive, let alone traveling on to Rome. In his moment of discouragement Jesus comforts him with a straightforward promise that as he had borne witness to Him in Jerusalem, he must also bear witness to Him in Rome.
What can we learn from this?
Paul had a good conscience before God.
“conscience”- Greek moral consciousness, moral awareness
A good conscience involves an inner freedom of spirit that comes when we know God is not offended by our thoughts and actions.
A good conscience is listed in Scripture as one of our essential weapons for a successful spiritual life and ministry
2 Corinthians 1:12 New King James Version (NKJV)
12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in [a]simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.
1 Timothy 1:18-19 New King James Version (NKJV)
18 This [a]charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Repentance is not only one time thing- we are to maintain a repentant heart, routinely acknowledging sin and seeking God’s grace and mercy in the midst of our daily mistakes. This is not meant as a means to secure our salvation, but to keep our heart clean and pure daily before Him.
The Bible teaches the need for Repentance, referring to the repentance from dead works and a life lived apart from God. This is what is referred to as cleansing. “the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin”. It acknowledges we are sinners and in need of God’s mercy to avoid the penalty of sin, which is eternal death and separation. This is a unique kind of repentance that only the Holy Spirit can produce in the heart of an unbeliever
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Then, there’s a daily repenting, referring to regret or sorrow over when we are convicted of a sinful behavior. This is also a work of the Holy Spirit to produce a sanctifying process in our lives in order that we might become more and more Christ-like. This is the process of sanctification which for our lifetime.