Before you begin this study, How we sear our conscience, please consider the following instructions:
Be sure to fill in all blanks in this study, answer all questions, and read all suggested Scriptures. Use a King James Bible. If you don’t have one, see our Materials section to order one or click on the following link for an online King James Bible: https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/index.php
- Comment on the graphic at the left. What do you think it is representing?
- Review “When did Adam and Eve Die?” Was (1) Adam deceived or (2) did he willfully and knowingly partake in sin in direct disobedience? Review Genesis 3:17 _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Contrast this decision with Eve’s. Did she willfully and knowingly, in direct disobedience, disobey with the same depth of disobedience exhibited by Adam? ____________ Review I Timothy 2:14 “… but the woman being deceived …”
- If we sin in ignorance, are we held accountable? ____________Why or why not? _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Consider First Timothy 2:14 “… but the woman being deceived ______ in the transgression.” See also Romans 1:20: “… so that they are without________________.”
- How likely are we to sin in ignorance?
”But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so ______________ should be _______________________________ that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3 Notice that Paul continues to help us understand that there will be those who preach and tell us things which are alien or opposed to what is written in the Bible. “For if he that cometh ___________________________, whom we have not preached, or if ____ receive another __________, which ye have not received, or another _______________, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians 11:4
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into __________________________, and ______________ the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 4
This is what man does when he claims that “grace” covers sin so that he somehow THINKS he is given permission by God to continue in it.
- What does Paul fear about our beliefs that we get from others who don’t preach Biblical Truths? (See highlighted phrase above in 2 Corinthians 11:4.) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The word “if” tells the reader that it could happen; that even though saved we could be beguiled!
That being true, IF we sin in willful disobedience and not out of ignorance, what should we do?
______________________________________________________________________________
How can we help ourselves to not be deceived about sin? “____________ to shew thyself approved unto God, a ___________________ that needeth not to be ashamed, ___________________ dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
“______________ ye therefore, and ________________________, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19 What is the condition for our sins to be blotted out (paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ)? ___________________________
See also Psalm 119:11 and why we are told to hide the word in our heart: “… that I might not _______ against thee.”
REPENTANCE
- The word repent is recorded 46 times in the Bible; repentance, 26 times with untold numbers of other times where this act of turning from sin and to the LORD are recorded both directly and indirectly. Thus, we’re told that it’s impossible for a person to remain in a state of sinful disobedience to the Word of God and be saved. It’s an oxymoron—a contradiction. It’s whosoever committeth [that includes both the “saved” and the lost]—an on-going, sinful lifestyle or heart attitude. We must not be deceived. Desire, good works, and good intentions do not save us. It’s our “acts” of faith that prove what is in our heart. The eth on the end of a verb tells us this means an ___________________ action. It’s important to notice there is a difference between committing something once and repenting from it and “commetteth” an on-going sin repetitively.
We have our part: repentance; and God has His: sanctification through the washing of water by the Word and remission—blotting out our sins via His shed blood. “That he might ______________ and ________________ it with the washing of water by the _________” Ephesians 5:26 The LORD does expect, require, implore us to diligently study the Bible like a workman. No one else can do this for us. We must DO “this work” ourselves; and, of course, we must apply (do) what the Bible tells us to do .
“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish __________________
righteousness, have not submitted __________________ unto the ______________________ of God.” Romans 10:3
- We are not told that God directly commanded Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit. The Scripture records that God told Adam. Thus, it is likely that the knowledge of God’s will came from her husband. However, even though the information was secondhand, it was true and authoritative and to what she would be held accountable. From the information we have that God has chosen to share with us, it would appear that Adam may have added to God’s prohibition, not only that they were not to eat of the fruit of the tree, but that they were not
to touch it. If that were true, then Eve did not lie when she responded saying to the serpent: “… We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, ______________ ye ___________.” Genesis 3:2-3 God told Adam: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, __________ shalt not eat of it: for in the day that ________ eatest thereof thou shalt _______________ die. Genesis 2:17
- Did Adam have free will or did God make him to sin because He had a plan to come to this earth and shed His own blood as a remission for our sin debt? ____________________________________Paul warns “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with _______________________.” Acts 20:28
The Conscience, WHY?
