A STUDY OF MAN’S CONSCIENCE

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   There are numerous things that set man apart from the animal kingdom.

1.    We can think upon difficult, abstract concepts.

2.    We can communicate deep levels of information.

3.    We can participate in unique behaviors (i.e, worshiping God).

 

B.   Another thing that makes humans different than animals is that we have been endowed with a conscience.

1.    The conscience is not like a body part that we can point to.

2.    However, all of us have experienced the impact of our conscience from time to time in our lives both positively and negatively.

3.    We know what it is when we experience it, but we may not be able to accurately define the conscience.

 

C.   We have entitled this lesson:  “A Study of Man’s Conscience.”

 

I.             A DEFINITION OF CONSCIENCE

 

A.   Personal definition:

1.    A feeling

2.    That originates in the mind

3.    That either approves or condemns our thoughts, words, or actions

4.    And is based upon our education, training, and experiences

 

B.   The Bible uses the word “conscience” 31 times in 29 verses.

1.    There is only one Greek word translated conscience, “suneidesis.”

2.    Lexicons:

a.    Strong (4893):  co-perception (rationale and emotion, vme), moral consciousness

b.    Thayer:  consciousness, the soul distinguishing between what is morally good and bad

c.    Vine: 

1)    Lit., a knowing with (a knowing with emotion)

2)    A co-knowledge with oneself

3)    The witness borne to one’s conduct by conscience

4)    A process of thought that commends the good and condemns the wrong

3.    Romans 2:15

 

Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another.

 

 

 

II.           A WITNESS FOR GOD

 

A.   The conscience of man is not something that can be explained by the theory of evolution.

1.    Matter does not possess a conscience.

2.    How can a conscience evolve from absolute nothing?

3.    If it evolved, when did the process begin?  When did some aspect of creation all of a sudden begin to feel either pain or peace based upon its behavior?

 

B.   The conscience is a powerful evidence that man has been created by a God who thinks, reasons, and feels.  He made us in His image (Gen. 1:26-27).  Thus, we, too, can think, reason, and feel.  The conscience is a part of the mind of man.

 

III.         THE CONSCIENCE MUST BE TRAINED PROPERLY

 

A.   The conscience produces two primary feelings, and these feelings are the result of how an individual’s mind has been instructed.

1.    As a human being, I would have difficulty taking the life of another person.

2.    There are others in the world who do not hesitate to snuff out life from another human being.

3.    Why the difference?  The difference lies in the instruction a person’s mind has received.

 

B.   The training of the mind comes from many different sources.

1.    Parents, family

2.    Teachers

3.    Peers

4.    Media/propaganda/advertising

5.    Superiors/leaders/bosses

6.    Authors

7.    Experiences

 

C.   Example:  Saul of Tarsus

1.    Training (Acts 22:3)

 

I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law…

 

2.    His training as a Jew would not initially allow him to believe in Jesus or to accept the religion called Christianity.

a.    He did all he could do to rid Christianity from the world (Gal. 1:13).

 

For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it.

 

b.    He was a witness to the martyrdom of Stephen.  In fact, he was watching the clothes of those who stoned the faithful disciple of Jesus (Acts 7:58).

 

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him:  and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

 

D.   We can be hard on Saul at times, but we need to remember that our training and experiences impact the way we feel about the things that we think, and say, and do.  Our actions may need be as cruel as those of Saul, but they can be sin nonetheless.

 

IV.         THE CONSCIENCE IS NOT A SAFE GUIDE

 

A.   Our last point ties in closely with this point. 

 

B.   There are two reasons the conscience should not be our guide.

1.    If our minds have not been trained properly, the conscience will not respond properly.

a.    Paul had done wrong in being an enemy of the church, but Paul’s conscience did not convict him (Acts 23:1).

 

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

 

b.    There are many individuals who commit sins whose consciences do not wound them because their minds have not been trained correctly.

