November 17^th, 1993 “A Clean Heart and Pure Conscience” Bro. Solomon

Daniel 6:23. Daniel was coming out of the lion's den triumphantly and unhurt. 6th verse. Lord Jesus also was brought out safely from the grave unhurt by the power of death. When we meditate upon the life of Daniel, somehow it is similar to the life of Jesus. Why was he so triumphant in the lion's den? Because he kept his prayer life very carefully. Our Lord also kept His prayer life very carefully. Daniel used to pray three times a day, no matter whatever circumstances were against him. What was his purpose? He wanted to bring salvation to the whole world. How? By praying for the deliverance of the people of God - the Jews -from the land of Babylon. Why was it? The Jews should go back to the promised land where the Messiah would be born. The scripture says that the Messiah would come out of Bethlehem and not out of Babylon. But now these people were bound in bondage in Babylon. And so, he prayed that they should be freed from their bondage. Three times a day he prayed to his God. One day there was a decree from the King that he should not pray to God for a whole month, but only to the king. But Daniel wanted to obey the decree of God rather than man's decree. What does the Word of God say in Philippians 4:6? "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Of course this word was not written in the time of Daniel. But when a man is walking in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit will guide him to obey the Word of God, and give him grace to obey the Word. The king's decree said, "You make your requests to me for one month." Daniel did not obey the command of the king. He was obeying a higher command. He kept his prayer times very carefully. Secondly, he obeyed the Word of God. Thirdly, he kept his conscience clean and clear before God and before his neighbors. When he was thrown into the lion's den, the king was very unhappy. So throughout that night, he could not sleep. Early in the morning, he rose and went to the lion's den. Daniel 6:19 & 20. "Daniel, you were so careful to obey your God. In order to obey your God, you disobeyed even my command. I am very happy about it. You are the servant of the most high God and you were so diligently serving your God. Is that God diligent to save you?" What a question! Certainly, when you follow God diligently, God will diligently take care of you. He will not leave you to the mercy of your enemy. Daniel replied, verse 22: “My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the lion's mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.”

"I have kept myself and my conscience clean before God." What a testimony! "And before you also, I have kept my conscience clean." You are supposed to keep your heart clean before your neighbour and before God. If you keep your heart clean, lions will not have any authority over you. Our enemy of souls is like a lion, a roaring lion, and when you keep your heart clean before God and man, the whole heaven will be with you. The servant of God, Mr. Daniel, used to say : “I am not afraid that anybody may harm me but I am afraid that anybody who tries to harm me will do harm to themselves.” That is what happened to the fellows who tried to harm Daniel. A child of God, a servant of God, is quite safe and secure in this world as long as he keeps his conscience clean.

We see another man in I Sam. 28:5 & 6. What a great crisis! But he had no understanding to know why he was facing such a great defeat. One thing was that he had no proper prayer life. Secondly, he was not keeping his conscience clean before his neighbour. Who was his neighbour? His own son-in-law, David. He was hunting after David's life. How much love and kindness David showed towards Saul but he could not understand it. He was throwing his javelin at David again and again. We must be careful not to throw javalins against anybody. Now when the enemy was coming upon Saul, he was terribly afraid. Then he wanted to pray. But how could he pray? Before that he should have obeyed God's Word. What does the Word of God say? Matthew 5:23 & 24. These words were not written at that time, but that truth was there and the Spirit of God knew it. But since he was not walking in the Spirit, he could not understand this truth of God. So, he did not go to David and get reconciled with him. Instead, he went to a woman with a 'familiar spirit' - from one defeat into another defeat, from one sin into another sin he went. That is how some people go very deep into sinful ways. So, he faced a great defeat. Death also came prematurely to him. Daniel got victory, even over death. When you keep yourself clean before God, the lions cannot touch you. The enemy will not touch you. You are safe and secure under the blood of Calvary. The Word of God says, "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of their testimony." By the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony we will overcome the enemy. Both these must be there. It is not enough, if we have only the blood of the Lamb. It is very necessary that your testimony also should be clean. By faith through Christ you can have both of these together. So, dear brothers and sisters, if you want to win a definite victory in this world, keep your heart clean before God.