I (continually) THANK GOD: Charin echo (1SPAI) to theo:
(See Torrey's Topic
for excellent cross references on the healthy spiritual discipline of "THANKSGIVING").
I thank God
- Paul lived in a state of continual attitude. And so in a style that so
characterizes this great apostle, once again he breaks into a chorus of
thanksgiving. What is the
context?
Where is Paul as he gives thanks to God? Incarcerated
like a criminal (for preaching the gospel) and most likely in a dark, damp, dungeon
(see description of ancient prisons in following paragraph) and yet still
enabled (by the Spirit and amazing grace) to manifest a heart attitude of gratitude,
counting it all joy (cp Acts 5:41) and rejoicing that the Lord had given him the
privilege of knowing and discipling his beloved Timothy.
Thank -
This is actually 2 words in Greek, and could be literally rendered
"having" (echo) "grace" (charis). The
present tense
pictures Paul's
continual attitude of thankfulness. Gratitude should not be an
occasional incident but a continuous attitude for a saved sinner, for we
are are objects of God's grace and it is only fitting to let Him be the
object of our gratitude.
Even in the darkest of
circumstances Paul was able to find things to thank God for. He
practiced what he preached to commanding the saints at Thessalonica
in everything
give thanks
(present
imperative = make
this your habitual practice) for this is God's will for you in Christ
Jesus. (see note
1Thessalonians
5:18).
Are you
in dark, dreary "prison like" circumstance
today? Have you tried giving thanks to God for His grace, mercy and peace
in Christ Jesus? Remember that "God's giving deserves our thanksgiving."
When an attitude of gratitude is absent
from our heart, joy will not be far behind in departing.
On the other hand, joy thrives in the soul offering thanksgiving.
Let us pause to think of what God has done, and then we will find that
we always have cause to thank Him.
In thanking God, we fasten upon His
favours to us; in praising and adoring God, we fasten upon His
perfections in Himself. - Matthew Henry
Thanksgiving is good but
thanks-living is better. - Matthew Henry
It is only with gratitude that life
becomes rich. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It ought to be as habitual to us to
thank as to ask. - C. H. Spurgeon
How worthy it is to remember former
benefits when we come to beg for new. - Stephen Charnock
Prayer without thanksgiving is like a
bird without wings. - William Hendriksen
Thankfulness is a flower which will
never bloom well excepting upon a root of deep humility. - J. C. Ryle
We are the objects of God's grace;
let Him be the object of our gratitude.
Harper's Bible
Dictionary gives us some insight into what Paul's physical
circumstances may have been like....
"Prison Conditions: Despite various
efforts to promote reforms, conditions in ancient prisons were often
harsh. Most prisoners wore chains; their feet might be shackled, their
hands manacled or even attached to their neck by another chain, and
their movements further restricted by a chain fastened to a post. The
existence of laws prohibiting chains that were too short or too
restrictive indicates that jailers sometimes employed such practices.
The very word ‘chains’ became a synonym for imprisonment. Some prisoners
were also kept in wooden stocks, devices to restrain the feet, hands, or
even the neck of an individual (see Acts 16:24). Prisons often were very
dark (see Isaiah 42:7); the inner area of the prison mentioned in Acts
16:24 was probably without windows. Although solitary confinement was
known, prisoners generally were kept grouped together, accused and
condemned, men and women alike. Overcrowding was not infrequent (Isaiah
24:22). Prisons often had poor air circulation, a lack of hygienic
facilities, rats and vermin, and food of poor quality. Unscrupulous
guards might at times use the withholding of food or even outright
torture to extort money from prisoners or their relatives. Although
various rulers, especially in Roman Imperial times, struggled to prevent
such abuses, the quality of prison life largely remained the
responsibility of local officials, and conditions undoubtedly varied
considerably from place to place." (Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row, P.,
& Society of Biblical Literature. Harper's Bible dictionary. San
Francisco: Harper & Row)
And yet, despite such dismal,
depressing conditions, Paul was filled with a spirit of thanksgiving to
God! May his tribe increase!
