Romans 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,KJV
John 8:9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. KJV
Several decades ago, a little Disney cartoon character, named Jiminy Cricket, sang a cute little tune that ended with the phrase "always let your conscience be your guide." There is something to be said about this thought because it suggests a partial truth to those who would understand it. For the Christian, this idea is very possible. But the unsaved individual can't always trust his or her conscience because it is subject to the powers of darkness and satan's nature, and therefore, unreliable.
The subject of the human conscience is seldom acknowledged in spiritual, sociological or psychological circles. Even though it's not frequently mentioned in Scripture, it is in truth, the very center of godly and ungodly conviction, appetite, determination, spiritual perception, understanding, memory and choice. In fact, generally speaking, to our lamentable fault, the conscience is seldom discussed or defined by the typical believer and Christian leader. Consequently, we have unwittingly limited the wide variety of spiritual expressions that would greatly benefit us all. This information deficit has, from what I've observed, contributed to a huge assortment of problems in spiritual living as well as social issues. Furthermore, let me interject this thought: It would prove extremely advisable for anyone involved in government, politics and the process of elections to understand the condition of the corporate conscience of the people of a region in order to affect, and gain support of that area. Because you see, conscience, more than culture, plays a huge role on which way a people will go with anything.
After many years of reading, and comparing the limited number of writings and philosophies about conscience, and not being completely convinced by their differences of ideas, I spent hours pouring exclusively over any Bible verse that might reveal more than what I'd disappointingly read from other authors. It was a similar journey when I began to investigate the subject of truth. No one agreed! What's more, I found much of what had been written before about truth, conscience, human spirit, soul, and Holy Spirit, was inconsistent with the practical living out of these things. And additionally, I found their ideologies more based in humanistic or philosophical roots, rather than biblical. So, if you will allow me the opportunity here, I want to throw my hat into the ring, so to say, to speak into this vast and much needed subject. Therefore, if I do quote from another author, I will note it. Consequently, most of what I'm writing about is from my own independent thoughts on the matter, based on as thorough a study of the Scriptures related to it as I can at this time. Hopefully, I'll continue to grow as God reveals more to me.
In context with our subject of learning how to grow in the truths of God's Kingdom, the Holy Spirit specifically targets the conscience. We looked at that slightly when investigating the concept of the inward witness. Furthermore, the Spirit does so, probably to your surprise, according to how well the individual appreciates and practices the fear of the Lord. The Fear of the Lord seems to be the meter that keeps the conscience in balance. At this point let me mention that there are several different categories of the fear of the Lord identified in Scripture. The most important to the believer is an understanding and practice of the fear of God through the application of New Birth realities. Christians who don't operate in a New birth approach to the fear of God tend to run from Him, as Adam and his wife did after the fall, for they'd embraced a Fallen Fear of the Lord. A New Birth approach to the fear of God causes the believer to change his or her behaviors that could break down the fluency of the communication in the relationship with God. This is because when a right New Birth understanding of the fear of God motivates the believer, it’s doctrinal influence generates an inner strength in the conscience, connected with the individual's will, that then enables that person to demonstrate respect and honor for who God is, who He has made the person to be, and how he or she should and can behave. Positive, negative and apathetic convictions are formulated in the conscience, depending on how seriously the fear of the Lord referees one’s field of life. Therefore, if one's conscience is weak, or unsettled, the individual will have difficulty discerning the inward witness correctly.
If you'll consider the chart below, you will see that under the heading of conscience, as located under the column of the human spirit, conscience is comprised of a variety of invisible but powerful components.
So without any further delay, let's dive into the subject of the conscience!!
Your belief systems take residence in your conscience. In fact, the greater the revelation of the fear of the Lord, the stronger the conviction, of the inward witness and the greater the awareness to God’s presence, influencing every event, word and feeling in life. Inevitably, these things consequentially determine how you live. In some narrow respects, the conscience could be considered the ears and voice of the human spirit, although that view barely encompasses its human role.
Historically, various theological circles, mostly out of Europe and Scandanavia, have discussed and analyzed the human conscience over the course of many generations. The conscience has been compared to a courtroom where constantly sits the judge, jury, executioner, defense and witness. Court, therefore, is always in session in the human life, if one looks at the conscience this way. According to the Hebrew and Greek words translated as the word "conscience", a great majority of Bible commentators conceptually define the conscience as “knowledge along with another.” It is disputed by some as, whom, or what, that “an-other” is, but the great majority, who dare to comment, all conclude that the “other” is God. Therefore, conscience is that part of any human being that, generally speaking, most identifies and perceives the existence and presence of God, His knowledge, spiritual realities and much more. It then bears, or does not bear, witness, or jointly testifies in agreement, or does not testify with, who and what God has established to be godly by His fear. Furthermore, the resulting thoughts either excuse, or accuse, the decision that will be made, even about the slightest thing.
