The conscience - compass of the soul.
Holding faith, and
a good conscience; which some having put away
concerning faith have made shipwreck.
(1 Timothy 1.19)
The conscience is a vital but fragile
spiritual faculty easily mistreated or misguided.
How extremely dangerous it is to violate the conscience wilfully and
carelessly!
It is like a spiritual Satnav - and needs careful nurture and
protection - how evil its malfunction.
Yet how carelessly
neglected the
central importance of conscience is.
Its active watchfulness is
a crucial sign of spiritual health and
mistreatment of the conscience lies at the root of much psychiatric and
spiritual ill.
I shall always be
grateful for the illumination I received on this most
important subject in the faithful ministry of the Word of my dear
former pastor, Peter Masters. CS
Various
disorders of the conscience:
An
angry conscience
Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts,
their conscience also bearing witness,
and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one
another; Rom. 2.15
And the way of peace have they not known: Rom.
3.17
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose
waters cast up mire and dirt.
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. Isa. 57. 21-22
"Neither greatness of authority, nor wealth of riches, nor
extensive power,
nor physical might, nor a
sumptuous table,
nor elegant clothes, nor anything else a man may possess can
give joy and peace of soul;
this comes only from spiritual well-being and a good
conscience."
John Chrysostom
(A pity the great preacher had little conscience about his
malicious slanders against the Jews,
perhaps the result of his concessions to iconolatry.)
A
striking but by no means exceptional illustration of the enormous
psychological power of the conscience.
Overcharged
and ill focussed on matters of little real importance
'Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites!
For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and
cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment,
mercy, and faith:
these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the
other undone.' Mt 23:23
But when
ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin
against Christ. 1Co 8:12
Seared
(Often
as a result of the overtaxing of conscience by wearying it with
minutiae as above)
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with
a hot
iron. 1 Tim. 4.2
Defiled
and deadened
Unto the pure all things are
pure:
but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure;
but even their mind and conscience is defiled. Titus 1.15
But she that liveth in pleasure is dead
while she liveth. 1Ti 5:6
Who being past feeling have
given
themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with
greediness. Eph 4:19
Dangerously
out of synchronisation with God's will
Yes, the
time cometh, that whosoever kills you will think that he does God
service! Joh
16:2
And the chief priests took
the silver
pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury,
because it is the price of blood. Mt 27:6
(Many other examples could be multiplied of this phenomenon, which is
exceedingly common amongst those afflicted with blind,
self righteous religious zeal.
The Scribes were so focussed on maintaining ritual purity they
neglected the enormity of
their guilt in murdering Messiah - what about us?)
Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment:
and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall,
lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. John
18.28
Will
this be the state of your soul? - may God forbid!
A good test of healthy preaching
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have
received mercy, we faint not;
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking
in craftiness,
nor handling the word of God deceitfully;
but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s
conscience in the sight of God. 2 Cor. 4.1-2
For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine;
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth,
and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Tim. 4.3-4
Vigorous and healthy spirituality
Now the end of the
commandment is charity
out of a pure heart,
and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 1Ti 1:5
Essential to accurate spiritual
perception
Holding the mystery of the
faith in a pure conscience. 1Ti 3:9
How can an angry conscience be properly and legitimately brought to peace
with God?
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of
faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies
washed with pure water. Heb
10:22
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? Heb
9:14
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is
not in us. 1 John 1.8-10
Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. Luke 7.50b
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of
life. Proverbs 4. 23
