When we continually ignore the Holy Spirit’s check in our spirit, our conscience becomes seared or insensitive. 1 Timothy 4:2. Ephesians 4:19 uses the words past feeling. That is scary. Here is a verse that makes me tremble. 

Psalm 106:15 says, “And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.” There is never anything worth receiving leanness or wasting away. We are called into abundance. John 10:10b. Ephesians 1:8 Amplified says of His grace, “Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence).”

Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Luke 4:4 Amplified says, “…Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone but by every word and expression of God.” The Holy Spirit often leads us through little nuances that we will miss if not attentive to His still small voice. 1 King 19:11-13.

Paul wrote in Acts 24:16, “…I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” The Greek word for strive means to train, practice, and exercise. How do we maintain a clear conscience?

We strive to remain open to, and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. I love to visit Acts 16:6-10. Paul was very attentive to the Holy Spirit. Even though he sought to do something for the Lord, he was blocked by the Holy Spirit. Verse 6 says that they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit. In verse 7 He did not permit them. 

Paul, by example, charged his son in the faith. In 1 Timothy 1:4 he told him to not give heed to things that were not edifying. Verse 5 says, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.”

The Greek word for fornications is porneia. Habakkuk1:13 says of the Lord, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness…” I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to check you next time you pick up a book to read, start to watch a movie, or read something online.

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 says, “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” 1 Peter 1:15 says, “…be holy in all your conduct.”

Character that exemplifies the Lord is evident behind closed doors as well as in the open. The message and the messenger are the same. Moral excellence starts in the heart with our thoughts. 

Titus 1:15 says, “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.”

We learned a chorus in Sunday School years ago. It went like this: be careful little eyes what you see…be careful little ears what you hear…be careful little hands what you do…be careful little feet where you go. There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love…Timeless truth.

Our hidden sin may not be seen by others, but the Lord knows all our thoughts even before we think them. Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” These sins defile those around us.

Matthew 5:28 says, “…whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Proverbs 6:33 says of the adulterous man, “Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away.” David beheld Bathsheba and a domino effect of sin followed.

The opposite of abstain is to indulge, behold instead of walking away, and embrace instead of fleeing. 2 Timothy 2:22 says, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. A body of believers is as strong as its weakest member. 1 Corinthians 12:14 says, “For in fact the body is not one member but many.” When I broke my foot, it affected everything I did.

When a member of the body of believers indulges in sexual immorality, it affects everyone in the fellowship. Paul went on to exhort the believers in Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians 4:6 says, “That no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.”

When I was a teen, we talked about knowing the will of God for our lives. It seemed to be something we had to figure out. Yet the Bible clearly defines what the will of God is. Here are two. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Proud folks are not thankful. 

1 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality.” In Matthew 15:19 there is a list of things that proceed out of our heart.

Also James 1:18 says, “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

The moment we think that we are being humble ~ we aren’t. Unobtrusive means: not conspicuous or attracting attention. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Humility is a heart attitude that exemplifies itself through our inner character, tone of words, and body language. We never see a humble person with their nose in the air.

Paul wrote to the church in Philippi about this. Philippians 2:3 says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

Heart obedience exemplifies the Lord. Verse 8 says, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself…”

Those who walk in heart obedience, walk under a canopy of grace. Heart obedience acknowledges Who is in charge. Paul saw himself as the Lord saw him ~ a bondservant of Christ. 

I had messaged a pastor in the Ukraine that I follow and pray for. I typed out my prayer. He immediately answered to pray for safety. He was traveling two hours to another city to hold an evangelism seminar. It had just begun to snow. Days before they were in white out blizzards. I again wrote out my prayer, but in it was “canopy of grace.” Those three words captured my heart as I had never heard them before.

We walk under a canopy of grace when we are living a lifestyle of humility. I really appreciate the way the Amplified says it. James 3:13 says, “Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his (good) works with the (unobtrusive) humility (which is the proper attribute) of true wisdom.” Wisdom from above is willing to yield. James 3:17.