The conscience is an important concept in the Bible that refers to a person’s inner sense of right and wrong. According to the Bible, God has written His law on every human heart and given us an inner moral compass to discern between righteousness and sin (Romans 2:14-15). Here is an overview of what the Bible teaches about the conscience:
The conscience convicts us of sin
The conscience bears witness to God’s moral law that is innately understood by all people. When we go against our conscience and do something wrong, it creates feelings of guilt, shame, and self-condemnation (Romans 2:14-15). The conscience passes judgment on our actions and thoughts, accusing or defending us before God (Romans 14:22). As an imperfect guide, the conscience can be ignored or distorted by continued sin, but its role is to evaluate our conduct based on the inner sense of right and wrong that God has placed within us.
The conscience can be corrupted
Although the conscience is a gift from God to every person, it can lose its sensitivity and be corrupted through continual disregard of its warnings. The Bible warns about those whose consciences have been “seared” and are no longer functioning properly (1 Timothy 4:2). When people repeatedly go against their conscience and excuse wrong behaviors, the conscience can become dull, leading to moral blindness and insensitivity to sin (Ephesians 4:18-19). For this reason, we must keep our conscience clear and sensitive by obeying it and not suppressing its convicting voice.
The conscience directs us to God’s truth
The conscience not only passes judgment on our actions but also prompts us to seek out and obey God’s truth. When faced with guilt and conviction, the conscience pushes us to find forgiveness, cleansing, and the right path forward. As an imperfect moral guide, our conscience should lead us to the perfect law and truth found in God’s Word (Psalm 119:30). The godly response to the conscience is to humbly submit to its warnings and seek wisdom from the Bible on how to live uprightly.
The conscience can be cleansed by Christ
Though the conscience convicts us of sin, it cannot provide the remedy our souls need. Only through trusting in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross are we forgiven and cleansed from a guilty conscience (Hebrews 9:14). When we turn to Jesus in repentance and faith, He washes our conscience from the stain of sin and removes shame and condemnation. As we walk in obedience to God’s Word, the Holy Spirit renews our minds and guides our conscience to discern right from wrong in His strength (Titus 1:15).
Obeying the conscience leads to integrity
When we pay attention to our conscience and obey it, we live lives of integrity before God. Even when no one is watching, a clear conscience constrained by God’s truth will lead us to do what is right in private and public (Acts 24:16). However, ignoring the conscience results in hypocrisy and inconsistency between our inner person and outer actions. As Christians, we must aim to keep our conscience clear of offense toward God and others by living by our convictions of truth.
The conscience affirms our new life in Christ
For believers in Christ, the conscience confirms the inner transformation happening through the Holy Spirit’s renewing work. Though the conscience convicts us when we sin, it also encourages us when we obey God and see the fruit of righteousness in our lives (1 John 3:19-21). The conscience bears witness that we are a new creation in Christ as our desires change and we experience victory over willful sin by God’s grace.
We will give account for how we followed our conscience
The Bible warns that one day we will stand before God and give an account for how we responded to our conscience in this life. Those who suppressed the conscience and practiced evil will face condemnation, while those who lived by conviction and sought purity will receive eternal rewards (Romans 2:14-16). At the final judgment, the conscience will either defend or condemn each person based on how they followed its inner sense of right and wrong on earth.
The conscience must be subject to God’s Word
Since the conscience is an imperfect guide, it must be subject to the authority of Scripture. God’s Word is the ultimate standard of right living and we should train our conscience to be aligned with biblical truth (Psalm 119:9-11). When conscience and Bible disagree, Scripture must overrule our inner voice. Submitting the conscience to the supremacy of God’s Word allows the Holy Spirit to renew it and restore its sensitive discernment.
Following the conscience leads to assurance
When Christians walk in obedience to the convicting voice of conscience, they experience inner assurance of salvation and peace before God. The testimony of a clear conscience, cleansed by Christ’s blood, gives confidence that we belong to the Lord and are being sanctified by His Spirit day-by-day (1 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Corinthians 1:12). The quiet witness of a blameless conscience assures believers in their relationship with God.
