Tues., 8/6/13 Devotion (Acts 24:16)

Today's encouragement comes from Paul's words, found in Acts 24:16:

"This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without of-fense toward God and men."

God's people ought to do everything in their power to faithfully please Him; and, in so doing, to not unduly offend men either. Sometimes this is impossible. Doing what God commands *will*, in some cases, offend people. In those cases, it is always best to honor God, and let sinners be upset about it.

The rule for the church to go by is this: faithfulness to Christ is *al-ways* in *every* human beings' best interest, (even though the unre-generate do not realize, nor accept this). Let us seek to keep our con-sciences clean, by walking by faith in Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Truth is truth, and error, error, and that which is unlawful is unlawful, whether men think so or not." --Richard Sibbes, in, "The Bruised Reed"]