ConscienceWhen you think of your conscience you may be reminded of Jiminy Cricket (who is actually depicted as a grasshopper).  He admonished Pinocchio to, “Let your conscience be your guide.”  This can be helpful advice if you have a conscience that has been  trained to discern right from wrong, but if the conscience has not been developed then it may not be reliable.

Our English word “conscience” is derived from the Latin word conscientia which refers to “knowledge within oneself, especially in a moral sense.”  Conscience is that faculty of the mind that provides an inner sense of right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives and urges one to do right and restrains one from doing wrong.  

The Apostle Paul reflected that meaning of the word as he sought to live his life in obedience to God,

In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men. (Acts 24:16)

We learn in Paul’s epistle to the Romans that one’s conscience is innate and universal,

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,  in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.  (Romans 2:14-15)

Conscience therefore is guided by the greatest moral value that man holds.  The Christian is guided by God and non-Christians are guided by their greatest values.  Therefore the standard upon which one’s conscience is based may vary.  Paul describes a conscience that has lost its true orientation,

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, (1 Timothy 4:1-2)

This is a dangerous situation as Robert Little observes, “A seared conscience is one whose warning voice has been suppressed and perverted habitually, so that eventually instead of serving as a guide, it only confirms the person in his premeditated evil course.”  You will discover that your conscience will either accuse you or excuse you.   Your moral compass does not come as standard equipment, but it must be guided by biblical principles.

It may be helpful to think of your conscience as a magnetic compass.  A magnetic compass points toward magnetic north but not true north.  Since magnetic north is not co-located with true north you must correct the magnetic heading.  As you come to know God and learn His commandments you develop a moral compass that is properly aligned to understand God’s will.  Paul realized his conscience may not always be reliable, but God is always trustworthy,

My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.  (1 Corinthians 4:4 – NLT)

You must realize that your conscience is like a guardrail; it can warn you what you  shouldn’t do, but it does not keep him from doing it.  There is a Hasidic proverb that says, “Be the master of your will the slave of your conscience.”

Can you say with Paul that you have blameless conscience?  Remember that a clear conscience is a soft pillow.  May your conscience be a sentinel of virtue in your life.

RickAssociate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University

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