Conscience’s Importance

Conscience is important to every Person; and he should be careful what he does to it or with it. The Person should exercise and develop a Good Conscience (1Timothy 1:5), a Pure Conscience (2Timothy 1:2-3), a Conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men (Acts 24:16). Twelve Reasons of Conscience’s Important:

1 God’s Gift

Saint Augustine says: “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and the heart of man is restless until it finds it rest in Thee.”  Romans 2:14-15 shows Conscience’s important, because it is God’s Gift to us – we are made in God’s Image (Genesis1:27); and our basic nature is spiritual; we are made up of spirit, soul and body (1Thessalonians 5:23).  Being made in God’s Image means that:

• We have a mind to think.
• We have a heart to feel.
• We have a will to decide.
• We have a conscience to guide.

One aspect of this Image of God in us is our ability to distinguish the right and the wrong with our Conscience (Romans 2:14-15).  Conscience is the Faculty that responds to the “moral standard” within us. Conscience is a universal phenomenon, found in every Person; God puts within our heart this wonderful Faculty, called Conscience and we must be careful how we treat our Conscience, as it is God’s Gift (Romans 2:14-15).

False Concept – Some Scientists claimed that Conscience come from behind us; it is part of the evolution. As man evolved over the centuries, Conscience evolved within him. Darwin in his book “The Descent of Man” said this: “Of all the differences between man and the lower animals, the moral sense, or conscience, is by far the most important.” Even Darwin could not explain where Conscience comes from; Conscience is not the by-product of evolution; it does not come from behind us.

• Some viewed that Conscience is merely the total of all the standards of the society around the Person. Philosopher Schopenhauer said that Conscience consisted of “one-fifth the fear of man, one- fifth superstition, one-fifth prejudice, one-fifth custom.” In other words, the Person’s Conscience is a sort of “tossed salad” that he puts together from the society around him.
• Some Psychiatrists and Psychologists believed that the Person manufactured his own Conscience – it is the by-product of the way his mother raised him, and his father disciplined him.

2 Guides Behaviour

Paul states in Acts 24:16 “In this do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.” Paul admits that his Conscience needs to be exercised in order that it can be used as a guide for his conduct.  When our Conscience is not functioning properly; it is no longer “void of offense toward God, and toward men.”  God’s Spirit uses God’s Word (the Bible) to guide our Conscience into God’s Will – Romans 9:1 “My conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit.”  If our Conscience is functioning properly then:

• Conscience is a Compass to direct us.
• Conscience is a Light to guide us.
• Conscience is a Law to give us Wisdom in our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Strengthens for Service

Conscience is important because it strengthens us in our Christian Service (Ministry). The Standard of Christian Ministry is shown in, 1Timothy 1:5 “Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned (sincere faith, not hypocritical faith).” The term “faith” is not personal believe but “sound{healthy} doctrine {teaching}.” God’s People have God’s Word (Bible), the Perfect Standard from which our Conscience operates. When our Conscience operates based on God’s Word (the Bible); we do not feel condemned – 1John 3:21 “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.” God’s People can have “a sincere-faith (sound {healthy}doctrine–teaching)” or unhypocritical (anupokritou) Faith (“sound {healthy} doctrine-teaching”). This Faith (“sound {healthy} doctrine-teaching”) needs no mask to hide; it is not mere lip Faith (“sound {healthy}-doctrine-teaching”) but a sincere trust of the heart.  “Heart, Conscience, Faith (sound {healthy} doctrine-teaching)” marked the progression; it is sound theology!  

4 Warfare

A Good Conscience is important in spiritual warfare; it is the warfare fought throughout the lifetime, not just an isolated battle – 1Timothy 1:18b-19 “That thou mightest war a good warfare. Holding faith (body of truth), and a good conscience, which some, having put away concerning faith (body of truth), have made shipwreck.” For us to fight a good warfare, we need to hold “Faith” (“sound {healthy} doctrine-teaching”) and have “a Good Conscience.” A bad Conscience brings forth the corrupt teaching that is congenial (friendly) to it (Matthew 7:15-20).  Someone has said that Faith (“sound {healthy} doctrine-teaching”) is pure liquid and a Good Conscience is the glass that holds it.  All Ministries must be done without reproach in order not to be made a shipwreck of their life (1Timothy 1:18b-19).  If we desire to have a Good Conscience, we should make Faith (“sound {healthy} doctrine-teaching”) the Pilot of our course, otherwise there is a danger of shipwreck. “Hymenaeus and Alexander” – 1Timothy 1:19-20; “Hymenaeus and Philetus” – 2Timothy 2:17, “made shipwreck” of their Faith (“sound {healthy} doctrine-teaching”) because they manipulate their Conscience.

Faith (“sound {healthy} doctrine-teaching”) and the Good Conscience are three times conjoined in First Timothy (1Timothy 1:5; 1:19; 3:9); showing the inseparable connection between Faith (“sound {healthy} doctrine—teaching”) and the Good Conscience.

• 1Timothy 1:5b “From a good conscience and from sincere faith.”
• 1Timothy 1:19a “Having faith and a good conscience.”
• 1Timothy 3:9 “Holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.”

Stay Tuned….. To be continued…..

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