Walking the Walk - A Clear Conscience

Introduction	Clear Conscience	Emotions	Forgiveness	Meditation
Meekness	Moral Purity	Peace	Standing Alone	Tamed Tongue
Christian Character	Christian Conviction	Christian Creativity	Christian Steward	Christian Shepherd

A Clear Conscience

Importance

Faith and a clear conscience are essential for victory in our spiritual battle. 'I … sent you out to battle for the right armed only with your faith and a clear conscience. Some have laid these simple weapons contemptuously aside and, as far as their faith is concerned, have run their ships on the rocks.' (1 Tim 1 ;18-19)

Faith = Belief + Trust + Action (Hebrews 10:38)
Clear Conscience = Freedom from Guilt (Acts 24:16)

What is a conscience?

The conscience is the spiritual faculty which is sensitive to right and wrong, which judges our attitudes and actions. Everybody has a conscience, and is sensitive to universal truths (Rom 2:14-15).

1. Essential value of a clear conscience.

a. Inner peace     1 John 3:19-21
b. Good health (Physical, mental & spiritual Ps 32:1-4; 38:1-10
c. Right decisions    Proverbs 14;30
d. Building right relationships   Heb 5:13-14; 10:19,22
e. Effective service    2 Tim 1:3

2. The deadly cycle of sin

This spiral traces the development of sin in a person's life when sin goes unchecked by conscience and a rejection of God's standards.

a. Known will of God
b. Satan's lie - become like God (Gen. 3:6)
c. Temptation - to fulfil lust (Gen 3:6)
d. Violation of God's will (Gen 3:6)
e. Awakening of guilt (Gen 3:7-8)
f. Reaction to guilt. Feelings of fear, blame, shame.
g. Deliberate rejection of truth (Rom. 1:19-20)
h. Create image of God - themselves (Rom 1:21-23)
i. Given over to lust (Rom 1:24-25)
j. Fulfilment of evil desires (Rom 1:24-25)
k. Depraved mind (Rom 1:28-31)
l. Association of evil companions (Rom 1:32)
m. Finally God's judgment - Death

3. Searing the conscience

Persistence in disobedience and refusal to heed the conscience leads to a deadening of the conscience. The conscience becomes cold, hard and silent (1 Tim 4:1-2)

How is the conscience seared?

a. Escape. Attempting to overthrow God's standards and hide from reality through alcohol abuse, sexual immorality and perversion, drugs abuse, sleep etc.
b. Compensation. Seeking to balance guilt with an over concern for social or religious activity.
c. Preoccupation. Feverish effort and activity. Unable to rest and relax the mind lest guilt causes further conviction and unrest.
d. Self-deception. Rationalising and justifying behaviour. Unable to live with guilt, the person blames others. Often gives much attention to minor detail and neglects the weightier matters of honesty, judgment and righteousness.

4. Development of a guilty conscience.

This shows how a guilty conscience affects our relationships with God and other people.
Feelings of guilt from violation of conscience.

a. Relationship to God

To hide from God (Gen 3:8-9)
Lack of concern for circumstances (Rom 1:22-23; Ps 10:11-13)
Insensitivity towards God (Romans 1:21)
Devaluation of God (Romans 1:25)

b. Relationship to others

Deceptive character or putting on masks/images (Rom 1:22-25)
Shame, embarrassment, Hiding from others (Gen 3:7)
Defence mechanisms - Masks, Blame others (Gen 3:10-12 ; Rom1:21)
Deceptive nature (Proverb 12:15; 1 Timothy 4:2)

Both of these relationships types, finish with a hardened heart and depraved mind if left unchecked (Romans 1:23-32)

5. Common symptoms of guilt feelings.

a. Exemplary behaviour - docile and well behaved.
b. Physical discomfort - fatigue, stress etc.
c. Depression - difficulty facing life.
d. Defeatist attitudes
e. Self-condemnation - heaping blame on others.
f. Self-punishment - denial of self to atone for guilt.
g. Expectation of disapproval
h. .undue criticism of others - ascribes own faults to others.
i. Hostility - antagonistic towards others.
j. Compensation - easing conscience by good deeds.

6. Steps to gaining a clear conscience.

A clear conscience is the inner joy and peace of spirit which results from having made all personal wrongs, right with those whom a person has offended.

When a person has sinned against God, the sin must be confessed (1 Jn 1:9)
When a person offends another, they must acknowledge the wrong to the person they offended and ask their forgiveness (Mt 5:23-24)

Decide to clear up all offences at all costs. Satan will do everything in his power to hinder you from gaining a clear conscience. You must recognize that an rationalizations as an attempt by satan to keep from a clear conscience.

List offenders in order of importance.

Are there things which have happened in my past which, every time I recall, I wish had never happened?
Are there people I know who dislike me ? Is it because of some offence I have committed against them?
Are there those toward whom my life has failed to be an example of a Christian (especially in the area of morals)?
Are there those in authority I have failed to respond to?

Attitude of contriteness. (James 4:7-10). This requires an attitude of brokenness, fully accepting responsibility. This needs to be unconditional, not demanding that others admit their guilt as a condition for us asking.

One of the most difficult things we can do in life is to genuinely say "I was wrong, will you forgive me?" while this is a humbling experience, it is an essential step in gaining right fellowship with God and other people.