Is it God's voice

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   Doc Youngposted 9 years ago

   Is the conscience the Holy Spirit?

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      Sed-meposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I do not believe so. But here's an interesting, corresponding story.
      
      "Some thirty years ago there resided in one of the Temples of Thibet a Buddhist priest who had conversed with no Christian missionary, had heard nothing about the cross of Christ, and had never seen a copy of the Word of God. One day while searching for something in the temple, he came across a transcription of Matthew's Gospel, which years before had been left there by a native who had received it from some traveling missionary. His curiosity aroused, the Buddhist priest commenced to read it, but when he reached the eighth verse in the fifth chapter he paused and pondered over it: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Although he knew nothing about the righteousness of his Maker, although he was quite ignorant concerning the demands of God's holiness, yet he was there and then convicted of his sins, and a work of Divine grace commenced in his soul. Month after month went by and each day he said to himself, "I shall never see God, for I am impure in heart." Slowly but surely the work of the Holy Spirit deepened within him until he saw himself as a lost sinner; vile, guilty, and undone.
      
      After continuing for more than a year in this miserable condition the priest one day heard that a "foreign devil" was visiting a town nearby and selling books which spoke about God. The same night the Buddhist priest fled from the temple and journeyed to the town where the missionary was residing. On reaching his destination he sought out the missionary and at once said to him, "Is it true that only those who are pure in heart will see God?" "Yes," replied the missionary, "but the same Book which tells you that, also tells you how you may obtain a pure heart," and then he talked to him about our Lord's atoning work and how that "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." Quickly the light of God flooded the soul of the Buddhist priest and he found the peace which "passeth all understanding." Now what other book in the world outside of the Bible, contains a sentence or even a chapter which, without the aid of any human commentator, is capable of convincing and convicting a heathen that he is a lost sinner? Does not the fact of the miraculous power of the Bible, which has been illustrated by thousands of fully authenticated cases similar to the above, declare that the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, vested with the same might as their Omnipotent Author?"
      http://biblehub.com/library/pink/the_di … f_gods.htm

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      1. 60

         Doc Youngposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         ... why do you believe it is not ...

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      bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      No, conscience is a bit of preprogramming by God, which while man can seek to suppress, defile or sear it, they cannot eliminate it completely.  Unlike the indwelling of the  Holy Spirit, everyone has a conscience:
      
      Romans 2:14-16 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
      
      The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, indwells believers at the point of salvation and is the mark of that transaction: 
      
      Ephesians 1:12-14 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

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         Doc Youngposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         ... it would seem then conscience and preprogramming are the same ... a knowledge of right and wrong ... a directing force which may be ignored by man ... the Holy Spirit ...

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            bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            My previous response highlights the differences.  All are at one point drawn by the Holy Spirit, but once rejected He may not even be a further influence in thier lives.  For those born again of the Spirit He is a ready help and guide, a constant presence.
            
            Conscience, although written by God, can be ammended by men if they strive against it.  There is a big difference between having a bit of default instruction you find easier to ignore the more you try to do so, and having an ever present mentor and guide living within you.

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               Doc Youngposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               ... i'm going to have to disagree with your premise due to the wording ... i am hoping your response does not mean God gives up on folks at some point in life .... but the item that is most distressing is the use of the words "having a bit of default instruction" ... though the word conscience does not appear in the OT, an instructing and directing "spirit" is found in many situations in hundreds of passages ... i do believe we agree on the indwelling of the Spirit ... and i suspect we would agreement the Holy Spirit came upon folks in the OT for special works ... however, based on the words and works of God in the OT and the varied reactions of folks addressed, it seems the word "conscience" by definition might very well be the word unbelieving man has chosen in time past, to replace and therby nullify God's directing voice ... and it caught on ...

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   Sed-meposted 9 years ago

   That. ^

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