If Useless rules and regulations are no help in conquering a person’s evil desires, then what will help. The answer is the conscience…
1) What is the conscience?
The word “senses” in Hebrews 5:14 is literally “the organ of sense” and the verse describes the need to train it to discern between good and evil. As a Christian, we have the mind of Christ, which can help train “the organ of sense.” This is the conscience described throughout the New Testament…
Interestingly, the Bible describes 4 conditions of the conscience: clean or clear, weak or untrained, evil or defiled, and seared. Let’s look at these conditions of the conscience.
2) Importance of a clear conscience
So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. (Acts 24:16)
The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. (1 Timothy 1:5)
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)
They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. (1 Timothy 3:9)
By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:20-22)
Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. (1 Peter 3:16)
3) Respect for another’s weak conscience
Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. (Romans 14:1)
For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? (1 Corinthians 8:10)
When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. (1 Corinthians 8:12)
But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? (1 Corinthians 10:28-29)
Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. (Romans 14:16)
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (Romans 14:19)
4) Warning against a defiled conscience
To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. (Titus 1:15)
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (1 Timothy 4:2)
These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy. (1 Timothy 6:5)
These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. (2 Timothy 3:8)
5) The conscience is a result of life
Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” (Acts 23:1)
With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. (Romans 9:1)
We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. (2 Corinthians 1:12)
Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. (Hebrews 13:18)
6) Aspire to a mature conscience
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13)
Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. (1 Timothy 4:7)
Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. (1 Timothy 6:3)
But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:11)
Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, (Hebrews 6:1)
7) Examples of consciences
- Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3) : weak → defiled → clean
- David (2 Samuel 11) : weak → defiled → clean
- Naaman (2 Kings 5) : defiled → weak → clean
- Paul (Acts 9) : defiled → clean (Gal 1:13; Acts 7:58; 1 Cor 15:9; Phil 3:6; 1 Tim 1:15)
8) Truth vs false doctrine’s effect on the conscience
Please read the Apostle Paul’s instruction to Timothy about truth vs false doctrine’s effect on the conscience…
When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God. (1 Timothy 1:3-4)
The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently. (1 Timothy 1:5-7)
Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. 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. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God. (1 Timothy 1:18-20)
But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:1-2 WEB)
If you desire to know more about this subject, or to request help with training your conscience, please write us or join the conversation below.