THE CONSCIENCE IN CHRISTIAN LIVING
What is conscience? The
English word ‘conscience’ is derived from the Latinconscientia, which
means “a knowing of a thing together with another person.” The New Testament
Greek word suneidêsis (from sun: ‘with’ and eidêsis:
‘knowledge’), which is translated “conscience,” has the same etymological
derivation. But knowing with who? Who is the other person that is implied in
the etymology of the word? It is God! This fact must be borne in mind whenever
we read the word ‘conscience’ in the Word of God. Conscience is not just
“knowledge of one’s own acts as right or wrong” (New Webster Dictionary).
Rather, it is “that faculty [of our soul] by which we apprehend the will of
God, as that which is designed to govern our lives” (The Vine’s Expository
Dictionary); or “that knowledge or consciousness by which man knows that he
is conforming to moral law or the will of God” (O. Hallesby, Conscience,
translated by C.J. Carlsen [Inter-Varsity Press, 1950], 8). Calvin explains:
For as men,
when they apprehend the knowledge of things by the mind and intellects are said
to know, and hence arises the term knowledge or science, so when they have a
sense of the divine justice added as a witness which allows them not to conceal
their sins, but drags them forward as culprits to the bar of God, that sense is
called conscience (ICR 3.19.15).
Our conscience speaks to our soul concerning the rightness or wrongness of an
action, an intended action or a contemplated omission. It knows only two words:
‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ Whenever you do something right, your conscience says
“right!” and then it leaves you in peace and even satisfaction. But if you
intend to do something which your conscience knows to be wrong, it warns you
and continues to remind you of the wrongness until you cease from your intended
course of action or repent of your deed. In the same way, when you omit to do
any duty which you are aware of, your conscience also comes in to remind you
until you do what is required. If not, as it reminds you of your error or
omission, it inflicts pain on your soul. When this happens, you are said to
have an “evil conscience” (Heb 10:22), though it is not the conscience that is
evil, but that the conscience is accusing you of being evil.
Paul was referring to this function of the conscience when he says:
For
when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in
the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the
work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness,
and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another (Rom
2:14–15).
The conscience accuses when an action is wrong, and excuses or approves when
the action is right. The conscience is our moral consciousness—the resident
judge in our soul. It may or may not be right ultimately in
its judgement. Its judgement is based on what the soul or intellect knows to be
the will of God. The conscience judges infallibly based on this knowledge, but
the knowledge could be imperfect. This is especially so in the natural man
since the Fall would have clouded all the ‘work’ or requirements of the law of
God which is written in the heart of man. In the case of a Christian, the more
thoroughly he is instructed and acquainted with the precepts of God, the more
likely the judgement of the conscience will be sound.
The conscience is like a reliable programmable apple-sorting machine. If it is
well-programmed, it will classify most of the good apples as good, and the
others as bad. If it starts classifying all the apples it examines as good even
though some are really bad, we know that there is something wrong with the
programme, but not the machine.
There is a difference, though, between the conscience of the believer and the
unbeliever. Only the Christian may have a pure conscience (Tit 1:15). This is a
conscience that speaks clearly. Unbelievers, on the other hand, may only have a
dull or impure conscience. Such a conscience will also speak, but it often
speaks with a muffled voice except for the most severe crime.
You are acquainted with your conscience, aren’t you? You tell a lie, and your
conscience immediately pricked you: “wrong!” It judges, and then it gives you
no rest until you tell the truth. Or you may take a bus and you pay less than
the required fare. Again your conscience shouts, “wrong!” And it keeps
reminding you until you pay up or get off the bus.
The conscience, moreover, does not know how to tell you why an
action is right or wrong—that is the function of the intellect. But it pricks
you if you do something it perceives to be morally wrong, and it does not care
if you have excuses. Try telling your conscience “But the bus company earns so
much, what’s 20¢ to it?” But your conscience will not listen. It will continue
to remind you of your sin.
