Building a Spiritual Conscience

The Angel and the Demon on my shoulder

Most of us have seen the cartoon personification of the human conscience. It happens quite often in cartoons when a character has a decision to make- a little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other. Each of them presenting arguments on why the person should or should not follow through with their idea.

However, the Bibles teaching on the conscience is quite different than that cartoon idea that so many people adopt as their idea of how conscience works. So, today I want to take some time and think about a few of the Biblical concepts that surround the human conscience

The Conscience is NOT the final authority

Your conscience should not be your final authority, because your conscience is fallible and can be impacted by sin. The conscience is a tool that God has given us, but your conscience is not the Holy Spirit. Too often we hear the voice of our conscience and think it is the voice of the Holy Spirit.

The problem is that the Holy Spirit is unchanging and infallible, and our conscience is shaped and transformed by man factors, for example our family situation and upbringing has a significant impact on our conscience.

For example, let’s think about recreational drug use. When more and more people begin to use drugs recreationaly it starts to normalize them in public life, once they become normalized in public life then more and more people begin to have their conscience impacted in wh]]]]]]]]]]\

ether or not these behaviors are acceptable.

For example, countries such as Algeria and Armenia have no laws against domestic violence and women are regularly beaten- their is no little to no push back against these laws- many men admit to beating their wives and have no issue with it. Does this mean that it is acceptable? No it means that they have had their conscience molded by the world they live in.

I think about it in these terms- when I play guitar my fingers get hard and calloused on the ends making it easier to play guitar. In the same way, when we expose ourselves to sin our hearts, minds, and spirits become calloused also, making it easier for us to sin.

Paul says something quite different

English Standard Version Chapter 9

9 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—

English Standard Version Chapter 8

16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Paul speaks about the Holy Spirit and our conscience testifying with one another. In other words, the Holy Spirit testifies with our conscience

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

English Standard Version Chapter 2

15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16

Paul speaks about the Holy Spirit and our conscience testifying with one another. In other words, the Holy Spirit testifies with our conscience

When we give testimony we are trying to convince to lead to belief. When a person testifies in court they are trying to convince the jury to believe their account. When we give our testimony of faith we are trying to get someone else to believe in the things of Jesus.

When have problems when we get it backwards

Remember Eve in the garden? Here is the first time that a human got it backwards. God speaks and then the Devil provides space and doubt for Eve to interpret what God has said. The moments that Eve begins to doubt Satan appeals to her conscience.....