THE POWER OF PERSUASION

The Power of Persuasion
Toni M. Babcock

As to matters of conscience, it’s important we are led by the Spirit of the Lord and not necessarily persuaded by people. 

How often do we appease another human being instead of understanding it’s more important to please God than to live with the consequences of a bad decision?

The goal to keep in mind is a clear conscience. 

We don’t have the power to cleanse our conscience, only Jesus can do that — but we do have the responsibility to keep it clear. 

That won’t happen if we’re being led around indiscriminately by others who may not have our best interest in mind — because what might not be troubling to someone else might be terribly troubling to us, and that’s the sticking point.

The bottom line is, be led by the Spirit. 

God works in His own time and His own way in each individual life. 

So, when your desire is to acknowledge Christ’s Lordship in your life, don’t accept the label “legalist” when you are swimming against the tide of popular opinion on a particular matter of conscience. 

If we don’t judge others (and we shouldn’t) we should not allow them to judge our conscience either. God would have us stick with what He is telling us to do and keep our conscience clear.

Here is what the Word of God says on the subject of Christian liberty: 

“Everything is permissible”, but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up. No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person,” 
(1 Corinthians 10:23-24 CSB).
Toni M. Babcock is author of The Stone Writer, Christian Fiction for Young Readers and Teens and Reflections from the Heart, in Light of the Gospel of Jesus. Contact