Paul’s testimony in Acts 24:16 was that he “always strived
to have a conscience void of offense before God and men.” What a statement! What a goal!
We should all desire to have a clear conscience before God and men.
What we must realize is that there is a difference between
having a “clear conscience” before God and having a “seared conscience.” Although they are similar in that individuals
with a clear conscience and a seared conscience both go through life without “feelings”
of guilt, yet they don’t both go through life without “genuine guilt”. I Timothy 4:2 speaks of men who “depart from
the faith”, give heed to deception and wrong doctrine, “speak lies”, and have a
“conscience seared with a hot iron.” Individuals
with a “seared conscience” don’t feel guilty but indeed they are guilty. An individual gets a seared conscience when
they fail to heed to their own God given ideas of right and wrong, they refuse
to listen to principles of Scripture, and though at one point they may have “felt”
guilty doing a certain practice such as lying they ignored that “feeling” so
long that there is no longer any “feeling” of guilt at all. This is a dangerous position to find oneself
in, that one can sin without any “feeling” of guilt.
One who has a “clear conscience” has been brought under the
convicting power of the Holy Spirit. In
John 16:9, Jesus told us that He would send the Holy Spirit to convict of “sin,
righteousness, and judgment”. This conviction
takes place as one submits to the Word of God.
It should take place in our personal Bible study times as well as in the
public teaching of the Word of God whether in corporate worship or small group. That is why we as pastors have such a
responsibility to Expository preaching and teaching. (Expository teaching works to expose the
meaning <God’s Message> of the original author to the original recipients
then apply it to our present day lives.)
One then with a clear conscience before God must confess their
sin (I John 1:9) as the Holy Spirit through the Word of God brings
conviction. They must then choose to
daily moment by moment strive to follow their conscience and the Holy Spirit as
they apply Biblical principles to their everyday lives.
Both those with a “clear conscience” and a “seared
conscience” have dealt with their “feelings” of guilt.
The individual with a “seared conscience” has ignored the “feelings”
until they are no more leaving the guilt and the broken relationship with God.
The individual with a “clear conscience” confesses that sin
asking forgiveness believing that the blood of Jesus Christ is the only
sufficient remedy for it. Then not only
confessing the sin but they also repent – they forsake the sin, so not only are
the “feelings” of guilt gone but the guilt itself is gone too!
My prayer is that all reading this may be able to say I have
a “clear conscience” before God, my guilt is gone because my sin has been dealt
with not ignored! If you have any
questions more information can be found at www.fbclittletonil.org .
