Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 12/9/2009

Question
Hello! Thank you for your time.

My question has to do with when to trust my conscience ad how to determine if it is the LORD who is speaking to me or if it is just my mind.

As far as I know, GOD definitely speaks to us through our consciences.  John MacArthur says our conscience is a tool given to us by GOD similar to a compass that we should not ignore.  But I have been running into problems with mine and am not sure if I can fully trust mine sometimes.

As a quick intro, I was saved 4 years ago.  Now about 3 years ago I met some Witnesses from the Watchtower organization and began studying with them.  Almost immediately they introduced some of their doctrine which was completely foreign to me, but it seemed to make sense.  After much prayer and research I began to feel my conscience was telling me to become a Witness.  Now I did not become one, simply because I was afraid of what my friends and family would think, but I felt deep inside like GOD wanted me to.  I often asked for forgiveness because I felt like I was not doing what the LORD wanted me to do.  After a while I cut off my ties with them and just put trust in what a few fellow Christians were telling me to do, and i have no more association with them.

So this is one reason why I feel that I cannot trust my conscience.

And now when I feel like GOD is speaking to me, I don't know if I can trust what I feel.  For instance now I feel like GOD is telling me HE does not want me to exercise.  I am a 26 year old man who likes to be active and in shape, and to be feeling like this is very difficult for me to handle because I enjoy exercising.  Maybe 20-35 minutes a day on average, just to keep myself ya know?  But when I read about the rich young ruler who refused to give up his riches to follow CHRIST, I know I don't want to be like that.  And to be honest, i have been feeling like I have been gaining wisdom and perspective by not exercising, and trying to focus on the things above, not on this earth (Col. 3:1).  But I just feel like it just may be in my head.

SO if you can, please give me your perspective.  Maybe I just need to bounce my thoughts off fellow Christians and trust what they say when I am up in the air about something.

But GOD bless and I look forward to your response!!

Answer
Hi John,

Thank you so much for this great question!  It is true that our conscience CAN help us, but not all the time.  As a Born Again Christian you have a much greater tool than your conscience.  You have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  It is very dangerous to trust your heart alone.  The Bible warns us about making that mistake.

Jeremiah 17:9
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

1 John 3:20
20 For if our heart condemn us,  God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

You can check to see if you are being led of God, or just decieved by your heart by checking out your conclusions with scriptures.  The convictions you started to share regarding excersize have their base in scriptures.  This is how God leads and speaks to us today... through His word.  Read, study, memorize and meditate upon scriptures and then you will have a clearer understanding of the Holy Spirit's leading in your life.

Psalm 119:9-11
9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don