Object of our Faith

The object of our faith must ever be in Jesus Christ and what he did for us on Calvary's Cross.

And herein do I exercise myself
(diligence constantly practiced by Paul so that his life and conduct please the Lord in all things),
to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men (Mat. 22:37–40).
- Acts 24:16

How do we exercise ourselves to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and men? Matthew 22:37-40 tells us that it is by loving the Lord our God with ALL our hearts, ALL our souls, ALL our minds!
But how do we do that when sometimes it seems that everything and everyone else competes for THE LOVE we need to give to GOD?: that is our ALL - emotions, dreams, desires, thoughts!!!
What are your emotions, dreams, desires, thoughts dwelling on?!
On the LORD GOD? Or on other gods...like: sex, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes etc, you name it. It may not seem that 'bad' but when it is taking away DEVOTION that is due to YOUR LORD & SAVIOR, it is idolatry. Be it even obsession with TV or even facebook! Where do you derive your comfort from? The Comforter the Holy Spirit that the Father sent in Jesus' Name or from any of these other 'gods'...
What consumes your heart, mind, soul?! This is your god. It may be a person, too! Which is just as well idolatry.
Colossians 1:21-23 explains how we are to be unblameable before the LORD & loving Him with our ALL:
by *continuing* in THE Faith which is the Cross
(1 Corinthians 1:18, 2:5, 2:2)

i was reading Acts 24:16 in my French Bible and the word for
"conscience void of offence" is "une conscience irréprochable"
Then i started reading Colossians and i found the same word "irréprochable" (literally: "without reproach") used for "unblameable" in these verses:

21 And you, who were sometime (in times past)
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works (total depravity),
yet now has He reconciled (made possible by the Cross).

22 In the Body of His flesh (the Incarnation, God becoming flesh)
through death
(refers to the fact that the reconciling act of Christ is not by His Incarnation, but by His dying [II Cor. 5:21]),
to present you HOLY and UNBLAMABLE and UNREPROVABLE in His sight
(all made possible by the Cross):

23 IF YOU CONTINUE IN THE FAITH
(at the same time says it is possible not to continue in the Faith; “the Faith” is “Christ and Him Crucified”)
grounded and settled
(the Foundation of the Faith, which Object must always be the Cross), and be not moved away (moved away from the Cross)
from the Hope of the Gospel, which you have heard
(pertains to the fact that they had been brought in right),
and which was preached to every creature which is under Heaven
(the Message of the Cross is the same for all);
whereof I Paul am made a Minister
(the meaning of the New Covenant was actually given to Paul, which is the meaning of the Cross [Gal. 1:11–12]);
- Colossians 1:21-23

So we exercise ourselves to always have a conscience void of offence (unblamable) toward God & men by ever continually continuing in the Faith in the Cross where the Greatest Love of all was manifested to cause us to love HIM with our ALL and where the ugliness & horror of sin and the Grace & Mercy of God fused together to make us dead to sin and alive unto GOD! Amen.