Tuesday, August 6 (July 24), 2024
1Cor. 6:20-7:12; Mt. 14:1-13

When Herod heard a rumor of Lord’s miracles, he supposed right away: this is John the Baptist risen from the dead [Mt. 14:2].  He could, of course, suppose just anything ─ but he did not think of anyone else except St. John.

Who has given his thought such a direction?  His conscience.  You cannot hide your sins from it, you cannot appeal its judgment.  When Herod beheaded St. John he assumed his right to do that, and no one denied it, but his conscience spoke out, and he could not suppress its voice, ─ so he was afraid of St. John.

We are aware of quite a few similar cases where a sinner is pursued by his conscience which graphically shows him his sin to a point of persistent apparitions. Thus, we have to acknowledge that there a voice inside us which is not ours.  Who does it belong to?  To God Himself.   As He has created us in His image, He also has given us the voice of conscience.  And if it is God’s voice, we must obey it ─ for creature may not disobey the Creator. 

This voice is telling us that God exists, that we depend on Him entirely and, therefore, ought to have a reverent fear of God; having that fear, we ought to do His will, pointed at by our conscience.  This is the word of God, engraved in us; we read it and put it into action.  And we see that people of all nations at all times hear this voice and obey it: they believe in God, listen to their conscience, and look for the life of the age to come.

Only recently has it come into vogue to ignore this voice.  Those who do that claim to be “natural scientists”; however, as we have just seen, there is something profoundly unnatural about their doctrine.

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