A CLEAN CONSCIENCE

“For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” I John 3:20

The Conscience is defined as: “the sense of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good” – Merriam Webster Dictionary.

Every human being, whether they’re saved or unsaved, and regardless of their culture, ethnicity, or background, has a conscience. God created us with a conscience so that we would know right from wrong, what He approves of, and what He judges. “For when Gentiles, who have no law, do by nature the things of the law, though they have no law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness with it and their reasonings, one with the other, accusing or even excusing them.” Romans 2:14-15

The nature of man, as created by God, was originally good and corresponded with God and with His law. Although it was poisoned by the fall, this good nature remains within man. Hence, if anyone lives according to his nature and does by his nature the things of the law, the evil in him will be restricted. By their conscience, people can perceive what God justifies, or approves of, and what He condemns. Even without knowing God or the Bible, their conscience enables them to know right from wrong. This is how a person can know he’s a sinner. People are condemned not for what they don’t know, but for what they do with what they know.

What does it mean to have a good conscience? The original Greek word (agathos) that Paul uses in 1 Timothy 1:5,  rendered as “good” in English, refers to moral excellence. The “conscience” (syneidēsis in Greek) is the psychological faculty or internal capability that allows a person to distinguish between right and wrong. It is the inner judge written on the believer’s heart (Jeremiah 31:33) that accuses and convicts when we do wrong and approves when we do right (Romans 2:14–15). Conscience can be defined as “an inner feeling that acts as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior.” The conscience is the part of the human soul that is most like God (Genesis 3:22). The conscience of man was awakened when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:6). Before that, they had known only good. The word knowing in Genesis 3:5 is the same word used elsewhere to describe sexual intimacy (Genesis 4:17; 1 Samuel 1:19). When we choose to “know” evil by intimate experience, our consciences are violated and emotional discomfort takes over. Whether we acknowledge God or not, we were created to have fellowship with our Creator.

When we do wrong, we sense that we are at odds with our created purpose, and that feeling is deeply disturbing. A person with a good conscience lives and behaves according to a God-given moral code of excellence; he or she possesses upright inner convictions and can discern between right and wrong. Paul charges Timothy, “Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked” (1 Timothy 1:19). It was God whom Adam and Eve had offended; yet God Himself provided the solution to their violated consciences. He slaughtered an innocent animal to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:21). This was a foreshadowing of God’s intended plan to cover the sins of all mankind.

In the Bible, the conscience is a second knowledge that a man has of the quality of his acts, along with his knowledge of the acts themselves. Paul wrote, “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 2:15).

Paul used the word conscience (suneidēsis) more than 20 times in his epistles. Men have this ability which can be over-scrupulous (I Corinthians 10:25) or “seared” by abuse (I Timothy 4:2). And it can be enlightened by more revelation of the truth (I Corinthians 8:7). Paul charges Timothy, “Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked” (1 Timothy 1:19).

It is possible to have either a good conscience or a conscience that is “defiled” or “corrupted” through rebellion (Titus 1:15). When we receive Jesus Christ, His blood purifies “our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God” (Hebrews 9:14). Our guilty consciences “have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean” (Hebrews 10:22).

Through the years our culture has unraveled in its addiction to corruption. People are enslaved to sex, numb to violence, and terminally self-consumed. The rapid increase in the pervasiveness and openness of sin is paralleled by a decreasing sensitivity to conscience. And no wonder. People are trained to ignore their guilt—and yet they are drowning in it.

Our culture has declared war on guilt. The very concept is considered medieval, obsolete, and unproductive. People who trouble themselves with feelings of personal guilt are usually referred to therapists, whose task is to boost their self-image. No one, after all, is supposed to feel guilty. Guilt is not beneficial to dignity and self-esteem. Society encourages sin, but it will not tolerate the guilt sin produces.

Humans have tried a variety of things to clear their consciences, from charity work to self-mutilation. History is replete with examples of mankind’s efforts to appease his conscience, but nothing works. So he often turns to other means of drowning out that inner voice that declares him guilty. Addictions, immorality, violence, and greed are often deeply rooted in the fertile soil of a guilty conscience.

If you find your conscience polluted by this fallen world, you are not alone. Through the blood of Christ, God has been gracious to "cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Hebrews 9:14). The answer to dealing with guilt is not to ignore it that's the most dangerous thing you can do. Instead, you need to understand that God graciously implanted a powerful ally within you to aid you in the battle against sin. He gave you your conscience, and that gift is the key to bringing you joy and freedom. As a Christian, you can walk before God with a clear conscience. That is your daily privilege and joy. Paul said, “I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men" (Acts 24:16).