2.    A second reason we should not trust our conscience is because our conscience can become seared and hardened.

a.    Those of the apostasy that was to come upon the church (1 Tim. 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.

 

b.    The conscience is much like a callous on the skin.

1)    At first the skin (conscience) is tender.

2)    It gets wounded in some way and there is pain.

3)    However, the more skin is wounded, it becomes calloused.

4)    Once calloused there is no feeling.

c.    We see this often with Christians who become less and less faithful in their service to the Lord and His church.

1)    At first there is the sting of shame and guilt.

2)    In time, the shame and guilt become less and less.

3)    Eventually, there is no shame our guilt at all.

4)    NOTE:  Their conscience does not bother them, therefore, they are no longer concerned about their unfaithful practices.

 

V.           THE ACTIONS OF THE CONSCIENCE

 

A.   If the conscience has been trained properly, it can be of some benefit to us.

 

B.   Feelings

1.    The mind begins the process of the conscience’s functions. (Example #1)

a.    We have told a lie to one of our brothers in Christ.

b.    We have been taught that lying is a sin (Col. 3:9).

c.    Our conscience convicts us of this wrongdoing. 

d.    There is hurt, embarrassment, shame, and guilt for what we have done.

 

2.    The mind begins the process of the conscience’s functions (Example #2)

a.    We have taken upon ourself to visit two of our members who are in the nursing home.

b.    We know the Bible teaches that pure religion involves visitation (Jam. 1:27).

c.    Our conscience does not convict us.  Instead, it approves us.

d.    We feel joy, peace, and pride for bringing some light and joy into the lives of individuals who are often very lonely.

 

C.   Behavior

1.    The feelings our conscience brings to us provokes a decision which often leads to some type of action.

2.    Examples:

a.    A convicted conscience:

1)    We have lied and our conscience burns within us.  We rise and go to our brother, confess our wrong, and plead for his forgiveness.  (Remember, if we do not act on our conscience, we harden our heart.  The next time, it will be easier to tell a lie).

2)    Bible example:  The men who refused to stone the woman taken in adultery (John 8:9a)

 

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last…

 

b.    A commending conscience:

1)    We make our visits to the nursing home.  We feel a sense of pride.  We determine to make visiting the nursing home a part of monthly Christian practice.  (NOTE:  We do not need praise and accolades.  The positive feelings our conscience gives to us is enough reward).

2)    The apostles after they were commanded to be beaten by the Jewish council (Acts 5:41).

 

And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

 

VI.         JESUS CAME TO IMPACT MAN’S CONSCIENCE

 

A.   Sin is a horrible thing.  Anyone who finds out he/she is in sin should find their conscience deeply troubled.

1.    He has violated God’s will.

2.    He is at odds with God.

3.    He placed the Savior on the cross of Calvary.

4.    He is lost.

5.    His actions may have caused others to be lost.

 

B.   It is interesting that those who lived under the Old Testament lived under a law given by God, but their conscience could not be healed from sin (Heb. 9:9).

 

Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience.

 

1.    The reason the conscience could not be cleansed is because sins could not be forgiven.

2.    “But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year” (Heb. 10:3)

 

C.   However, under the New Testament, those who are purged from their sins can have their conscience purged as well (Heb. 9:14).

 

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   The conscience is a gift and a curse.

1.    It is a gift if it is trained correctly.

2.    It is a gift if it convicts us of sin and causes us to repent.

3.    It is a curse if it has been trained incorrectly, and one follows it as a guide.

4.    It is a curse if a person hardens his conscience against the will of God.

 

B.   Peter connects the conscience with baptism in 1 Peter 3:21.

 

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

1.    Baptism is a command God has given to allmen..

2.    Peter plainly tells us that this act saves us.

3.    He notes that baptism has nothing to do with the cleansing of the flesh.

4.    It says it is the answer of a good conscience toward God.

a.    God commands that we do it.

b.    Knowing this is God’s will, our conscience urges us to obey.

c.    When we obey, we possess a good conscience knowing we have done with will of God.