><>><>><>
After
one of the terrible battles of the Civil War, a dying Confederate
soldier asked to see the chaplain. When the chaplain arrived, he
supposed the young man would wish him to beseech God for his recovery;
but it was very different. First the soldier asked him to cut off a lock
of his hair for his mother, and then he asked him to kneel down and
thank God. "What for?" asked the surprised chaplain. "For giving me such
a mother. Thank God that I am a Christian. And thank God for giving me
grace to die with. And thank God for the Home He has promised me over
there." And so the chaplain knelt down by the dying man, and in his
prayer he had not a single petition to offer, but only praise and
gratitude.—Christian Herald
WHOM I (continually) SERVE: ho latreuo (1SPAI):
Serve
(3000)
(latreuo
from latris = one hired or latron =
reward, wages) means to work for reward, for hire or for pay, to
be in servitude, render cultic service. Latreuo was used
literally for bodily service (e.g., workers on the land, or slaves), and
figuratively for “to cherish.”
In the NT the idea
is to render service to God, to worship, to perform sacred services or
to minister to God in a spirit of worship (in fact in the NT uses below,
note several passages clearly associate worship with serving.)
Serve
in this verse is
present tense
which emphasizes the unbroken habit of Paul's existence was that of
ministering and serving God in a spirit of worship.
Latreuo
is found 21 times in the NT (see
uses below)
and is translated: offer service (1), serve (15), served (1), serving (1),
worship (1), worshiper (1),worshipers (1).
In the
non-apocryphal Septuagint latreuo describes the service of the
priests. The service/worship as in the NT uses in some contexts refers to worship of idols
rather than
God. There are over 100 uses of latreuo in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Ex 3:12; 4:23; 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3, 7f, 11, 24, 26; 12:31;
20:5; 23:24f; Lev 18:21; Num 16:9; Deut 4:19, 28; 5:9; 6:13; 7:4, 16;
8:19; 10:12, 20; 11:13, 16, 28; 12:2; 13:2, 6, 13; 17:3; 28:14, 36, 47f;
29:18, 26; 30:17; 31:20; Josh 22:5, 27; 23:7, 16; 24:2, 14-15, 18-22,
24, 31; Jdg 2:11, 13, 19; 3:6f; 2 Sam 15:8; 2 Ki 17:12, 16, 33, 35;
21:21; 2 Chr 7:19; Ezek 20:32; Dan 3:12, 14, 17f, 28; 4:1; 6:16, 20, 26;
7:14)
In secular Greek latreuo meant to work for wages,
then to serve without wages. It originally referred
predominantly to physical work then later was used more generally.
Vine adds that
latreuo, and its corresponding noun latreia,
originally signified the work of a hired servant, as distinguished from
the compulsory service of the slave, but in the course of time it
largely lost that significance, and in its usage in Scripture the
thought of adoration was added to that of free obedience.
John MacArthur
explains that latreuo
might best be translated “to render respectful spiritual service.” True
worship goes beyond praising God, singing hymns, or participating in a
worship service. The essence of worship is living a life of obedient
service to God. “Do not neglect doing good and sharing,” exhorts the
writer of Hebrews, “for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Heb 13:16
see note). True worship involves every aspect of life. (MacArthur,
J. Philippians. Chicago: Moody Press)
Latreuo
can therefore convey either the
idea of "worship" or "service" and
frequently appears to mean both which suggests that "service"
cannot be separated from "worship."
Many Christians desire
to "worship" the Lord on Sunday but are too busy to "serve" Him at other
times. The New Testament knows nothing of this dichotomy. On the other
hand notice that the order in Scripture is first “worship” and
then “serve”. Acknowledgment of God Himself must have precedence
over activity in His service. Service to God derives its effectiveness
from engagement of the heart with God. Any true
worshipper of God is also a servant, ready to do his Master's bidding,
discharging his or her priestly duties.
Anna the prophetess
exemplifies latreuo in action for even though she was
a widow ... age of
eighty-four...she never left the temple, serving (latreuo) night
and day with fastings and prayers. (Lu 2:37)
How did she "serve"? "Fastings and prayers"!