The conscience can become overly sensitive
On the opposite extreme of a corrupt conscience is an overly sensitive conscience controlled by doubt and fear. When the conscience imposes excessive guilt and inhibition that is not warranted or grounded in God’s Word, it leads to bondage, false condemnation, and distorted views of sin and morality (1 Corinthians 8:7, 10:25-29). Believers must be careful not to allow the conscience to bind their freedom in Christ through scrupulosity and rigid taboos not clearly defined in Scripture.
Love must shape the conscience of believers
While following their conscience, Christians must ensure it is shaped by love for God and others. Our discernment of right and wrong should be filtered through loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). Even when the conscience convicts us to avoid evil, we must remember to act in love, not condemnation, toward those still lost in sin.
The conscience reflects our relationship with God
The state of a person’s conscience is a mirror that reflects their relationship and walk with God. A clear conscience filled with integrity and goodwill toward others indicates a life consecrated to pleasing the Lord in obedient service. But an insensitive, defiled conscience marked by unrepentant sin signals a life lived apart from God’s presence and holiness (Hebrews 10:22, 1 Timothy 4:2).
Righteous living keeps the conscience clear
In order to maintain a blameless conscience, Christians must persevere in righteousness through the power of the Holy Spirit. Deliberate sins weigh down the conscience, but walking in the light cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9). As we put off the old self and put on Christ-like attitudes and actions, our conscience is refreshed and freed from guilt’s defilement (Ephesians 4:17-24).
The conscience points us to the cross
The ultimate purpose of the conscience is to highlight our need for the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. Though the conscience convicts us when we do wrong, it cannot provide the final solution our guilt deserves and demands. Only through repentance and faith in Christ’s redeeming sacrifice can our conscience be made perfect and restored to proper service of God (Hebrews 9:9-14).
Submitting to authority keeps the conscience clear
To maintain a blameless conscience, Christians must submit to those in legitimate positions of authority over them, whether in the church, home, or workplace. Rebellion against rightful authority causes the conscience to accuse us when we go against their reasonable commands (Romans 13:5). But willingly submitting to governing authorities, employers, parents, and church leaders keeps the conscience clear.
The conscience witnesses to moral accountability
The mere existence of the conscience in every person bears witness to the fact that we are morally accountable beings. The conscience affirms that right and wrong exist and we have a responsibility to discern and do what is good. Our inner sense of morality reflects the fact that God exists, has given us an inner moral compass, and will one day judge each life based on how it matched up to truth.
The conscience can prompt hesitancy and restraint
At times, the conscience may inhibit believers from partaking in certain practices that are not necessarily sinful but could easily become so. This is the conscience promoting restraint and caution to avoid even a hint of evil. For example, the conscience may impose self-control in the use of alcohol or abstinence from activities prone to temptation (Romans 14:21-22). A wise person pays heed to these restraints of conscience.
God gave us the conscience to lead us to Christ
The conscience performs its highest function when it directs people to acknowledge their sinfulness and need for a Savior. The conscience was given by God to stop every mouth and make humanity accountable before Him as Judge (Romans 3:19-20). This leads those convicted in conscience to repent and put their faith in Christ to redeem them and reconcile them to God.
The Holy Spirit guides and purifies the conscience
For believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within the conscience to purify and renew it. The Spirit guides the conscience to discern good and evil in line with God’s perfect truth. As Christians yield to the Spirit’s control, their conscience becomes a trusted advisor that protects them from sin and error (1 Timothy 1:19, Romans 9:1).
A clear conscience produces joy
Having a conscience void of offense brings joy, peace, and emotional wellbeing. But violating one’s conscience through rebellion and unrepentant sin damages inner calm and contentment. As Paul wrote, “Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves” (Romans 14:22). Walking in Spirit-led obedience with a clear conscience provides lasting happiness.
