What is the Conscience?

(The Conscience, Part 1)

Every person has, at one time or another, violated his/her conscience. In other words, he/she has thought something, said something or done something believed to be morally wrong.

The conscience is that mysterious part of the human being that evaluates moral right and wrong. Regardless of how the conscience has been trained, it functions as an internal judge and jury. When choices are made that are perceived to be right, the conscience approves. Yet, when choices are made that are perceived to be wrong, the conscience disapproves. The conscience judges choices, but also thoughts, speech and behavior associated with choices.

It is important to understand that the conscience is concerned with morality. So, if a person shoplifts, his conscience acts as a witness and renders a verdict: “Shoplifting is morally wrong; you are guilty.” In contrast, if a store worker shelves an item incorrectly, it is a mistake, but not a moral wrong. So, his mind may acknowledge the mistake and even regret the mistake, but the conscience does not activate a sense of moral guilt.

The Bible tells us about a good conscience and a bad conscience.

A good conscience works correctly. It identifies good things as good and bad things as bad. It judges decisions and behaviors properly. In the Bible a good conscience is also called a clean, pure or blameless conscience.

In contrast, a bad conscience does not work properly. A bad conscience might consider something that is morally wrong and identify it as good or right. In a similar way a bad conscience might consider something that is morally good or right and identify it as wrong. A bad conscience is also called an evil conscience.

As an example of a bad conscience…

I had a friend in junior high who invited me to go to the elementary wing of our school during lunchtime so we could ‘push the little kids around.’ My friend said it would be fun. My friend’s conscience was bad; it approved of bullying. (I went a different way that day. )

A stark description of an evil/bad conscience is found in the Bible in Proverbs 1:8-19.

So, what about a ‘clear’ conscience? In reality, a clear conscience is most often a bad conscience because it is morally indifferent. When a clear conscience responds to something that is morally wrong, it does not call it wrong (or right).

The clear conscience is worthless in guarding the soul. The voice of the clear conscience says, “I don’t see anything wrong with that” or “I didn’t violate my conscience; I feel no guilt.”

For example: A boys punches another boy in the nose. He then justifies himself saying, “He deserved it.” There is a subtle admission that it was not right to fight, but that he felt justified by the circumstances. So, he feels no guilt; his conscience is ‘clear.’

The conscience operates at two key moments:

• Before you decide/speak/act its role is to evaluate by giving you approval to continue or by warning you to stop. It guards your soul against sin.
• After you speak/act its role is to evaluate by approving or causing guilt feelings.

A good conscience is good because it conforms to the standard that is defined by the character of God which has been revealed in Scripture. The Bible teaches us to follow our conscience. 

Make sure yours is a good conscience.

Mark Stinnett
October 13, 2019