For Conscience Sake

Our conscience. We joke about our consciences. We 'old' people think about Jiminy Cricket the conscience of Pinocchio. We also think about the little cartoonish red devil on one shoulder and a little angel on the other shoulder speaking to us, each trying to sway us their way to bad or good.  We know our conscience exists. Those who don't believe in God can still believe in their conscience because there is a voice in most people that will nudge them when they are about to do something wrong. There is also a voice that will nudge to do something good. To deny most people are guided internally is to deny reality. Very few will try to insist that there is no such thing as a conscience. You may have noticed I wrote- 'most people' a few times and I did that purposely because there are a very few people in a world filled with them that are considered abnormal for not having a conscience in the sense they feel nothing when very wrong things happen, and when very good things happen. They fake emotions, they fake a lot of what society considers normal for a human being.

If you are reading this and insisting that we don't have a conscience then I certainly will not be able to convince you that you do have one, it's not for me to convince anyone on that.

Biblically we've already seen that having a conscience is a very real thing. Hearing Paul say this--

I have lived before God in all good conscience up to this day” (Acts 23.1)  

--how can we deny this truth? 

Joh_8:9  And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Act_24:16  And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

Rom_2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Rom_9:1  I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost

Rom_13:5  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

1Co_8:7  Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

2Co_1:12  For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

2Co_4:2  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

1Ti_1:19  Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck

1Ti_3:9  Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

1Ti_4:2  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron

2Ti_1:3  I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day

Clearly these Bible verses and still others show that our conscience is a real thing, an important thing.

May God help us learn more, to understand clearly the role our conscience needs to play in our lives so we may be His and only His, by His will, by His grace and mercy now and always!!!!

In Jesus Christ, our Savior!

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'A Good Conscience

“I have lived before God in all good conscience up to this day” (Acts 23.1). This is the secret of Paul’s life. The conscience he refers to is not that of an unregenerated person but of a Holy Spirit-filled conscience. Bold in approaching God and perfect in his communion with Him, the Apostle’s regenerated conscience gives him no reproach. He does everything according to it.

Never does he do anything that his conscience objects to, nor does he ever permit one item to remain in his life which it condemns.

He is therefore bold before God and man. We lose our confidence when our conscience is murky. The Apostle “always (took) pains to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men” (Acts 24.16), for “if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him” (1 John 3.21-22).

Believers simply do not realize how very significant their conscience is.

 Many have the idea that as long as they walk after the spirit all is well. They do not know that an unclear conscience means loss of confidence in approaching God and that this loss in turn means disruption of one’s communion with Him. In fact, a muddied conscience can hinder our intuitive communion with God more than anything else. If we fail to keep His commandments and to do what pleases Him our monitor within shall naturally reprove us, rendering us fearful before God and hence keeping us from receiving what we seek. We can serve God only with a clear conscience (2 Tim. 1.3). An opaque one shall surely cause us to shrink back intuitively from God. “Our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience that we have behaved in the world, and still more toward you, with holiness and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God” (2 Cor. 1.12). This passage speaks of the testimony of conscience. Only a conscience without offense will testify for a believer. It is good to have the testimony of others, but how much better to have the testimony of our own conscience.'

Excerpt from 'The Spiritual Man' By Watchman Nee