Weekly Devotional 10-23-23 Conscience
What is the conscience? Our friends at GotQuestions.org proffer: The conscience is defined as that part of the human psyche that induces mental anguish and feelings of guilt when we violate it and feelings of pleasure and well-being when our actions, thoughts and words are in conformity to our value systems (GQ.ORG).
A further question that is asked is what is the source of the conscience, is it sourced in the maturation of the physical part of man, his brain (man was created body, soul, and spirit), or does it have a spiritual source? The answer begins with the following three passages John 1:1-9, John 16:7-11 and 1st Corinthians, chapter 2.
John 1:1-9 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
These verses inform us that Jesus was the embodiment of spiritual light, the spiritual light that is part of the makeup of every person. This truth is borne out by John 16:7-11 “7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
Father God sent God the Holy Spirit to testify of His (the Father’s) reality-His holy nature and character, of man’s separation from Him because of sin, and His coming judgment against unrepentant sin. First Corinthians, chapter two informs us that this communication was from the Holy Spirit to the spirit of man, Consider:
First Corinthian’s, chapter two. 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Clearly from this passage we understand that God’s communi-cation to us is from the Holy Spirit. Not to our minds but to our spirit. This is why it is important that man is spiritually reborn. Jesus spoke of this to Nicodemus, consider John 3:1-8; 1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Remember, man was created body, soul, and spirit. It is within man’s spirit that man has consciousness of God. Remember there is a spiritual light in every person (John 1:9). That light is his conscience. His conscience may be seared because of sin but it is still there. This is why man has mental anguish and feelings of guilt when he violates that light or feelings of pleasure and well-being when his actions, thoughts and words are in conformity to it.
If we want to have ease of conscience, we should follow the apostle Paul’s encouragement to the Galatian church. He wrote that a good conscience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Consider Galatians 5:22-25. “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.)
Blessings, Steve
Stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; the Work of God on Behalf of Man