The Conscience – What is it really?

The conscience has been frequently defined as our sense of good and bad. But this is a very limited definition, which can obscure the importance of the conscience in the  life of the Christian. The Greek word translated conscience in the Bible (e.g. Romans 9:1, 1 Timothy 1:5, 1 Timothy 1:19) is “soonidaysis”, which also means co-perception or co-knowing or knowing together. With whom does the Christian share this co-perception? In Romans 9:1, Paul says His conscience (co-perception) confirms or bears him witness through the Holy Spirit. By this, we understand that the conscience is a witness or a co-knowing we have with or from the Holy Spirit. This co-perception with the Holy Spirit builds in us the sense of what is divinely appropriate and inappropriate, a conviction of what we must give ourselves to and what to avoid, even in the minor affairs of life – if we will learn how to develop and live by a good conscience.

The conscience is so indispensable that the Bible says our being instructed in the Lord is supposed to bring us to a place of a good conscience (cf. 1 Timothy 1:5). Without a good conscience, our faith is shipwrecked and our salvation lies in jeopardy, just as we have been admonished: “having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck” (1 Timothy 1:19).

Developing a good conscience is a process. It is the result of continually being instructed and walking in the Word and ways of God (1 Timothy 1:5). This is how we learn to distinguish between the thoughts and impressions we have that emanate from our own human desires or even the devil, and those that result from our conscience (our co-perception with the Holy Spirit). The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance the things Jesus, the Word, taught (John 14:26). Even so, how accurate our co-perception with the Holy Spirit is directly depends on how much of the Word of God we have in our hearts. We develop a good conscience to the degree that we study the Word of God and make a practice of it. With this, we present our conscience to the Holy Spirit as a tool through which He can guide us.

When you make a practice of refusing to yield to the truth of God’s Word in your heart, thereby giving yourself over to sin, you sear your conscience as with a hot iron (cf. 1 Timothy 4:1-2). Similarly, if you give yourself over to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, e.g., the hyper-grace message which condones and promotes living in sin because grace abounds, you only violate your conscience until it’s so seared and corrupted that it cannot distinguish between what is holy and profane (cf. 1 Timothy 4:1-2). A corrupt conscience, one seared as with a branding iron, is deceived and ruled by satan. Even satan appears as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Even so, when your conscience is corrupt, the evil that comes to you would appear as light, and if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is your darkness, error, and destruction (cf. Mathew 6:22-23, Luke 11:35).

Therefore take heed to what you listen and give yourself to. We should give ourselves continually to the Word of God and obey, trembling, at it (James 1:22, Isaiah 66:2). This is how we can develop a clear conscience; a co-knowing with the Holy Spirit, even in the minor affairs of life.

– Dr. K. Omari
December 1, 2019

A Very Important Announcement

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Therefore, If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, I invite you to put your faith in Him. Pray the prayer below to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour:

“I come to you God in Jesus’ name and surrender my life unto you. I repent of my sins and I ask You to forgive me all my sins. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe with my heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. I thank you God for saving me, in Jesus name, Amen”.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, believe and be assured that you are saved, for the Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13, Romans 10:10, Acts 16:31). Find a Bible believing church to attend so that you can be discipled to grow in the ways of God. You can also email me ([email protected]) and I will be happy to grow together with you in Christ.