Our Consciences a gift All of us at times face decisions that test our character. When a choice conflicts with our value system, the “first responder” is our conscience. However, even this divine gift has been exposed to the world’s programming, which means we must not only reorient but also fortify our “inner compass.” The strength of our conscience depends on both truth and tradition, and these, in turn, are impacted by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. • Truth. Since Jesus declared that He is the truth, then maintaining a close relationship with Him through prayer and obedience strengthens our conscience. Both the Holy Spirit and the Word of God play vital roles in this growth process. The Spirit of Truth, as Jesus identified the third Person of the Trinity, is also known as “the Helper.” The Spirit doesnt just assist us in distinguishing righteousness from sin; He also teaches us and guides us into all truth (John 14:17, 26; 16:8, 13). • Tradition. Joseph and David both set godly examples for us to follow when we face temptation—they let their conscience guide them in honoring God. At great personal cost, Joseph rejected the advances of Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39). And David, though presented with an opportunity to kill or humiliate Saul, chose instead to leave the matter in the Lord’s hands (1 Sam. 24:5-7). When we ignore our conscience, it is at great peril. Our conscience is a gift from God and without an understanding of what this gift from God is, we run the risk of capsizing our faith in God. Many people mistakenly think of the conscience as God’s voice instead of God’s gift. We were created with an “inner monitor” that acts as a moral compass for life; it points to a standard of right and wrong that can guide our decisions. But the conscience, like everything else in us, is fallen and in need of redemption. Depending on how it has been programmed, our conscience can nudge us in the wrong direction. Apostle Paul himself is an illustration of this. His formal education as a Pharisee had taught him that Christians were a threat to God and the Jewish faith. Does this remind you of some that want to kill all Christians thinking they are doing the wish of God? Paul’s conscience had been programmed to see killing them as service to the Lord. So he passionately hunted down believers without tripping an alarm on his moral compass. Only after the risen Christ met him on the way to Damascus was his conscience transformed and his life altered. Unless we let the Lord redeem us fully, our decisions can prove as destructive as if we ignored our “monitoring system” altogether. By understanding the divine gift of conscience, we stand a better chance of staying on course and away from trouble. What is more, if we submit our conscience to the Holy Spirit, we will find safe harbor when storms threaten our faith or future. We can rely on the Holy Spirit to help us develop a better conscience. He has given us everything we need for the task, which is essential if we are to live a godly life.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 15:28:53 +0000
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