From Anna's example, one can see
how the serving aspect of latreuo readily overlaps
with the idea of worship.
Paul's introduction to the Romans
conveys a similar nuance:
For God, Whom I serve in my
spirit ("with my whole spirit" Amp) in the preaching of the
gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of
you. (See note
Romans 1:9)
God pleasing and
God honoring service calls for total, unreserved commitment on the part
of the worshiper. Paul served God with everything he had, beginning with
his spirit, for God is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth.
MacDonald
comments on Paul's latreuo that
It was not that of a religious drudge (to do hard, menial, monotonous
work), going through endless rituals and reciting prayers and liturgies
by rote. It was service bathed in fervent, believing prayers. It was
willing, devoted, tireless service, fired by a spirit that loved the
Lord Jesus supremely. It was a flaming passion to make known the good
news about God’s Son." (MacDonald,
W., & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
Writing to the Philippians Paul warned them to beware
of the false circumcision (probably Judaizers who wanted to add works to
faith) declaring
we are the true circumcision (Romans
2:28; 2:29 see
notes
Ro 2:28;
2:29), who worship (latreuo - rendering sacred service and obedience) in the Spirit of God
(true worship is supernatural, in the power of the Holy Spirit and not
through prescribed physical rituals, cf Isaiah 29:13) and glory
(kauchaomai = boast with exultant joy about what one is most proud of -
35/37 uses of this word are by Paul) in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in
the flesh (sarx = man’s fallen, unredeemed humanness which
pictures human ability apart from God). (Philippians 3:3 see
note)
Here we see worship (latreuo) is supernatural
(prompted by the Spirit), not prompted by culture, fear, tradition,
desire for popularity, etc. and goes beyond praising God, singing hymns
or participating in a worship service. The essence of worship
associated with latreuo is living a life of obedient
service to God.
The writer of Hebrews asks
(If
the ashes of a heifer had such power to cleanse from one of the most
serious forms of outward defilement) how much more will the
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself
(voluntary, self-offering) without
blemish (spotless - perfectly righteous, sinless , perfectly and
voluntarily obedient to the Father’s will) to God, cleanse
your conscience (the superior nature of Messiah’s
sacrifice is seen in its deeper effect. While the Levitical ritual
accomplished only formal ritual expiation, and left the inner man
untouched, the sacrifice of Messiah reaches the very center of the moral
and spiritual being of the individual thus doing its work where only an
eternal spirit can do it) from dead works (the character
of the works done by the individual is changed in that before salvation,
the sinner did so-called "good works" in the strength of his own sinful
nature. They were dead works. After salvation has wrought its mighty
transformation within the individual, the good works are motivated,
empowered, and produced by the Holy Spirit and are, therefore, living
works produced by one who serves the living God) to serve (latreuo) the living God?" (see
note
Hebrews 9:14)
The blood of Christ frees men from lifeless works
(see discussion of
Good Deeds) -- Before salvation,
the sinner did so-called good works in the strength of his or her own sinful
nature. But they were dead works. After salvation has wrought its mighty
transformation within the individual, the good works are motivated,
empowered, and produced by the Holy Spirit, by the one who has the "Word
of Christ richly" dwell within them (Colossians 3:16 see
note). They are, therefore, living
works, most appropriate for serving (latreuo)
the living God.
"Therefore, since we receive (literally "are
receiving" = a continuous process) a kingdom which cannot be shaken
(asaleutos = immovable thus firm, unchangeable and enduring),
let us show gratitude (literally "let us be having grace")
(this great truth that we will never be taken from this
kingdom and it will never be taken from us should inspire fervent
worship and adoration), by which we may offer to (latreuo) God an
acceptable (euarestos = to be well pleasing = that
which God wills and recognizes) service (latreuo) with reverence
(eulabeia = caution, circumspection, discretion = internal
attitude of reverence toward) and awe (deos = timid
apprehension of danger; while another word for fear, phobos,
is the terror which seizes one when the danger appears. In a
primitive forest an undefined sense of possible danger possesses one and
makes his heart beat quickly at every rustle of a leaf. This is deos.