Or is it not more plausible that God knew that man, on his own behalf, cannot live a pure, untainted life, even in a perfect world (which was the case with Adam and Eve)—that he would make decisions that would be harmful and destructive to himself, his family members, and others?
God put in place a special gift, our conscience.
The LORD gave man a mind and a conscience—to think for himself and to make free-will decisions. The conscience was designed to be an internal “watchdog” to direct man to righteous living. It, however, does require spiritual training. This conscience becomes seared and marred because man has a natural desire to create his own righteousness—his own code of what is right and wrong.
Often times, we think we are too busy to study the Word and thus become trained by man’s doctrines and lifestyles instead of what the recorded Word of God says. The former input restructures the conscience and, when that happens, it gives wrong signals (thoughts) to us. Our mind becomes deformed—seared as God so vividly pictures.
How this searing happens:
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall ____________ from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their __________________ with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:1-2 Notice people can and do depart from the faith. You cannot depart from something of which you were never a part.
Study the image of the blue fabric. Fabric seared with a hot iron becomes unusable and usually “unredeemable.” Natural fibers such as cotton, wool, linen, and silk will scorch different shades of dark brown. If the fabric is from a synthetic fiber, such as acetate or polyester (that in the referenced image), will become hard and rippled—totally ruined instead of soft and supple.
God’s word are so exact. He is here, through the penman, giving a dynamic picture that many miss as they don’t understand the LORD’s incredible visual graphic through each precise word recorded here used to depict the depravity of what happens to man’s mind without God.
Those who don’t understand the above facts about fabric and a hot iron miss much of this rich, vital teaching. The pictured fabric cannot be restored by man. Likewise, without the intercession of the Holy Spirit, there is no hope of recovery when a man lets his mind become controlled by the world rather than shaped by the righteousness of the Word.
- Adam had unrestricted freedom on the earth, except for the free-will choice to eat or not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God gave him dominion over the earth: “And God said, Let us [the Godhead] make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them _______________________________ over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26 God brought the animals that He had made to Adam and let him name everything. Adam was brilliant and walked closely with the LORD; yet, he let pride overtake his conscience.
- Eve, for whatever the reason may have been, listened to another (the serpent) who with his “charisma” “beguiled” her. They both ate and disobeyed God—a lethal decision. Adam did not have to be persuaded by Eve. It’s not recorded that she pleaded with him to eat of the fruit. Neither did Adam plead with Eve to not eat of the Tree. We are given the simple, sad facts: “And when the woman ______ that the tree was good for food, and that it was _______________ to the eyes, and a tree to be ________ to make one _________, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and ________________.” Genesis 3:6 Adam choose to identify with Eve (and the serpent) rather than God, even knowing God very clear and exact warning: God told Adam: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, __________ shalt not eat of it: for in the day that ________ eatest thereof thou shalt _______________ die. Genesis 2:17 God had clearly told Adam the repercussion of rebellion (SIN): It was death. Oh, woe unto us when we do the same with the Word of God! The “wages of sin” is the same for us as it was for Adam and Eve: “For the wages of ________ is _______________; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
WHAT SIN IS ALL ABOUT
Adam loved what his wife had chosen more than he loved God. That’s what sin is all about: loving our self or someone or something more than God. When we make choices that go against what is recorded in the Bible, we, too, show to whom or to what our love really belongs.
Adam (and Eve) sinned before they committed the physical act as do each of us when we become embroiled in rebellion against the Word of God. Consider the following verses: “Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he ___________ in his ___________, so is he …” Proverbs 23:6-7
“ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the __________ his mouth speaketh.” Luke 6:45
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed ___________ with her already ___________________. [THEREFORE BEWARE] And if thy right eye offend thee, _________________, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And ______ thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into ________. Matthew 5:28-30
Review your comments on the graphic at the beginning of this study. Does it now have more meaning?
Revise your analysis if necessary.
BECOME A DISCIPLER OF OTHERS
Share this teaching with others. Get together with one or more others and lead a Bible study using this as your guide. We EACH have a part in sharing the gospel with others. No one needs a degree in theology or a license as a pastor to teach others the gospel of Jesus Christ. Write us if you have questions.
