A Hilarious Conscience

S

(Hebrews 13:18) Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.

O

Through the wonder of God's grace to us through the cross, it is possible to have a clear conscience. He defined it positively, not merely purged of his sinful history, but repositioned on the right path, facing the right direction. The real-time test is in the intent--the desire and the fully committed attempt--to act honorably in all things. In this request for prayer, Paul concluded his letter. He harmonized God's redemptive purposes of suffering and faith: In life's deep contradictions, convictions, and crises, God gives us freedom to define, even (to a degree) re-create ourselves.

A (Personal)

A clear conscience is almost frightening in its exhilaration. To be exhilarated is to be intensely gladdened, cheered; to the point of being hilarious. That's the result of receiving the Good News that Jesus' blood purges us of our sins. The frightening part of this is that after having been cleansed by Jesus' blood, I might move from that cleanness to mistakenly thinking that whatever I do, thereafter is right and good. No wonder Paul requested prayer support. Through prayer, we open the commerce between God's thoughts (reality) and ours (murky at best).

A (Psychological)

Narrative therapists tell us that we are interpreting beings: we constantly seek meaning in our daily experiences. We make sense of our lives by creating stories and plots that link particular events in particular sequences across a period of time. Life, then, becomes mediation between the dominant stories (sometimes these are imposed on us from outside influences) and the alternative, lesser appreciated stories of our lives (that might actually be more valid). To tell a particular story, certain events from the present and past are selected and explained so as to fit with the meanings that we hold. In doing this, certain events are selected and privileged; others that don't seem to fit are untold and unrecognized. These exceptions become less visible. All the complexities and contradictions of life become simplified into simple names and descriptions. Biographers of Chairman Mao and Hitler, for example, assert that these grossly destructive people believed they were altruistic. How crucial it is, therefore, for us to allow God's Word to "have free course" in our lives--to read us as we read it, as well as to be respectful of the people who speak into our lives so that we see more than just our stories of ourselves (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5).

P
Lord, I have walked in the ways of my heart and according to the sight of my eyes--but not always by a well-informed faith in You. I understand that You hold me accountable for what I do with my life (Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:13,14; Isaiah 55; Hebrews 9:26-28). Thank You. Thank You, too, for purging my sins. Help me, today, to live cleanly and confidently before You, in Your grace.