(February 8, 2026)
“I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” (Acts 24:16)
Here are a couple of questions that have come to my mind this past week: “What is a God-Conscience?” And “How can I attain it?” I believe these are great questions and are worth meditating on. As I prayed and meditated on these questions, this is what came to mind.
First, having a God-consciousness is having our affections, desires, and minds set on the Lord. One must seek out what God loves and hates (Eph. 5:10). As Isaiah was praising the Lord he wrote, inspired by the Spirit of God, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:3-4). When our minds wander to places, they shouldn’t go, we must reel them back in by “casting down arguments and every high thing [imagination] that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
We will only have a God-conscience if we are truly in love with Him. Jesus said, “love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength” (Matt. 22:36-38). Whatever or whoever is important to us will sit on the throne of our hearts, driving our thought life. Here are a few examples, but not limited to, if one loves sports, cars, hunting, fishing, etc. These things are what that person will talk about the most because that is what is on his heart. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). I am not saying these things are bad, but I am saying if these things are above our Lord Jesus, then they are idols, and we must repent and give them their proper place. Jesus demands to be on the throne of our hearts (Luke 9:23-27; Luke 14:26-27).
Secondly, Paul tells us how we are to attain a God-consciousness. He writes, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:5-6). First, to be spiritually minded is to be born again (Rom. 8:7-11). You cannot have a God conscience if you have not been born again because “the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Second, to be spiritually minded is to be Scripturally minded! To set our minds on the Spirit is to set our minds on God’s word, because, as Augustine of Hippo said, “Where Scripture speaks, God speaks.” Paul told young Timothy to stick to the “Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise” (2 Tim. 3:15). He goes on to say, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). All Scripture is inspired by the Spirit of God, therefore, we must let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16) because Scripture is the mind of Christ written by the Spirit of God.
If we are going to be Scripturally minded, we are going to need to start by praying for it (1 John 5:14-15). Next, we will need to prepare our hearts (Ezra 7:10). We will need to get rid of sin in our lives (1 Peter 2:1). D. L. Moody said, “Sin will keep us from our Bibles, or our Bibles will keep us from sin.” Lastly, we will need an appetite and desire for it (Matt. 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2).
After Moses died and the gospel torch was passed on to Joshua, God commissioned Joshua, “To not let the Book of the Law depart from his mouth but [to constantly be in it] to meditate in it day and night, that you may [obey] observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and have good success” (Joshua 1:8). This is still relevant for today! If we are to be successful and prosperous in everyday life, relationships, and ministry (Psalm 1), we are going to have to live, obey, and share God’s word with others. Charles Swindoll was asked by students, while he was president of Dallas Theological Seminary, “Why do you always carry your Bible?” His response was golden. He stated, “Because I have nothing good to say. People don’t need to hear what I have to say but rather what God has to say.” We must tell people what God is saying from His word, and not give our opinions.
Clearly, we have discovered that if someone is to have a God-consciousness, we must truly be in love with the Lord Jesus and His word. Both King Jesus and His word are alive (Luke 24:5-7; Heb. 4:12). How one can say “I love Jesus” and not be in His word is a great mystery to me! Jesus is the Word, and the Word became flesh (John 1:1, 14; 1 John 1:1-3; Rev. 19:13).
Finally, our culture is in great need of biblical thinking. John MacArthur stated, “The Bible leaves no doubt that people’s lives are the products of their thoughts.” Solomon wrote, “So a man thinks, so is he” (Pro. 23:7). Paul says, “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Phil. 4:8). May the Lord increase our love for Him and His word that we would have a more sensitive consciousness towards God.
May we be found in Christ,
Heath Benfield
Living Letters 
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