TYPES OF CONSCIENCE
Practically speaking, and from what I've concluded, there are several types of conscience, based on biblical content and practical observation. I've also considered how conscience is developed at certain times of life in the individual. Many years ago I showed my ideas concerning this to the "at that time" Dr. Eldon DeWitt, a key leader in a Florida organization of Christian psychologists, and he was very interested in it. He felt it answered some key questions about the inner man and we concurred that this information would be extremely helpful to believers in many areas of the faith. He has since passed on to glory. But he encouraged me to continue this study.
Those types of conscience are:
INBORN INTUITIONAL MORAL CONSCIENCE
ACQUIRED INBORN CONSCIENCE
ACQUIRED AND DEVELOPED CONSCIENCE
Ideally, God has designed for every human being to possess the inborn intuitional conscience that enables us to develop the proper boundaries for right and wrong, and much more. In many instances, especially if there is a calling to ministry, it seems that unusual spiritual conflict may occur prior to some infants being born. There is no way to really explain it, but some individuals, conceived in the most distressing circumstances and surrounding environments, are born, grow up and become healthy individuals, in spite of all the demonic intent to warp them and twist their conscience. For some reason, God protects that particular individual’s conscience. The Bible very clearly states that He is not a respecter of persons, and yet, there seems to be a special protective grace resting on called individuals who are born into potentially destructive situations. This is highly unusual, but there is no other explanation for why some children exposed to horrific conditions are sensible even when their parents demonstrate depravity.
Those types of conscience are:
INBORN INTUITIONAL MORAL CONSCIENCE
ACQUIRED INBORN CONSCIENCE
ACQUIRED AND DEVELOPED CONSCIENCE
Ideally, God has designed for every human being to possess the inborn intuitional conscience that enables us to develop the proper boundaries for right and wrong, and much more. In many instances, especially if there is a calling to ministry, it seems that unusual spiritual conflict may occur prior to some infants being born. There is no way to really explain it, but some individuals, conceived in the most distressing circumstances and surrounding environments, are born, grow up and become healthy individuals, in spite of all the demonic intent to warp them and twist their conscience. For some reason, God protects that particular individual’s conscience. The Bible very clearly states that He is not a respecter of persons, and yet, there seems to be a special protective grace resting on called individuals who are born into potentially destructive situations. This is highly unusual, but there is no other explanation for why some children exposed to horrific conditions are sensible even when their parents demonstrate depravity.
The INBORN INTUITIONAL MORAL CONSCIENCE is that God-given factor that should rightfully belong to every human being beginning in the fetus. It is essentially the unadulterated and pure human spirit awaiting to be developed. On rare, please note, rare occasions, conscious choices are made in the womb that would indicate the conscience and human spirit is functioning, aware and decisive.
In speaking of this, I don't want you to get distracted from the present topic of hearing truth by the Spirit, because I know that in discussing this, some readers would try to say I am referring to a doctrine known as original sin. That is another subject entirely, and one that would take a great deal of examination to explain. However, at this point it does not relate to our subject of how the Holy Spirit communicates truth to the conscience. Nonetheless, I believe we should to consider a few Biblical instances that reveal the fetus’s spirit is alive and aware of God’s presence. It may, even possibly, make decisions while in the womb. Now don't get bent out of shape when I say this.
The first instance that comes to mind describes the unborn John the Baptist reacting in the womb upon hearing Mary’s voice as she went to visit Elizabeth his aged mother. Elizabeth reported that the fetus leaped in her womb, and she became aware of the presence of God abiding in Mary the soon to be mother of the Messiah. The unborn child seemingly reacted because he seemed to be aware of the presence of God. This is evidence that conscience functions before actual birth, as it is knowledge along with another, or a perception of God!
Isa 48:8 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb. (KJV)
Another example, though a bit difficult to explain, is found in Isaiah 48:8. In this passage, God states, through the prophet Isaiah, that Jacob was considered to be a rebel from the womb. Is this suggesting that some sort of rebellious choice was made prior to or shortly after birth? Its difficult to say for sure, but the wording seems to imply it.
An ACQUIRED INBORN CONSCIENCE is a perverted form of conscience that occurs a result of physical and genetic disorders, due to chemical misuse, while the fetus is in the womb, or by possibly, although considered controversial, generational curses due to certain types of sin in the parental lines. Certain disorders, such as “Crack” Babies and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, can result in a condition in which the individual afflicted by it has virtually no ability to feel conviction or distinguish right or wrong. One article in the February 1991 issue of Reader’s Digest, entitled; Kids Who Can’t Say No, states- “Crack children are scary”, adds Thelma Farley, director of Beacon Day School in Oakland, Calif., and a child development expert. “So many drug-exposed children seem to lack moral reasoning- they just don’t get it when they’ve done something wrong.” Does this mean that the physical abuses of drugs, alcoholism etc, may damage the ability of the child's fragile conscience? It's something to think about because there is a strange amount of evidence pointing to that conclusion.
