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How is your Conscience?
inspired by J. Oswald Sanders in his book, A Spiritual Clinic
Sanders calls conscience “an apparent special activity of the intellect and feelings which enables a man to judge between good and evil, to perceive moral distinctions.”
Interestingly knowledge and emotions are both included there.
Another interesting thought from Sanders. He says, “The word signifies a knowledge held in conjunction with another – in this instance with God – and carries the idea of man being co-witness with God for or against himself according to his own estimate of his actions.”
Where does the conscience come from? Sanders says that it is part of our essential nature. What does it do? He says nothing originates in the conscience but that it is like a thermometer, which detects the temperature but doesn’t act to change it. Paul tells us that even natural, unregenerate men have a conscience in Romans 2. Conscience points out sin but has no power to make a man do right or wrong. It “delivers its judgment, produces the appropriate emotion, but leaves it to the will of man to act in light of its verdict.”
So conscience gives you information about your own actions, a built in feedback loop to help you train yourself to live right. But your conscience isn’t infallible.
I have heard people say that they live by their conscience. But what if your conscience is wrong? Is that even possible? Check out 1 Corinthians 4:4. Paul says, “I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.” So Paul acknowledged that his conscience was clear but that didn’t make him sinless in God’s sight. Conscience can miss something.
You conscience operates by a standard of some kind. The standard can be wrong which cause your conscience to lead you astray. Sanders tells the story of a Hindu who once told an British officer, ” ‘Our conscience tells us it is right to burn our widows on the pyre of their husbands.’ ‘Yes,’ replied the officer, ‘and our conscience tells us it is right to hang you if you do.'” The two men each had a conscience that operated by a different standard!
A faulty standard will allow flagrant abuse without protest. Your conscience requires training to a standard to operate as God intends. This is seen in many new believers as their former way of life becomes detestable to them and they change as they conform to a new standard, the standard of Christ.
Sanders gives a great illustration of how this works. If you have ever used a rifle with open sights, you quickly learn that you can’t hit your target unless the front and rear sights are in alignment. In the same way, unless your conscience is in alignment with the Word of God, you won’t be able to rely on your conscience to be a reliable guide. Here we once again find ourselves in the place of saying we really have to be immersed in God’s Word on a daily basis. The combination of Bible reading, study and meditation combined with the work of the Holy Spirit and the fellowship of the church body combine to be powerful teachers for our conscience.
I can’t say it often enough, we need the body of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit and the constant encouragement and correction of the Bible to grow in Christ-likeness. How are you doing? Is your conscience being pricked a little? I know mine is.
Your conscience can either condemn your actions or commend them.
Your conscience can be weak, like any muscle seldom used. A weak conscience my waver between to points without a clear judgment, floating on the breeze of public opinion and waiting on others to decide on a course of action. This might be another good argument for hanging around with strong Christians who can direct you as you develop your own convictions and conscience!
It is worthwhile noting that your conscience could be weak because it is untrained, too little knowledge of God’s Word and work in the world; or because it is not surrendered to Christ at all, leaving you an enemy of God with a conscience who constantly fights against Him.
You can progress down the path of the weak conscience and end up with a defiled conscience. One where the conscience has been injured and no longer works properly, like a compass with a broken needle that is always a little off. If you continue down this path it will eventually lead to a conscience that is seared and no longer functions at all. Not a good place to be.
But our goal and hope is to have a pure conscience. One that does not condemn us but that is sensitive to the leading fo the Holy Spirit in our lives and constantly monitors our heart for signs of wandering.
Ultimately we will have a perfect conscience, cleansed eternally by the blood of Christ. In the meantime, as Paul challenged the Corinthians, “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)
There is work that we can and should do in training and maintaining a pure conscience. Quick confession and repentance of sin and asking forgiveness when we wrong another go a long way toward helping us. But, ultimately, the blood of Christ cleanses us and frees us from the tyranny of sin.
You might struggle with your conscience in this life, but in eternity God promises you release from the struggle and will give you the mind of Christ. What a great hope we have! And great motivation to keep on keeping on throughout the journey of faith that is the Christian Life.