The conscience of a Christian is like a subordinate court that God has set over
the heart to judge us and to convict us of our deeds immediately—before the
Great Judgement Day. However, it is also the Christian who can have any peace
of conscience because he can have the assurance that his sins are pardoned.
The
Importance of the Conscience
The conscience is
perhaps the most important companion for a Christian in his earthly pilgrimage.
The Apostle Paul highlights this fact in a remarkable statement in his first
epistle to Timothy:
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according
to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a
good warfare; [19]Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put
away concerning faith have made shipwreck: [20]Of whom is Hymenaeus and
Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to
blaspheme (1 Tim 1:18–20).
The charge that Paul refers to here is the instructions that he had committed
to Timothy when he left him in Ephesus to take care of the church. This charge
was committed to Timothy according to a prophecy which was made during
Timothy’s ordination to the ministry. We do not know the content of the
prophecy, but it might have to do with the condition of the church that Timothy
had to pastor or the kind of troubles that he would face as a pastor. So Paul
instructs him to maintain the truth and to charge those responsible for
promoting falsehood to stop doing so. Paul believes that if Timothy follows his
instructions, then he would be able to “war a good warfare.”
But in verse 19, Paul adds two more conditions that must accompany his
obedience to his instructions. Firstly, Timothy must hold on to
faith, i.e., he must continue to trust in the Lord and believe all the
doctrines that were once delivered unto him. This condition is not surprising.
To loose his faith would mean that he would be an apostate himself.
But, this second condition is somewhat surprising: Timothy must
hold on to a good conscience. In other words, he may not expect to have success
in his ministry unless he holds on to a good conscience. In fact, Paul actually
emphasises holding on to a good conscience more than holding on to faith in
this verse, for we read: “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which
some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck” (v. 19).
The word translated “which” (Greek: ên) is in the singular in the
Greek (unlike the “which” of verse 6, which is plural); so proper grammar tells
us that it refers to conscience alone.
Paul is telling Timothy that some have cast aside their conscience and
so made shipwrecked concerning their faith. The word translated “put away”
(Greek:apôtheô) is a strong verb used only three times in the New
Testament (cf. Acts 7:27, Rom 11:1–2). It means “to deliberately thrust away.”
Now in the present context, Paul is painting a picture of the Christian
journey. It is like a ship in the sea, and conscience is its rudder steering it
in the right course. You remember that James used the same picture with regards
to the tongue (Jas 3:4). The rudder is just a thin piece of metal or wood. It
is so small compared to the size of the ship, yet it plays a most important
role. It controls the direction of the ship. Without the rudder, the ship will
drift aimlessly in the sea; it will eventually crash into some rocks or reef.
Here Paul warns Timothy, that those who cast away their conscience are casting
away their rudder and may ultimately make shipwreck concerning their faith.
This was what happened to Hymenaeus and Alexander (v. 20). They cast away their
conscience and made shipwreck of their faith by proving to be apostates, and so
Paul “delivered [them] unto Satan,” i.e., excommunicated them, so “that they
may learn not to blaspheme.”
What can we learn from this instruction? If Paul thought it necessary to warn
the pastor of the church in this manner, how much more must we who are ordinary
members of the church take heed to his words. Beloved, the conscience is the
rudder of your Christian life. If you cast it away, you will drift away from
Christ and be immediately in dangerous stormy sea, on course for shipwreck.
When that happens, you will put yourself out of the way of life, and if you
persist in it you will prove yourself to be an apostate ultimately.
Casting
Away a Good Conscience
Firstly,
we must note that it is impossible to literally yank out your conscience and
cast it away. Your conscience will always be part of you—you will bring it with
you even when you die. Remember also, that an evil conscience is a conscience
that is accusing you. Therefore to have a good conscience is to have a
conscience that speaks clearly and yet is approving rather than condemning.
Thus, to cast away a good conscience is to so deal with one’s conscience that
it no longer serves its purpose.
Ultimately, when one casts aside a good conscience, one is left with a seared
conscience—a conscience that is no longer sensitive or speaking clearly. Paul
speaks of this in 1 Timothy 4:1–2
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared
with a hot iron.
