PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

In Acts 24:16 Paul said, "Because of this I also exercise myself to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men." It is imperative that we learn to exercise to have a clean and pure conscience. If our conscience is full of impurities, the proper relationship with God will have no container. Hence, it is also our responsibility to train up our children with a view to developing their consciences to live without offense toward God and man. In the excerpts from the ministry of Witness Lee that are the contents of this issue of Parenthood, we read, "Today even the academic circles are full of lies. Teachers cheat their students, and students deceive their parents. Every place is full of lies. This is the case among the young people in particular. Even young people who are Christians tell lies both at home and in school. They think that it is very difficult not to tell lies. This is the reason why they have no progress in the faith."

The Bible warns us: "in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, not lovers of good, traitors, reckless, blinded with pride, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..."-2 Timothy 3:1-4. The consciences of men will have become hardened to such a degree that they have lost their function. Because of this, we are told elsewhere that men will become "like animals without reason" (Jude 10).

"The lowest point of the fall is that man has to be ruled by other people. If a wife has to be ruled by her husband, a husband has to be ruled by his wife, and the children have to be ruled by their parents, then this proves that they are fallen to the uttermost.... Many people are truly saved, but sadly, many Christian wives still deceive their husbands and tell lies in front of their children. This is not the proper manner and conduct of a Christian. If a Christian is thoroughly saved, he should be saved from this kind of condition."

Our personal conduct and the teaching of our children must match. "Lord, work in us to live a life void of offense to God and man and to train our children to live in the same way."

Acts 24:16 says, "Because of this I also exercise myself to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men." Second Timothy 1:3a also mentions, "I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers in a pure conscience." Acts speaks of "a conscience without offense," while 2 Timothy speaks of "a pure conscience." Moreover, 1 Timothy 1:19 says, "Holding faith and a good conscience, concerning which some, thrusting these away, have become shipwrecked regarding the faith." Verse 2 of chapter four mentions, "By means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, of men who are branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron." Ephesians 4:19 also says, "Who, being past feeling [conscience], have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness in greediness." These verses show us the importance of the conscience in a Christian's living.

A Christian who wants to grow in life must do three things: first, thoroughly confess his sins before God; second, carefully deal with his sins before man; and third, consecrate himself to God absolutely. If the saints are willing to take these three things to the Lord and practice them in a serious way, they surely will have progress in life. However, if they only take these words as doctrines, they will not receive much help from them....

Moreover, after a Christian has thoroughly confessed his sins, carefully dealt with them, and consecrated himself to God, he also has to deal with his conscience. This is the necessary pathway for a Christian to take. After we confess our sins before God, deal with our sins before man, and consecrate ourselves to God, we will immediately have a feeling deep within us. This feeling is not merely a realization in our mind, but a feeling in the depths of our being that we have to deal with our conscience and obtain peace in our conscience. Therefore, it is extremely important to know the origin, the position, and the function of the conscience.

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