When a wild beast is distinctly heard close at hand, the deos becomes
phobos - thus deos has to do with the apprehension felt due to being in
God’s presence) for our God is a consuming (katanlisko
= consume wholly - God's anger burns against those who reject the
privileges offered in the New Covenant) fire." (see notes
Hebrews 12:28;
29)
Notice that our motive for
latreuo is gratitude...worshipful,
reverential, awe filled service should spring from a heart overflowing
with thankfulness. Dearly beloved, how would you describe your "latreuo"
before the living God -- living or dead works of worship?
Hodges
reminds us of this loyalty and allegiance of Paul to fulfill his sacred
duties:
Shut up in prison, cut off in a final way from active ministry, he
nonetheless finds the joy of the priestly ministry of prayer both in
praise (the sacrifice of praise) and in intercession.
One of our primary
tasks and privileges as believer-priests is that of going to God on
behalf of men, i.e., intercession. Paul took this priestly service
seriously.
><>><>><>
Here
are the 21 uses of latreuo in the NT. Observe several
associations with worship. Note the frequency in Hebrews. Note
that serving has a "negative" aspect (idols) but more often
the positive aspect of orientation toward God.
Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said
to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the
Lord your God, and serve (latreuo) Him only.'"
Luke 1:74 To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of
our enemies, Might serve (latreuo) Him without fear,
Luke 2:37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. And she
never left the temple, serving (latreuo) night and day with
fastings and prayers. (Observe: 1 - Frequency 2 - How she served)
Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is written, 'You
shall worship the Lord your God and serve (latreuo) Him
only.'"
Acts 7:7 "'And whatever nation to which they shall be in bondage
I Myself will judge,' said God, 'and after that they will come out and
serve Me in this place.'
Acts 7:42 "But God turned away and delivered them up to serve
(cp
Romans 1:9
below) the host of
heaven (idolatry); as it is written in the book of the prophets, 'It was
not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices forty years in the
wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? (Observe: Wrong worship.
God is jealous. He Alone is worthy and deserving of worship.)
Acts 24:14 "But this I admit to you, that according to the Way
which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers,
believing everything that is in accordance with the Law, and that is
written in the Prophets;
Acts 26:7 the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain,
as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O
King, I am being accused by Jews. (Observe: Frequency - cp Luke
2:37. Clearly this speaks of his lifestyle as was true of Anna in the
Luke passage.)
Acts 27:23 "For this very night an angel of the God to Whom I
belong and Whom I serve stood before me,
Romans 1:9 (note)
For God, Whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel
of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, (Observe:
How serving manifests itself)
Romans 1:25 (note)
For they exchanged the
truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served (cp Acts
7:42 above) the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed
forever. Amen.
Philippians 3:3 (note)
for we are the true circumcision, who worship (latreuo) in the
Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the
flesh, (Observe: Worship in Spirit and truth - cp John 4:23, 24)
2 Timothy 1:3 (note) I
thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my
forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and
day (Observe: What makes serving/worship acceptable? Note again
the phrase "night and day"? What is he saying about one's lifestyle?)
Hebrews 8:5 (note)
who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses
was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "See,"
He says, "that you make all things according to the pattern which was
shown you on the mountain."
Hebrews 9:9 (note)
which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and
sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper (verb is
used as a noun - note again the
present tense
speaks of one's lifestyle) perfect in
conscience,
Hebrews 9:14 (note)
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from
dead works to serve the living God? (Observe: Condition of
real worship, in spirit and truth - a clean conscience. What is the
implication for us before we begin to "worship" on Sunday mornings? Do
we not need to confess and seek clean hands and pure heart? cp Ps
24:3-4. Is this a common practice in churches today?)
Hebrews 10:2 (note) Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered,
because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have
had consciousness of sins?
Hebrews 12:28 (note) Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be
shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an
acceptable service with reverence and awe; (Observe: A lofty
motive to stimulate genuine worship. We are "practicing" for eternity
future!)
