Conscience

God has given every person a conscience which sits in judgment on the moral rightness of thoughts, words and actions, independent of the individual’s desires and inclinations.

“To man alone, the crowning work of His creation, God has given a conscience to realize the sacred claims of the divine law.” 1SM, p. 216

This conscience convicts man of sin. Sometimes so strongly that he cannot live with it. Pilate and Judas decided to take their own lives rather than suffer the pangs of their guilty conscience.

The purpose of the conscience is to bring the guilty sinner to repentance, to confess his sin and to bring his life to the obedience of God’s law.

Paul writes to us to keep our consciences pure so that it will not condemn us. “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” 1 Tim. 1:5.

The end result or purpose of the commandment is love and good conscience and faith. If the commandment is broken then our love to others will die, our consciences will bother us and make us miserable and we will lose our faith.

“Holding faith, and a good conscience: which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.” 1 Tim. 1:19
Paul had many enemies who accused him of false teachings and of deceiving people. Therefore he appealed to their consciences in his defense.

“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.” 2 Cor. 4:2

Even that people tried to find fault in Paul in order to condemn him, in their conscience they had conviction that Paul was right, except men whose consciences had been silenced by continuous violation of it.

Our conscience is like a compass, always pointing in the right direction. Soon as we are tempted to do sin, our conscience will tell us to stop. But then Satan comes along and tempts us to go against our conscience, and if we do, the next time the voice of our conscience is a little quieter than before. If we continue to violate our conscience, its voice becomes completely silent. Then we can do sin without feeling bad about it.

Paul explains this condition, “who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” Eph. 4:19.

A young teenager who had been brought up in a Christian home had never been inside a movie theatre. Once his school friends invited him to go in to see a movie, and he decided to go with them. When he came out he felt so bad that he said, “I will never again go to the movies.” But after a while they invited him again, and he went. Again he felt bad, but not so much as the first time. As the time went on, he ?continued with his friends to go to theatres, and later he did not feel bad at all. But he lost his faith completely. He told me that religion does not mean anything to him. To pray, to read Bible, or to go to church, has no effect on him, and after this I never saw him anymore.

Our conscience has many enemies which are out to silence it, and sin is the main enemy that destroys our conscience. “A person may have property and intellect, and yet be valueless, because the glowing fire of goodness has never burned up on the altar of his heart, because his conscience has been seared, blackened, and crisped with selfishness and sin.” Test. Vol. 2, p. 305.

“You have so long excused yourself in your disobedience on one plea or another that our conscience has been lulled to rest and ceases to remind you of your errors.” Test. Vol. 4, p. 254.

“The mind is educated to familiaritywith sin. The course pursued by the base and vile is kept before the people in the periodicals of the day, and everything that can excite passion is brought before them in exciting stories. They hear and read so much of debasing crime that the once tender conscience, which would have recoiled with horror from such scenes, become hardened, and they dwell upon these things with greedy interest.” PP, p. 459.

“They intended at some time to return to God; but the world with its follies and deceptions absorbed the attention. Frivolous amusements, pride of dress, indulged appetite, hardened the heart and benumbed the conscience, so that the voice of truth is not heard.” PP, p. 558.

“The sinner of today is far more guilty than the heathen, because the light of the gospel shines clearly all around him. He violates conscience and is a deliberate enemy of God.” Test. Vol. 4, p. 508.

One of the greatest enemies of our conscience is our will. So often our will wins and the voice of conscience is silenced.
The leaders of the Jewish people in the time of Christ had no conscience, therefore they could kill Jesus so easily. Yet they seemed very religious, even fanatical.

Even our health depends on our conscience. A pure conscience promotes health while a guilty, violated conscience will destroy our physical health.

“Health is an inestimable blessing, and one which is more closely related to conscience and religion than many realize.” CH, p. 566.

Peace, happiness and true joy also are possible only when we have a clean conscience. While a guilty conscience can inflict greater torture than any physical pain. This torture will come upon Christians who had violated their consciences and not repented, when they realize that salvation is too late for them.

A clear conscience has more value than all the riches in the world; it is better to die, therefore, than to violate our conscience.

It is possible to sensitize our conscience if it has been blunted by disobedience.
“No one can be truly united with Christ, practicing His lessons, submitting to His yoke of restraint, without realizing that which he can never express in words. New, rich thoughts come to him. Light is given to the intellect, determination to the will, sensitiveness to the conscience, purity to the imagination. The heart becomes more tender, the thoughts more spiritual, the service more Christlike.” Test. Vol. 6, p. 476, 477.

“When in the strength and grace of God they place their minds against the temptations of Satan, their minds are made clear, their hearts and consciences by being influenced by the Spirit of God are made sensitive, and sin appears as it is—exceedinglysinful.” BC 3, p. 1150.

“If we would live a true Christian life, the conscience must be quickened by constant contact with the word of God.” Test. Vol. 7, p. 195.

“If they are watchful and prayerful, God will keep their consciences sensitive and their perceptions clear, that they may discern the workings of the enemy and be fortified against his attacks.” Test. Vol. 3, p. 373.

“The result of such Bible study will be well-balanced minds. The understanding will be quickened, the sensibilities aroused. The conscience will become sensitive; the sympathies and sentiments will be purified; a better moral atmosphere will be created; and new power to resist temptation will be imparted.” CT, p. 357.

To make our consciences sensitive and clean, we need to have a closer walk with Christ and follow His instructions faithfully. Daily Bible study and constant prayer are also needed. Even if we have to suffer persecution we must not retaliate and complain because it would grieve the Holy Spirit and destroy our confidence in God; and also our consciences would be violated.

“Having a good conscience; that whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse our good conversation in Christ.” 1 Pet. 3:16.

May the Lord help us to have a good conscience and to make it more sensitive as we progress in the work of sanctification.
AMEN.

Timo Martin, Canada