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Reisingerismsfrom The Role of the Conscience John G.

Reisinger John Bunyan Conference2012


Adam did not have an operative conscience. He did not need one. He may have been given a conscience when he fell or he may have had a conscience that was awakened at the fall. Before sin came into the world there was no need for an approving and disapproving ministry of conscience. Only one man, Adam, could bring sin into the world. Adam could only bring sin into the world by breaking one specific commandment, eating the forbidden fruit. When Adam ate the fruit in deliberate, conscious disobedience, he knew sin and shame for the first time. When the law sees sin, it must whip out a sword and that sword cannot be sheathed until it tastes bloodeither yours or Christs. As long as the Old Covenant was in force, conscience could not be satisfied. The conscience could not be satisfied until either (1) a perfect obedience was brought to the Law covenant, or (2) an acceptable sacrifice that fully paid for our sin was brought to the altar. The sinner could bring neither a perfect life of obedience nor an acceptable sacrifice. Our Lord brings both. There was no atonement before Calvary. There was a temporary covering of sin that brought relief for a year, but eternal redemption, awaited the cross. The blood of animals could not atone for sin and satisfy the conscience. Our conscience cannot be satisfied until we are sure that God is satisfied with us, and we can never be sure we are perfectly acceptable to him until we see ourselves robed in Christs righteousness. Every lamb that was slain under the Old Covenant was an I owe you, and Jesus picked up and paid every I owe you at the cross. The Old Covenant believer was saved on credit. The Old Covenant believer was just as saved as we are and he was just as eternally secure as we are, but he had no way of knowing it. The Day of Atonement brought assurance of forgiveness for one year, provided there was no open breaking of the covenant.

The Old Covenant believer did not sit in his tent and study the notes in a Scofield Bible or Larkins prophetic notes nor did he sit in his tent studying the WCF or John Murrays excellent book, Redemption Accomplished and Applied. P.S. Likewise, the Israelite did not chew gum in total disinterest when Aaron went into the Most Holy Place. He was vitally interested in what Aaron was doing because it involved his acceptance with God. The Israelite did not grin and says, This has nothing to do with me, I am already eternaly secure. He waited with baited breath to see if Aarons intercessory work would be accepted. In his conscience, he viewed his salvation as up for grabs, even though he was as secure as we are today. Under the Old Covenant every Israelite, whether he was saved or lost, was loved by God, chosen by God, redeemed by God, called by God, but most of those loved, chosen, redeemed and called individuals perished in their sin and belief. This point is vital! Conscience is used by parents, spouses and even friends, to control others. God does not motivate us by guilt but by grace. This is one of the primary differences between Covenant Theology and New Covenant Theology. Covenant Theology seeks to bind the conscience with the Law and we seek to free the conscience from the Law and bind it to Christ. False guilt is just as real and powerful of true guilt when it is wedded to the conscience. Even God cannot forgive false guilt. The only person who can remove guilt is the person who laid the guilt on you. If Mama or Daddy laid the guilt on you, only Mama or Daddy can take the guilt off of you. The price you pay to get rid of false guilt is turning your conscience over to the person who laid the guilt on you and becoming their slave. A legalist preacher demands this price from you. Whoever controls the conscience controls the person.

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