Paul was referring directly to some gnostics and ascetics—some early heretics,
but I believe that his prophecy applies generally in our day too.
The word translated “seared” (Greek: kaustêriazô) literally mean to
“mark by branding with a red hot iron.” It was a practice in those days for
farmers to mark their cattle by using a hot iron with a symbol (brand) at the
end. The iron is placed in the fire and heated until red hot and then it is
pressed against the back of the cattle to make a permanent imprint—an imprint
caused by dead skin over which the hair of the cattle will not grow again. With
this mark in place, the owner of the animal can always identify it if it
escapes or is stolen. Thus when Paul speaks of “conscience seared with a hot
iron,” he is saying that you can sear your conscience—you can cause your
conscience to be so hardened or dead that it can no longer function
effectively.
But how does searing of the conscience come about? May I suggest three common
ways which we must be aware of lest we fall:
By Arguing Against Conscience
Because
the conscience will not be silenced, and because it hurts, many of us will try
to argue against it. I am sure you are familiar with this: You quarrel with
your friend: your conscience rebuke you distinctly: “wrong!” You reply, “but it
was his fault!” Conscience says a little softer: “wrong!” You say, “Ok, I
started it, but it was because he provoked me!” Conscience says, “wrong!” But
now it is barely discernible. The wrongness of your quarrelling with your
friend has not changed, you have silenced your conscience by arguing against
it.
You realise that when you argue against conscience in this way, you are
actually trying to silence conscience and at the same time polluting your
conscience. Soon your conscience will be too weak and dull to speak. And if you
do it frequently enough, the voice of your conscience will be too muffled to be
heard. When that happens you have been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and
are on course for spiritual shipwreck.
By Ignoring Conscience
The
second way in which we sear our conscience is by deliberately ignoring it. You
know what it says. But you simply ignore it. This is the quickest way to
searing your conscience and experiencing spiritual hardening. The first time
you commit a sin your conscience may rebuke you. But if you chose to ignore
your conscience, and commit the same sin again, your conscience will not speak
so loudly. After a while, you will not feel guilty about committing the sin any
more: you have been successful nullifying your conscience.
How does a professing Christian eventually stop attending church altogether?
How does a thief becomes a kleptomaniac and a murderer becomes a psychopath? I
believe the answer is the same: by repeatedly ignoring their consciences.
Beloved, whenever you ignore your conscience, no matter how small the matter
is, you are dulling your conscience.
By Drowning Conscience
Some
of us are not so good at arguing against our conscience, and we find it hard to
ignore our conscience. What do we do? We try to drown out the voice of our
conscience. Whenever our conscience speaks concerning some sin in our lives, it
hurts. So in order not to hear it, some of us will keep ourselves busy, and so
drown ourselves at work. Or we switch on the television or the radio as we
attempt to drown the voice of conscience—hoping that it will forget what we did
or did not do. Is this not the reason why the TV and radio (or walkman or
discman) is so popular with young people today? It takes away their guilt
feelings by drowning the voice of conscience. And yes, your conscience can
indeed be drowned in this way. It will come up again to remind you of your sin,
but if you persist in drowning it, it will indeed be silenced. When that
happens, you will no more sense the need to repent for your sins or to grieve
for your sins.
Your conscience is placed in your soul by the Lord as a sentinel to guard your
heart from sin. Are you arguing against your conscience? Are you drowning it?
Are you ignoring it? Beloved, you will make shipwreck of your faith if you
continue to do so.
Building
and Maintaining a Good Conscience
While
guarding against casting away our conscience, it is also important that we seek
to build and maintain a good conscience. This may sound very difficult, but it
is really very simple. It involves only two steps:
By Enlightening Our Conscience
Remember
that though every man’s conscience is authoritative for him, it is not
infallible in its judgements. One man’s conscience may allow what another’s
forbids. So in 1 Corinthians 8, Paul, in speaking about food offered to idols
that are bought from the market, tells us that there is nothing wrong with
eating them. But he also says (in v. 7), “Howbeit there is not in every man
that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a
thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.” So
then, there is nothing wrong with eating anything you buy from the market even
though the seller had offered it to his idols before selling it. But if you cannot
eat it with a clear conscience, then to you, it is wrong and you must not eat
it. The situation is different in 1 Corinthians 10:14–22. There, it is
participation in idol feast, and it would be wrong even if your conscience
approves of it.
