The Christian Conscience A Clean Powerful Intelligent Conscience What is the Conscience The conscience is the inner faculty by which a person recognizes good and evil, judges particular actions, and stands accountable before God. It is not treated as mere social conditioning or a “gut feeling,” but as something God-given that bears witness to moral truth. A moral battery that must be charged by the new Birth, the Spirit, The Bible, Doctrine and the Church. A critical fine precision instrument that navigates life, righteous, the Kingdom of God and Babylon. Something against which you will be judged, much like the black box on a n aeroplane. A Book in which your instructions are written as well as your obedience/failure. You will be judged accordingly. It can be: · Defiled · Seared · Cleansed · Trained Biblical Roots The Old Testament rarely uses a word equivalent to “conscience.” It speaks instead of the heart as the place of moral awareness, self-judgment, and encounter with God. 9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart,I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. ” (Jeremiah 17:9–10, NKJV) 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. ” (Psalm 51:10–11, NKJV) 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. ” (Revelation 2:23, NKJV) The New Testament uses the Greek word syneidēsis (literally “co-knowledge”). St. Paul is the main source: Gentiles who do not have the Mosaic Law still “show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them” (Romans 2:14–16). · 12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. · ” (Romans 2:12–16, NKJV) Acting against conscience is sin: “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). A good conscience is linked with sincere faith and love (1 Timothy 1:5, 19). A conscience can become weak, defiled, or seared (1 Corinthians 8; Titus 1:15; 1 Timothy 4:2). Christ’s blood can “purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14). So Scripture presents conscience as an inner witness that accuses or excuses, that must be kept clear before God and neighbour, and that can be wounded or healed. More Scriptures Demons and Seared Conscience Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, ” (1 Timothy 4:1–2, NKJV) The New Man and Conscience 17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. ” (Ephesians 4:17–24, NKJV) Shared Christian Meaning Conscience is commonly understood as: A witness to a moral law we did not invent. Christians typically connect this with natural law: basic moral knowledge “written on the heart.” A practical judgment, not just a general sense of right and wrong. It applies moral principles to this act, now. Something that must be followed when it is certain. To do what you yourself judge to be wrong is itself a sin of the will, even if the act would otherwise be allowed. Something that can err. Conscience is not infallible. It can be poorly formed, darkened by sin, or misled by ignorance. Therefore it must be formed—by Scripture, prayer, reason, and (depending on the tradition) the Church’s teaching. Conscience is distinguished from: feelings of guilt or shame, personal preference, public opinion, Some Additional Definitions “a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed.” (CCC 1778) Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey… For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God… His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths. Important Distinctions: Conscience does not create the moral law; it recognizes and applies it. A person must always obey a certain conscience. An erroneous conscience may excuse if the ignorance is invincible; it does not if the person neglected to seek the truth. Conscience must be formed by Scripture, Prayer, Doctrine, and the Church. Two Truths Held Together · The dignity and inviolability of conscience, and the duty to form it according to objective moral truth rather than treating it as a private license. Protestant Teaching Luther at Worms: “My conscience is captive to the Word of God… to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.” Conscience is free from human religious laws that go beyond Scripture, but it is not autonomous; it is bound to God’s Word. a good conscience is fruit of the gospel; there is danger in a legalistic or over-scrupulous conscience; care for the “weaker brother” whose conscience is tender on disputable matters (Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 8); formation of conscience by Scripture and the Spirit and Doctrine and the Church. What conscience is Not Christian teaching generally rejects two opposite errors: Conscience as mere feeling or preference. That reduces morality to sincerity. Conscience as an independent oracle that overrides revealed truth. That turns “follow your conscience” into “follow yourself.” The Solution: The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation 15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. ” (Ephesians 1:15–23, NKJV) The Anointing that Abides is NOT the Conscience 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. ” (1 John 2:20–21, NKJV) 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. ” (1 John 2:26–27, NKJV) What Conscience Is (and is not) Not An Infallible Inner Compass Most popular talk about conscience is unbiblical. It is unique to humans, but it is not an infallible inner compass or “the voice of God.” The conscience can be misinformed, seared, or culturally conditioned, and people have committed sin “in the name of conscience.” Paul could say he had a clear conscience yet still not be justified before God (1 Corinthians 4:4). Conscience is Subject to God 4 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who ju