The conscience affirms the universal moral law
The fact that the conscience convicts people of every tribe and nation shows that morality is a universal law instilled by the Creator. There are basic rights and wrongs that transcend culture and backgrounds. God’s moral truth is written on every heart. The conscience affirms we are all His creation and accountable to Him as moral beings (Romans 2:14-15).
A tender conscience characterized Christ
Jesus provided the perfect example of living by an undefiled and tender conscience devoted to God alone. He obeyed the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit with perfect sensitivity to the Father’s will. Christ’s pure conscience guided Him to exemplify moral excellence and complete freedom from inner condemnation before God (Hebrews 7:26-28, John 8:29).
Self-judgment keeps the conscience clear
The Bible instructs believers to regularly examine their own hearts and actions to maintain a clear conscience. Christian integrity requires judging ourselves by God’s standard to detect any areas we are falling short. This prevents the conscience from becoming defiled by excusing sin in our lives (1 Corinthians 11:28-32). Self-judgment keeps the conscience tender.
The conscience enables self-awareness
The presence of a conscience makes mankind distinct in creation with an inner self-awareness and capacity for moral reasoning. The conscience provides a point of view separate from our thoughts and actions where we can evaluate ourselves. Self-reflection would be impossible without this God-given inner voice passing judgment on who we are and what we do.
Wrongly ignoring the conscience sears the conscience
When people repeatedly suppress the voice of conscience and engage in actions they know to be wrong, it has a detrimental effect. Continually overriding the conscience causes it to become less sensitive and begin justifying sinful behaviors. This leads to a ‘seared’ conscience that is hardened to truth and no longer functions properly (1 Timothy 4:2).
The conscience spurs us to moral improvement
The convictions of conscience serve a redemptive purpose in our lives. By alerting us to sin, it spurs us to confess, repent, and change our ways to become more like Christ. The conscience pricks our hearts so that we will turn from evil and walk in holiness out of love for God. Its voice is purifying.
The conscience can prompt believers to avoid sinful freedoms
At times, Christians may avoid certain practices that are technically permissible to avoid damaging a weaker brother’s conscience. For example, a believer may abstain from alcohol to prevent influencing a former addict to stumble. This willingness to limit freedoms spares the conscience of weaker ones in Christ (1 Corinthians 8:9-13).
Submitting to authority keeps a blameless conscience
To prevent a guilty conscience, the Bible instructs believers to willingly submit to governing authorities and those in rightful positions of leadership over them. Rebelling against legitimate authority causes the conscience to accuse us. Obeying reasonable commands preserves a blameless conscience (Romans 13:1-5).
The conscience convinces unbelievers of sin and judgment
In evangelism, the conscience serves to convince unbelievers of their sinfulness and need for the Savior. The conscience already knows the truth of God’s law. The gospel activates the conscience to highlight people’s rebellion against God so they will repent and believe (John 8:9).
A clear conscience comes from faith in Christ’s redemption
More than just doing what is right, a clear conscience comes from faith in what Jesus accomplished for us. Believers enjoy a cleansed conscience because of confidence that Christ’s blood fully atoned for their sins before God (Hebrews 10:22). The work of Christ purifies the conscience.
The conscience can be overly scrupulous
While a properly functioning conscience is a helpful guide, some people’s consciences impose excessive standards not clearly specified in God’s Word. When the conscience binds believers to manmade rules, it can inhibit their freedom. Scrupulosity leads to false guilt, anxiety, and bondage (Colossians 2:20-23).
In summary, the conscience is a gift from God that convicts, guides, and affirms. It is a sensitive instrument designed to reveal our innermost thoughts and motives. As Christians, we must keep our consciences clear by obeying its voice, aligning it to Scripture, and trusting in Christ’s finished work. Handled rightly, it is a powerful aid in the pursuit of godliness and integrity.