What Paul is telling us is that if you think something is wrong although it is
actually not wrong, then it is wrong for you. On the other hand, our thinking
that a thing is right does not make it right. So, unless your conscience is
informed and enlightened, you may sin against God without even realising it.
So
then, beloved, our first duty towards building a good conscience is to
enlighten our conscience rather than allowing it to be weak and ignorant (1 Cor
8:7, 10, 12). How? By reading and meditating on the Word of God and by hearing
sound preaching. Let us not be found habitually sinning against God because of
an ignorant conscience.
By Obeying Our Conscience
Although
our conscience is not infallible, to cultivate and maintain a good conscience,
we must seek to obey it in all cases in which its decisions are not contrary to
a higher law. It is because Paul, by the grace of God, was able to obey his
conscience, he was able to say, “And herein do I exercise myself, to have
always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16).
And it was because Martin Luther was obedient to his conscience that today we
may worship together as a Protestant
Church. In the first
place, it was an uneasy conscience that caused Luther to nail the 95 theses on
the door of Wittenburg
Castle on October 31,
1517. Three and a half years later, Luther was called to answer charges of
heresy at the Diet of Worms. And there the Reformation could have ended, had it
not been that Luther chose to obey his conscience, that was kept bounded to the
Word of God, than to obey the Pope. We have on record his immortal words:
Unless I am convinced by Scripture, and plain reason,
I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted
each other…. Myconscience is captive to the Word of God; I cannot
and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor
safe. God help me. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise.
Can you imagine what would have happened if Luther had crumbled to the pressure
to submit to the Pope and disobeyed his conscience? I dare say Luther would
have made shipwreck of his faith and the Reformation would have fizzled out.
Let me give you four reasons why we must obey our conscience:
Firstly, the authority of the conscience is derived from God, so to do
what our conscience forbids is to sin against God (cf. Rom 14:23). However,
remember that to do what conscience allows is not always righteous.
Secondly, disobeying our conscience results in an evil conscience, which
is the most miserable thing that a child of God may have. Calvin is not
exaggerating when he says, “There is no greater torment than an evil
conscience” (Comm. on Acts 16:34). Charles Hodge echoes the same thought, “The
greatest happiness flows from an approving conscience, and the greatest misery
from a wounded conscience.”
Thirdly, having a good conscience ensures that we have a good,
irreproachable testimony. “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 Pet 3:16).
Fourthly, disobeying our conscience is a sure way of snuffing out our
conscience so that its voice become more and more indistinct and soft.
Disobeying our conscience is the surest way to cast away our conscience and to
make shipwreck of our faith.
Conclusion
Beloved,
do you still hear your conscience clearly? Does your conscience ever prick you
any more? When you tell a half-truth, does your conscience smite you? When you
quarrel and act in an unchristian manner, does your conscience hurt you? When
you break the Sabbath by doing what ought to be done on other days, does your
conscience trouble you? If your answer to any of these questions is “no,” or
“just a little,” then I am afraid you may be exhibiting symptoms of searing
your conscience. Will you not go in secret to the cross of Christ and repent
and regain a good conscience before it is too late?
And finally, beloved, do you realise that having a good conscience is most
important for maintaining your love and reliance on Christ? For it is when our
conscience tells us of our failures despite our best efforts to live the
Christian life that we realise experientially that we need Christ. For this
reason, those who claim that emphasis on the precept of God and on the
conscience is legalism, does not really know what they are talking about. There
is a direct correlation between the well-being of our conscience and our
enjoyment of God in Christ.
—JJ Lim