NEED FOR FAITH

35. How may a test of faith result because of our being conscientious about our employment?

³⁵ True, to strive for a clean conscience before God and to recommend ourselves to the consciences of others may require some major changes in our lives. Employment that does not conflict with our consciences may be difficult to obtain. This places a test on our faith in God’s power to come to our aid in response to our conscientious efforts to please him. With good reason the Bible closely ties in faith with the matter of conscience. (1 Tim. 1:5, 18, 19; 3:8, 9; Heb. 10:22)

At the same time we should realize the futility of debating all the minor ramifications or possible applications of any one Scriptural principle or trying to draw fine lines of demarcation and thereby set up a Talmudic code as to precisely what is allowable and what is not. In instructing Timothy as to his ministry in Ephesus, Paul wrote: “Really the objective of this mandate is love out of a clean heart and out of a good conscience and out of faith without hypocrisy.