Genesis 3:8-21
Monday, 21 December 2020
Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid….” (Genesis 3:9-10 NLT)
In Genesis 2:16 -17, Adam received a command from the Lord to freely eat of every tree of the garden except the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam carefully heeded to these instructions in obedience and respect for the Lord’s command until the Fall. The relationship with the Master was cordial when obedience was evident in both Adam and Eve in
their actions.
But afterwards the tempter came into their lives to persuade them to succumb to his deception. When the Lord called out to Adam, His response was “I heard you in the Garden, I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked.” The voice of his conscience was clearly audible to him; he could not resist this. The Conscience is the faculty within each person that approves or condemns his/her actions, attitudes, etc.
Adam realized his nakedness, but does not identify himself with the sin, instead he put the blame on the woman (and indirectly on God); like-wise Eve also put the blame on the serpent. They all played the “blame game,” without going straight to the point— “we have sinned against you Lord! Please help us out of this mess.” Most of the time when the voice of our conscience speaks, we may feel convicted, but most often attached to it is the “blame game”- someone else is made responsible for the condition we are in! A husband who slaps his wife over a simple misunderstanding and blames her for his sinful act, is just like Adam who ate the fruit and blamed God for the woman he gave him.
There are several ways in which our conscience may speak to us- one of the most powerful is through the authority of God’s Word. In Adam and Eve’s situation, it was God himself that was present. In our time He has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to bring conviction and convict us of our mistakes and disobedience through the voice that speaks from within us through His Word with a deeper conviction.
When we take responsibility for our actions after hearing the convicting voice of the conscience, we serve the Lord more effectively than he who plays the blame game. After Adam and Eve played the blame game they were asked out of the Garden and it cost them a lot. The same applies to us when we refuse to submit to the convicting voice of the Word of God and of the Holy Spirit and act appropriately as the Lord demands.
Let us take time to look within ourselves: Have there been acts of disobedience to God or His servants who serve God’s purpose on earth? Have you been challenging/disrespectful to your parents, or those in authority? Have you used words of slander/anger that caused the downfall and destruction of someone?
Then take a moment and listen carefully to the voice of your conscience. Don’t rely on false security to talk your way, in and out of issues; but listen to your godly conscience. When the conscience speaks, it’s our duty to submit to the Master’s will and desire for our lives, by admitting the truth. Hebrews 9:14(ESV) says: “-how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
Prayer: Lord God, May Your Word and Spirit guide my conscience in the right path. Amen.