My Conscience is My Own

Five-Minute Friday My own conscience is a gift from God.

I recently attended a mini-conference where Dr. Andrew David Naselli presented some very helpful and biblical concepts about my conscience. As a result, I ordered his book (a used copy on Amazon) and also the children’s version at the request of my wife. There are many realities about this God-given gift that is actually a part of the way we image God. We are, God says, created in his image. That inner compass and voice is a part of that amazing design. It is, if you will, some special, complex, and amazing software in the hardware of our brains.

One Example from Scripture

If you read Paul’s book to the Romans, it doesn’t take long to see something that looks like the conscience. Here is just one example. It is “plain to them”, they “suppress the truth”, it “is plain to them”, God’s invisible attributes “have been clearly perceived”, they “knew God”, “but they became futile in their thinking”, and as a result, “their foolish hearts were darkened.” We see this every day in our own lives (if we are not careful about our own consciences) and in the downward spiral of the lives around us.

It is a foolish thing to make your conscience insensitive.

Romans 1:18-23 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

Your Own Eyes Are A Window to Your Conscience

Sadly, it is possible to damage your conscience. You can lie to yourself. You can allow others to tell you things that are not true, and accept them as truth. Solomon saw this in his day, and we see it thousands of years later.

You Can Damage Your Conscience – by Andrew David Naselli & J.D. Crowley

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

“Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” 3:7

“Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” 26:12

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. 12:15

“All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.” 16:2

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.” 21:2

“Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” 26:5

“The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.” 26:16

“A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.” 28:11

“There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.” 30:12

“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” 28:26

How to Identify a Follower of Jesus

A true follower of Jesus wants to have a good conscience.

“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 1 Timothy 1:5

“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,…” 1 Timothy 1:18-19

Five Minute Friday

This post is part of the weekly Five-Minute Friday link-up.

All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.