Is The Conscience A Sufficient Guide?

I. Introduction: Many people have seen Disney’s classic movie “Pinocchio.” In that movie Jiminy Cricket tells Pinocchio, “Always let your conscience be your guide.” Our conscience is important but is it a sufficient guide in religion? Will our conscience ever be clear even when we are doing wrong?

II. Our conscience is an insufficient guide in worldly matters.

A. Travel

B. There are many times when I have been going the wrong direction on a road and felt that I was on the right road. I just knew that I had made the right turn and that the road was familiar. I was sincere in my assumption, my conscience was clear, but I was lost.

C. Health

D. Doctors sometimes treat the wrong ailment, prescribe an incorrect course of treatment, and misdiagnose patients. The doctor sincerely tries to heal the patient, but if his knowledge is insufficient, he will be wrong in the treatment. His conscience will be clear because he did what he knew to be right, but he did not know enough about the ailment or the treatment to do what would have helped the patient.

E. Business

F. Business leaders make corporate decisions based on what they think is good for the company. Government leaders make decisions based on what they think is good for the economy. Individuals make decisions based on what they think is good for their personal finances. All make decisions based on how they think the markets will react, the economies will respond, and the business environment, yet all will make wrong decisions from time to time because, although they are acting sincerely, they are not going to have all of the information to make the truly correct decisions.

G. Other

H. We often hear news reports of people killed by “unloaded” guns. The owners stored the guns with a clear conscience because they believed they were unloaded. Tragically, they were wrong. The suicide bombers and terrorists that we have heard about on the news are acting with a clear conscience and all sincerity.

I. The conscience is not safe as a guide in personal matters, why do people rely on it so much in religious matters?

III. The conscience is not a guide but a court

A. Romans 2:12-15

B. For the Gentiles before Christ, it regulated their behavior. The conscience excuses or accuses based on what is in the heart.

C. The conscience does not make law but determines if we are acting according to the law we know.

IV. Examples of conscience.

A. Paul

B. Paul said that he always lived in good conscience before God, Acts 23:1.

C. He claimed that this was the case throughout his life Even when he persecuted the church and condemned Christians to death—when he was fighting against Jesus—he lived in good conscience. Acts 26:9-11 – He thought that he should be persecuting Christians. But he was a sinner and needed his sins removed, Acts 22:16. Paul was sincere, but he was sincerely wrong.

D. Cornelius

E. Acts 10:1-2 – He was a religious man

F. However, he still needed to be saved,

G. Acts 10:5-6 (“Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”) Acts 11:13-14 (“And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved’.”)

H. Young prophet

I. Was commanded by God to not stop from his return trip to Jereboam.1 Kings 13:8-25. The young prophet sincerely believed the older prophet despite the clear command from God at the beginning of his journey. He followed his conscience, persuaded by the older prophet, and was punished by God. Others can lead us into false practices, which we may follow sincerely, yet we will still be lost!

V. Our conscience must be guided by the law of God.

A. We must know the truth so that we will not be punished like the young prophet.

B. It is our responsibility to know the truth, we will not be able to blame the false teacher on the Day of Judgment when we had opportunity to study for ourselves and know the truth. Titus 1:15-16 – Such causes a defiled conscience.1 Tim. 3:9 – We should hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience (qualification of deacons but should be true of all Christians).

C. 1 Peter 3:15-16 – Our good conscience is reinforced by our ability to give an account for the hope that is within us.

VI. How can we get a good conscience?

A. As we have just studied, we must first have knowledge of what is right so that the word of God can guide our conscience.

B. Sincerity will not replace obedience

C. Hebrews 5:9 (“And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,”)1 Peter 1:22 (“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth”) Zeal will not replace obedience, Romans 10:1-2. As we learn the truth, we must desire to repent of our sins and obey the truth (just as Paul did, repented of his sins—sincerely wrong—to serve Jesus truthfully)

D. The blood of Christ can cleanse our conscience.

E. Hebrews 9:13-14 – Sprinkled with the blood of Christ Hebrews 10:22 – Blood and water unite to cleanse us and give us a pure conscience towards God. This is accomplished in baptism, 1 Peter 3:21.

VII. Keeping a good conscience

A. Strive for a good conscience, Acts 24:16.

B. Live honorably, Hebrews 13:18 (“Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably.”)

C. We should not violate our conscience (or cause others to violate their conscience), 1 Corinthians 8:10-13.

D. 1 Timothy 4:2 – we can sear our conscience just as false teachers do. When our conscience accuses us, we must repent.

VIII. Conclusion: Our conscience is an invaluable asset for helping us obey God, but it is not our guide, His word is our guide. When we establish our hearts in the truth, the conscience will police our actions and excuse or accuse us. We must not violate it, lest it become calloused and insensitive to sin. If we listen to its judgment now, it will prepare us for the judgment to come.