QT 22 May 16, 1 Tim 1:18-20, The danger of justifying sin for teachers

1 Tim 1:18-20 (RSV) This charge I commit to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophetic utterances which pointed to you, that inspired by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among them Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

NOTE: The issue here is that of rejecting conscience, but what does that mean? Our conscience is what reminds us of what is wrong. We know, but ignore its warnings. I believe the Holy Spirit works through our conscience reminding us of God's words and warnings. The two individuals mentioned here went much further than just rejecting their conscience through actions, for it sounds as if they were teachers (and in context would make sense) and that they were teaching behavior that would justify actions against what their conscience was telling them was wrong. In essence, they had justified their sin and now they were teaching others to justify it as well. I think a similar thing has occurred among believers who struggle with same sex lust. They are past the point of letting it bother their conscience. They have seared their conscience by continual sin. And lastly, they are teaching, from scripture, why they are right and it is not a sin. God calls sexual sin a sin against Him and against our own body. We know the truth. We need to act on what we know.