A GOOD CONSCIENCE

“Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, ‘My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.’” – Acts 23:1

 

In 1988, a team of sophisticated art thieves with ties to Bulgarian organized crime bypassed a burglar alarm and slipped into a sprawling 16th-floor apartment in one of Manhattan’s most exclusive neighborhoods.

They took their time and plundered the apartment of Ernest and Rose Heller, stealing artwork estimated at $750,000 at the time. 

Then in 2018, one of the stolen paintings surfaced. It was Chagall’s “Othello and Desdemona,” which had languished for years in a Maryland attic. 

The painting was discovered, in part, because an aging criminal, a terminally ill man who was 72 and who has long been involved with Bulgarian organized crime, wanted a clear conscience before he died. 

“One of the things he did say to me is that he was partially motivated by his imminent demise,” said Marc Hess of the FBI Art Crime Team. “He talked about meeting his maker and trying to clear his conscience and make things right before he dies.”

 

In all that we do, we need to honor the Lord and keep a good conscience.  Today in prayer, confess any sin to the Lord and seek to walk closely with Him and to have a clear conscience. 

 

“A good conscience is the palace of Christ; the temple of the Holy Ghost; the paradise of delight; the standing Sabbath of the saints.” - Augustine

 

God’s Word: “Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.” – Hebrews 13:18