Hebrews 13:10 (note) We have an altar, from which those who
serve the
tabernacle have no right to eat.
Revelation 7:15 (note) "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and
they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on
the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them. (Observe: Even
in eternity, our "lifestyle" is to be one of continual worship/service!)
Revelation 22:3 (note) And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne
of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall
serve Him; (Observe: And some say heaven will be boring! They either have not
read or do not understand this verse!)
WITH A CLEAR
CONSCIENCE: en
kathara suneidesei:
(Acts 23:1; 24:16;
Ro
1:9 -
see note; Ro
9:1
- see note;
2 Co 1:12; 1Ti 1:5;19; Heb 13:18)
With
is really the Greek word "en" usually translated with
English "in" and here it conveys the idea that the
spiritual sphere IN which his worshipful service was
offered was in the "atmosphere" of a completely cleansed
conscience.
Clear
(2513) (katharos) describes
that which is clean,
pure, clear, in a natural sense unsoiled, unalloyed
and free of adulterating matter and then that which is free from moral
guilt. So a "katharos"
conscience
is one that is free from sin and guilt, from
every admixture of what is false with the result that it is
sincere, blameless and unstained.
Conscience
(4893)
(suneidesis
is derived from
sun/syn = with +
eido = know) literally means a "knowing with", a co-knowledge with oneself
or a being of one's own witness in the sense that one's own conscience
"takes the stand" as the chief witness, testifying either to one's
innocence or guilt. It describes the witness borne
to one's conduct by that faculty by which we apprehend the will of God.
Suneidesis is used 30 times in
the NT (2x Acts;3x
Ro;7x
1Co;3x
2Co;4x
1Ti;1x
2 Ti;1x
Titus;5x
Heb;3x
1Pe)
(See Torrey's Topic "Conscience")
(Click
here for more notes on on this website on "conscience")
Webster defines "conscience" as the sense or
consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s own
conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation
to do right or be good.
The Greek noun
Suneidesis is the exact counterpart of the Latin con-science,
“a knowing with,” a shared or joint knowledge. It is our awareness of
ourselves in all the relationships of life, especially ethical
relationships. We have ideas of right and wrong; and when we perceive
their truth and claims on us, and will not obey, our souls are at war
with themselves and with the law of God
Suneidesis is that
process of thought which distinguishes what it considers morally good or
bad, commending the good, condemning the bad, and so prompting to do the
former and avoid the latter.
To have a
"clear
conscience"
does not mean that we have never sinned or do not commit acts of sin.
Rather, it means that the underlying direction and motive of life is to
obey and please God, so that acts of sin are habitually recognized as
such and faced before God (1Jn 1:9)
A "clear
conscience"
consists in being able to say that there is no one (God or man) whom I
have knowingly offended and not tried to make it right (either by asking
forgiveness or restoration or both).
Paul wanted Timothy
to have no doubt that he endured his present physical afflictions, as he
had countless others, because of his unswerving faithfulness to the
Lord, not as a consequence of unfaithful, ungodly living.
So as Paul neared his death, he could testify that his conscience did
not accuse or condemn him. His guilt was forgiven, and his devotion was
undivided. To continually reject God’s truth causes the conscience to
become progressively less sensitive to sin, as if covered with layers of
unspiritual scar tissue. Paul’s conscience was clear, sensitive, &
responsive to its convicting voice. Click on the books below to study
the NT picture of conscience.
Kenneth Osbeck
writes that...
The conscience has been
described as the “rudder of the soul” or the believer’s “principle
within.” One of the prime responsibilities of Christian living is to
keep the conscience clear as to the things of God so that we might live
worthy lives before our fellowmen. But the conscience must be
continually enlightened and developed by an exposure to God’s Word if it
is to serve as a reliable guide for our lives. A conscience that is
allowed to become hardened and insensitive to sin will ultimately lead
to spiritual and moral disaster. We must allow God to develop our
consciences and then our consciences are able to develop us. (Osbeck,
K. W. Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions.
Kregel Publications)
I Want a Principle Within
by Charles Wesley (Play
hymn)
I want a principle within of watchful, Godly fear,
A sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near.
