The Unknown Part of the Human Anatomy

Excerpts from the Sermon by Lester Roloff

Our subject today will be what I call the “unknown part of human anatomy.” This word is practically unknown and unheard of in America today. It is something that I need and that you need. And brother, you better guard it, or you are sunk. I’m talking about your conscience.

I grew up in a time when people lived by the old farmer’s saying, “A man’s word is as good as his bond.” That was back in the day when you hardly had to sign a note. They said, “Your word is good enough for me.” If we were the right kind of Christians, nobody would ever have to sign a note, except maybe just for legal records or posterity’s sake.

I’ve heard stories—and perhaps you have too—about congregations that gained a reputation for being the most honest people in the community. If one of their members didn’t pay a debt, the church would get together and raise the money. They would tell him, “Take this money and pay that debt. And don’t take out anymore that you can’t pay.” That was the level of conviction that people used to have—when honesty was nearly taken for granted because of the power of the conscience. But it isn’t that way anymore. Turn with me please to the book of I Timothy:

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. –I Timothy 1:5

God gave you your conscience. It is God’s monitor on the inside. There is no substitute for your conscience, and that is why guarding it is so important. You can’t let your conscience be your guide if you aren’t aligning it with the Word of God and guarding it by the Spirit of God. We can’t allow our conscience to get covered up by twisted teaching, evil communications, ugly thoughts, lack of Bible reading, or lack of prayer. That’s how moral judgment gets warped. And then when the conscience speaks up, you don’t have a Bible backbone to stand up.

That is our problem in this country. People haven’t lost their conscience; they’ve just seared it with a hot iron (I Timothy 4:2). It doesn’t work anymore. They’ve run out of oil, and their spiritual pistons are burnt out. The conscience is seared, and they can’t do right. The final stage is a reprobate mind; that’s the danger. The man who reads everything but the Bible and watches everything but Heaven is a man that will wind up with the reprobate mind.

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, Who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. –I Timothy 1:12-13

There is nothing that will make a man more ignorant than religion. Paul was an ignorant (but intelligent) religious leader. He was a member of the Sanhedrin—a smart and promising young rabbi. And yet he was ignorant. He didn’t know Jesus. Ignoring Jesus makes anybody ignorant.

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting. –I Timothy 1:15-16

Paul left a trail behind him that we pick up and follow every time we read his mail. Think of the millions that have read the Book of Romans and have been saved. That is why Paul obtained mercy: to give us the pattern of a cleansed conscience (Hebrews 9:14).

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck. –I Timothy 1:18-19

Paul wanted Timothy to become a great warrior in the faith, and that required a great conscience. You can’t become a man of great conviction like Paul without a cleansed conscience. And our nation will never survive without a revival of the conscience. The Church has forgotten the power that God’s Word has over a darkened conscience. Turn with me to John chapter 8, please. This chapter has been renewed in my life. This is the great love episode, and it sheds light on the unknown part of the human anatomy.

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? –John 8:3-5

They were digging for dirt that day. The Pharisees and scribes wanted to accuse Jesus, and they thought they had found the perfect opportunity. They told Him, “Now we’re orthodox. We get our doctrine straight from Moses. And we just want to know how straight You are.”

This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not. So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.’ And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. –John 8:6-8

Now watch this close: Jesus wrote in the sand two times. My personal prediction is that His first message in the sand was a merciful message. I believe He made one more appeal for somebody to have some mercy and love and discover the joy of being a soul-winner.

They had brought her to the Savior, and it was time to let Jesus get to work. But that bunch of hard hearts and leather necks—that sorry bunch of hypocrites… They just continued asking Him, “What about the law?

What about the law? Are you going to stay with the law?” That was when He finally responded, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). Then He stooped down a second time and penned a sermon in the sand. Let’s see just what happened while He was writing.

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. –John 8:9

These people still had a conscience left, didn’t they? Now to the question of what He wrote in the sand. Do you suppose He wrote their sin in the sand? Whatever He wrote, I believe it proved that Jesus knew about their dishonest operation. He was ready to expose the whole shooting match, “I know exactly where you found her. I know which one of you was with her. If y’all don’t want mercy, then you’re going to get judgment.” He might have written their sins in the sand. And, brother, they dropped their stones and headed out.

The words of Jesus pricked their conscience that day. God’s Word did the work. Maybe Jesus wrote out the words of Isaiah: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). It was the Word of Jesus, carved into their hearts, that moved them. He gave them enough of the Word of God in that sand to give them an opportunity to repent.

Now, it would have been a fine thing if they had all just knelt down right there and said, “Dear Jesus, she doesn’t need You any more than we do.” Fact is, some of them at one time might have been guilty because they had firsthand evidence. They knew right where to find her. They knew how to catch her, and they brought her to condemn her. That all changed when Jesus’ words touched their old conscience.

But did you know that a man can be convicted without being converted? Did you know that you can sit there and be convicted of your sin—all your sins flashing in front of your face—and yet never be willing to surrender? That is why your conscience has to be fed. And it has to be fed on this Book right here. There’s no other food for the conscience. Your conscience has to keep its communication system going—between you and the Lord. And your conscience must be exercised. Your conscience has to express itself in helping others, giving, sharing, loving, and thanking people.

And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men. –Acts 24:16

How is your conscience today? Is it keen and clean— alert and pure? Or has it been seared by the fires of lust and filth? Have you become dull and void on the inside— mechanical in your worship? Do you come to church only because you’re supposed to? It’s only the fool that thinks of the rule all the time. Brother, you will fulfill every rule when you are full of Christ. Jesus stopped that stoning party the same way He would stop it today—with His Word. Do you know what will stop you from being critical and ugly and always condemning someone else? Do you know what will stop you? The Word of God will stop you. God’s Word will make you unload your hypocritical pockets of the stones of criticism. God’s Word stopped the stoning party, and it should stop us today.

When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, ‘Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?’ She said, ‘No man, Lord’. And Jesus said unto her, ‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. –John 8:10-11