Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “Lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. 1 Corinthians 8:1‭-‬13 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.8.1-13.ESV We need a clean conscious. 1. To have Intimacy with God 2. To be successful in this life 3. To have unity in the church 4. For our mission in the world 5. To be able to live and die for what matters most. Conscience is your sense of what you believe is right and wrong. “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 1 Corinthians 10:23 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.10.23.ESV

Only Jesus has the perfect conscience. Our country needs to be calibrated by Him and His Word. We have to understand that our conscience has to be in alignment with God’s word and in tune with His Holy Spirit. Our goal needs to be humble and willing to learn from other views and to have selfless Love for other people.

Giving God our conscience is like a guide that the Holy Spirit has given to us if we have God’s word in us and are guided by His word. We realize our conscience needs a guard. Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:1‭-‬3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1ti.4.1-3.ESV

We have to really guard ourselves against insensitivity or against oversensitivity “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 1 Corinthians 10:23 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.10.23.ESV

Jesus is our only hope for a clean conscience. Jesus can and will take all your guilt away, because He forgives all sin. Past, present and future. After receiving the forgiveness of Jesus we will see what God wants us to do in this life by studying His Word. We strive to live it although our obedience will falls short of His full will.

This is why Jesus died on the cross to make up the difference between those two, our obedience, and His grace. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9.ESV

May the Lord help us to confess our sin continually. Don’t deny it don’t, don’t defend it. Then trust God’s grace completely. God’s faithfulness guarantees your forgiveness.

The Bible. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1‭-‬2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.2.1-2.ESV

God’s justice At The Cross makes possible complete cleansing of our conscience. Jesus wants to give us His Holy Spirit, so He can guide our walk in this life until the time we stand before Him in Heaven. 1. We need to always ask, What does the Bible say? 2. What does my conscious say?

These are notes and thoughts taken during the sermons by David Platt at Mclean Bible Church on 4/18/2021. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:1 ESV, 1 John 1:1 ESV, 1 John 1:1‭-‬2 ESV, 1 John 1:2 ESV, 1 John 1:2‭-‬3 ESV, 1 John 1:3‭-‬9 ESV, 1 John 1:9‭-‬13 ESV, 1 John 1:18 ESV, 1 John 1:22‭-‬23 ESV, 1 John 1:31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9-18.ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9-18.ESV