Help me the first approach to feel of pride or wrong desire,
To catch the wand’ring of my will and quench the Spirit’s fire.
From Thee that I no more may stray, no more Thy goodness grieve,
Grant me the filial awe, I pray, the tender conscience give.
Quick as the apple of an eye, O God, my conscience make!
Awake my soul when sin is nigh and keep it still awake.
Almighty God of truth and love, to me Thy pow’r impart;
The burden from my soul remove, the hardness from my heart.
O may the least omission pain my reawakened soul,
And drive me to that grace again which makes the wounded whole.
Conscience is the
judgment which we pronounce on our own conduct by putting ourselves in
the place of a bystander. (Adam Smith)
John MacArthur
writes that...
In 1984 an Avianca Airlines jet
crashed in Spain. Investigators studying the accident made an eerie
discovery. The "black box" cockpit recorders revealed that several
minutes before impact a shrill, computer-synthesized voice from the
plane's automatic warning system told the crew repeatedly in English,
"Pull up! Pull up!"
The pilot, evidently thinking the system was malfunctioning, snapped,
"Shut up, Gringo!" and switched the system off. Minutes later the plane
plowed into the side of a mountain. Everyone on board died.
When I saw that tragic story on the news shortly after it happened, it
struck me as a perfect parable of the way modern people treat guilt--the
warning messages of their consciences.
The wisdom of our age says guilt feelings are nearly always erroneous or
hurtful; therefore we should switch them off. But is that good advice?
What, after all, is the conscience--this sense of guilt we all seem to
feel?
The conscience is generally seen by the modern world as a defect that
robs people of their self-esteem. Far from being a defect or a disorder,
however, your ability to sense your own guilt is a tremendous gift from
God. He designed the conscience into the very framework of the human
soul. It is the automatic warning system that cries, "Pull up! Pull up!"
before you crash and burn.
The conscience, Puritan Richard Sibbes wrote in the seventeenth century,
is the soul reflecting upon itself. Conscience is at the heart of what
distinguishes the human creature. People, unlike animals, can
contemplate their own actions and make moral self-evaluations. That is
the very function of conscience. (See
John MacArthur's full article "The Conscience Revisited")
Conscience is a
dainty, delicate creature, a rare piece of workmanship of the Maker.
Keep it whole without a crack, for if there be but one hole so that it
break, it will with difficulty mend again. (S. Rutherford)
The Christian can
never find a “more faithful adviser, a more active accuser, a severer
witness, a more impartial judge, a sweeter comforter, or a more
inexorable enemy.” (Bp. Sanderson.)
Conscience in
everything: — Trust that man in nothing who has not a conscience in
everything. (Sterne)
Conscience makes
cowards of us; but conscience makes saints and heroes too. (J.
Lightfoot)
Conscience is a
marvelous gift from God, the window that lets in the light of His truth.
If we sin against Him deliberately, that window becomes dirty, and not
as much truth can filter through. Eventually, the window becomes so
dirty that it no longer lets in the light. The Bible calls this a
defiled, seared conscience...Do you keep a clean conscience? It is a
part of your inner being that responds to God's truth. When you sin, the
window of your conscience becomes dirty and filters out truth. Avoid sin
in your life and live with a clean conscience. Every day feed yourself
truth from the Word of God. (Wiersbe, W: Prayer, Praise and Promises: Ps
51:3-6)
Hurt not your
conscience with any known sin. - S. Rutherford
Conscience
is that faculty in me which attaches itself to the highest that I know,
and tells me what the highest I know demands that I do.
When there is
any debate, quit. There is no debate possible when conscience
speaks.
Once we assuage
our conscience by calling something a “necessary evil,” it begins to
look more and more necessary and less and less evil. - Sidney J. Harris
Conscience is
God’s spy and man’s overseer. -John Trapp
A good conscience
and a good confidence go together. -- Thomas Brooks
Conscience is a small, still voice that makes minority reports.
-- Franklin P.
Jones
Conscience is also what makes a boy tell his mother before his
sister does.