ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS - Acts 23:5
Acts 23:5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
While in Jerusalem Paul was arrested by the Romans because it appeared to the chief captain that Paul was causing a riot to occur. The next day, Paul was taken before the council so that the charges might be heard. Ananias was sitting as the high priest. Paul told the council that he had lived his life in good conscience before God. Ananias ordered Paul to be slapped and Paul ridiculed Ananias. Paul was then told the position of Ananias and Paul had to repent because he understood that he was not to speak evil of the ruler.
For Paul to maintain a good conscience before God, he had to seek forgiveness of those whom he has wronged immediately. It did not matter that Ananias had ordered that Paul be slapped contrary to the law. It did not matter that Paul’s rebuking of Ananias came as a result of this unlawful order. Paul had violated the law in his rebuking of Ananias and as a result, he had sinned and was now a lawbreaker guilty of breaking the entire law.
Paul did not waste any time asking for forgiveness because he understood the importance of maintaining that clear conscience before God. How can one expect to be used mightily of God when they have violated God’s perfect law? Because of the virtue in Paul’s life, Paul did not allow sin to control his life for very long. In the minute he understood that he had allowed his mouth to say something that was not proper, he took care of the problem by asking for forgiveness. In order to maintain his mind thinking upon the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and that are a good report; Paul had to seek forgiveness of all actions that violate the law.
Paul could have stood his ground and replied that his statement was true and he was not going to seek forgiveness. However, just because his statement was true, it did not mean that he had the right to rebuke his authority. Paul understood that it was more important that he maintain a clear conscience before God then that he be right.
How many times have you said something that as soon as the words were out of your mouth you wished you had never said them? What is your response? Do you become intransigent in your ways? Do you insist that because the words are true and that you really feel that way that you have nothing to apologize for? Or do you immediately humble yourself and request forgiveness for allowing your words to reveal to others that your mind was not thinking upon the things of God?
You have an obligation before God when you sin to quickly seek forgiveness. You cannot afford to live your life not having a clear conscience before God. So often, your sin may appear minor in your eyes and you will probably be able to justify your actions. Yet nonetheless, your sin probably appears to be much larger in the eyes of others.
In order to live a virtuous life, you must maintain a good conscience. This means that in the day you hear that your words or action caused you to sin, you must be like Paul and humble yourself and acknowledge your sin. You must maintain that good conscience before God by allowing virtue to control your life. You allow virtue to control your life by ensuring that you are dwelling upon that which is pleasing to God.