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Thirdly, if we are praying this prayer

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that we might grow in graciousness;

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in grace, we are praying

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that we might progress 
in conscientiousness.

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That is, in responsiveness

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and obedience to our own consciences.

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Because God has placed that monitor

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in our minds,

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and it reproves us when we do wrong,

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and it encourages us when we do right.

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Well, how is it with your 
conscience and you tonight?

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How are things between you

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and that monitor; that voice of God?

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You know there are many consciences,

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and in Thomas Boston's words,

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they're too persnickety.

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They condemn what 
God's Word doesn't condemn.

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We must educate that conscience.

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Does the Bible condemn blood transfusions?

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For example.

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And there are other consciences

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and they let anything pass.

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They let pass what God's Word condemns.

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They are less sensitive 
than they should be.

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They are much too broad; much too open.

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So, we must always bring our conscience

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under the light of the Word of God.

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You know the Puritan illustration then

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of the sundial?

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And the sundial will work

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if it's at the right angle,

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and in regards to the light of the sun.

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But on a bright moonlight night,

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you can go out to your garden

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and you can look at a sundial,

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and there will be a shadow -

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a moon shadow.

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And it will give you the 
totally wrong reading.

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Because it's not a moondial,

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it's a sundial.

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And so there is the conscience

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of the cannibal.

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And there is the conscience 
of the abortionist.

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And they are not living in accord

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with what the Word of God

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who created the conscience gives to us.

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Now, let's suppose that you have

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an enlightened conscience.

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Let's suppose that you have

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the full light of God's Word

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on your conscience then.

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Are you carefully obeying it

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when you are emotionally disinclined?

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When you're lying on the floor

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in despondency and sulking

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and unhappy because your worst fears

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are being realized?

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When you're in the depth of depression

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and self-pity,

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and there's a duty that 
you have to attend to?

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It's a duty. It's very unpleasant.

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It's very demanding.

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Do you do what your conscience tells you

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that you should do?

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Do you have the maturity 
to stand on your emotions

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and reject them

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in the face of their reluctance

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and aversion to attend to

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what God commands us?

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There's no greater peril 
in the Christian life

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than to make our emotions

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the touchstone of our duties.

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And time and again, we have to

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pick ourselves up off the floor

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of discouragement,

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and say I have a duty,

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and I know this is right,

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and I'm going to do it.

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Or again, let me ask you,

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are you conscientious about small things?

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Because there most of all,

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Christians are tested.

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We don't have huge sacrifices to make,

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but every day, there are many

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little duties that you 
know have to be done.

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And we have to pay careful attention

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to matters of detail,

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because our Lord,

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He commends people

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who are faithful in little things.

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And so often, we are losing the battle

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in little things.

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It might seem to you

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not a big issue to be in prayer meeting

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on a Wednesday night there.

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It might not seem a big issue

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to be in Sunday nights of church.

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A small thing.

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It might seem just a little thing

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to ignore writing a letter to someone

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to say thanks for all your kindness to me.

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Certain things.

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But we must make conscience, then,

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if we are going to grow in graciousness,

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our conscience - we respect it.

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Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.