That can be an overwhelming task in this world, but rest assured you have all the resources to keep a healthy, sensitive, and pure conscience. Here are some simple principles to remember involving confession, forgiveness, restitution, procrastination, and educating your conscience

CONFESSION

Confess and forsake known sin. Examine your guilt feelings in light of Scripture. Deal with the sin God's Word reveals. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion." First John 1 speaks of confession of sin as an ongoing characteristic of the Christian life: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (v. 9).

We should certainly confess to those we have wronged: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed" (James 5:16). But above all, you should confess to the One whom sin offends most. As David wrote, "I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD'; and You forgave the guilt of my sin" (Psalm 32:5).

FORGIVENESS

Ask forgiveness and be reconciled to anyone you have wronged. Jesus instructed us, “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering” (Matthew 5:23-24). “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. (Matthew 6:14-15).

RESTITUTION

Restitution is deeply rooted in the teachings of the Bible. Restitution, as defined in a biblical context, goes beyond mere compensation for wrongs committed. It embodies the restoration of relationships and justice based on God’s principles. In the New Testament, the concept of restitution is often framed in terms of forgiveness and reconciliation. 

From a spiritual perspective, restitution represents more than just a mere act of repayment. It embodies the principles of repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation that are central to the Christian faith. When we make amends for our wrongs and seek to restore what has been broken, we align ourselves with God’s will and exemplify His grace and mercy.

Restitution in the biblical sense is not just about repaying debts or righting wrongs; it is a reflection of our commitment to living by God’s will and embodying His love and grace in our interactions with others. By understanding the significance of restitution, we can strive to cultivate a spirit of humility, forgiveness, and reconciliation in all aspects of our lives (Numbers 5:6-7, Luke 19:8-10, Philemon 19).

 PROCRASTINATION

Don't procrastinate in clearing your wounded conscience. Paul said he did his best "to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men" (Acts 24:16). Some people put off dealing with their guilt, thinking their conscience will clear itself in time. It won't. Procrastination allows the guilt feelings to fester. That in turn generates depression, anxiety, and other emotional problems. Dealing with a wounded conscience immediately by heart-searching prayer before God is the only way to keep it clear and sensitive. Putting off dealing with guilt inevitably compounds the problems.

EDUCATE YOUR CONSCIENCE

A weak, easily grieved conscience results from a lack of spiritual knowledge (I Corinthians 8:7). If your conscience is too easily wounded, don't violate it. To violate even a weak conscience is to train yourself to override conviction, and that will lead to overriding true conviction about real sin. Moreover, violating the conscience is a sin in itself (v. 12; Romans 14:23), bringing legitimate guilt for a real offense against God. So, respond to your conscience, even if it's weak, and then continue to inform your conscience with God's Word so it can begin to function with reliable data.

An important aspect of educating the conscience is teaching it to focus on the right object divinely revealed truth. If your conscience looks only at personal feelings, it can accuse you wrongfully. You are certainly not to order your life according to your feelings. A conscience fixed on feelings becomes unreliable. If you are subject to depression and melancholy, you of all people should not allow your conscience to be informed by your feelings. Despondent feelings will provoke unnecessary doubts and fears in the soul when not kept in check by a well-advised conscience. The conscience must be persuaded by God's Word, not by your feelings.

Furthermore, the conscience errs when the mind focuses wholly on your faltering in sin and ignores the triumphs of God's grace in you. True Christians experience both realities. Conscience must be allowed to weigh the fruit of the Spirit in your life as well as the remnants of your sinful flesh. It must see your faith as well as your failings. Otherwise, the conscience will become overly accusing, prone to unwholesome doubts about your standing before God.

A clean conscience can be compared to a window that lets in the light of God's truth. The more we study God's Word, the more light we let in, and the more sensitive we become too good and evil. Paul informs Timothy that the false teachers, those who “abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,” have persisted in their sin and rebellion against God to the point of having their consciences “stricken as with a hot iron” ( 1 Timothy 4:1-2). The light of God's truth is excluded from such hearts.

Learn to subject your conscience to the truth of God and the teaching of Scripture. As you do that, your conscience will be more clearly focused and better able to give you reliable feedback. With a trustworthy conscience, you have a powerful aid to spiritual growth and stability. With a clear conscience, you live in an abundance of freedom and joy.