Finally, let’s consider the ACQUIRED AND DEVELOPED CONSCIENCE. This type of conscience is a direct result of, godly and ungodly, internal and external, influences or stimuli. Sometimes, a pre-birth trauma can affectively produce this type of conscience. However, it is most likely acquired in the early years of a child's life through godly or ungodly parental influence and extended family influences. Fathers, mothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older brothers and sisters, and cousins all exert varying degrees of impact in the development of this acquired condition. This is literally the conscience while in construction. Various sorts of biblical or non-biblical religious training also influence the early years of the childhood development. Legalistic extremes are especially damaging in these stages of growth. External stimuli, such as television, videos, music, culture, education and books, all contribute positively or negatively to the development of conscience. Television’s influence is especially significant, since, statistically, the average American child will have watched thousands of acts of televised violence, including thousands of depictions of murder, by the time he or she is 13 years old. Culture also plays a key role in conscience development. If the culture is anti-God, or even anti-conscience, such as Tibetan Buddhism, that encourages the denial of conscience at an early age, than that culture can disable conscience in the name of social acceptance and create an entrance for the acceptance of sinful behaviors. One cannot ignore this type of conscience, because essentially, we build it.
A healthy conscience is essential if the individual is to hear the Spirit of God clearly. An unhealthy conscience is unaware of and cannot, dare I say, does not feel the slightest working, movement or manifestation of God. Therefore, it blindly ignores His daily involvement in the human life and can’t respect Him, or consequentially, adjust behavior, because there is no concern for what might damage the intimate relationship or apprehension of harmful loss. An increasing number of occult, and so-called supernatural influences. paraded in the various modes of movies, music, television and literature have become progressively more tolerated and accepted in Christian circles. They're looked upon as moral teaching tools, and positive stimuli, when in fact, they contradict, counterfeit and replace the genuine spirituality that God desires and can only be exposed if there is a proper understanding of the fear of God. Remember, the conscience needs a healthy fear of God to discern what is truth. Christians can now readily and defensively quote both non-Christian and Christian authors and movies who propagate religiously camouflaged occult based themes that intentionally fraud actual spirituality. They will sometimes respond to those stimuli with approving shouts and clapping, even more than they would in response to God’s actual word and character. From what I've observed and after numerous conversations pertaining to this, I've come to the conclusion that only the random believe discerns the demonic intent of the crippling deception aimed at destroying the conscious reality of the fear of God and the conscience of the believer. A great number of things could be said concerning the frightening absence, and the need for the awesome tangible manifestation of God’s presence and glory, in the individual Christian life and all too frequently spiritually vacuous Christian meetings. I know this sounds accusative, but maybe it's time we wake up and realizes there is a problem. Furthermore, corporate conscience has become numbed over the process of time. I find that we want to use entertaining music and superficial, psychologically feel-good messages, where it seems the fear of the Lord has disappeared, in favor of temporal, worldly styled comfortable gatherings that fail to confront the miserable condition of conscience that nears searing, as warned of by Paul in 1 Timothy 4:1-3. It is more than obvious; we don’t constantly fear God, His presence or principles. If we did, things would be far different and the testimony of the Church would bear witness to His reality and character. Where is the conviction we so need? Furthermore, how can was say we're hearing from the Spirit of truth if we've lost the guage of testing it?
The son of the widowed woman of Zarephath, in the drama of 1 Kings 17:17-18, died. Grieved, she confronted Elijah in a way that indicates her conscience actively remembered her past sins. She felt that the death of her son was due to her failures and Elijah’s prophetic presence reminded her of the issues. Whether her son’s death was a result of her sins or not, is not the issue. In her situation, and in ours, the conscience remembers the good, bad, the ugly and literally every word we speak, hear and learn, even if that remembrance is twisted by the fall and contrary to the truth of God’s character.
A similar instance is recorded in John 8, when the legalistic, religious leaders desired to condemn a woman caught in the sin of adultery. Jesus response is unique. Instead of condemning the woman to death, as the religious accusers were hoping he would do, he stooped down and began to write upon the ground. Her accusers would have grown increasingly disturbed because of this action, as they were all aware of the writing of Jeremiah 17:13 that states that those who depart from the Lord, forsaking Him, are like names written on the ground, doomed to disappear. Consequently, Jesus challenged them, and said that he that was without sin among them should cast the first stone. One by one, being convicted by their conscience, remembering their own spiritual adulteries, they left till none was left to accuse. The conscience knows and remembers!
1 Kings 17:17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? (KJV)
John 8:1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (KJV)
Jer 17:13 O Lord, the Hope of Israel, all who forsake You shall be put to shame. They who depart from You and me [Your prophet] shall [disappear like] writing upon the ground, because they have forsaken the Lord, the Fountain of living waters. (AMP)
THE CONSCIENCE HOLDS THE KEYS TO MEMORY AND LEARNING. You could say it's your spiritual brain.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (KJV)
Proverbs 2:5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. (KJV)
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (KJV)
Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; (KJV)
The conscience holds the keys to memory and learning. For some reason, it remembers all things experienced and learned, including the good, evil and insignificant. It’s regrettable that this foundational aspect of humanity has been overlooked, as the godly access and training of it could result in incredible and unrealized educational opportunity. I’m aware that this is a challenging concept, but I believe and have found to be true, with the students of the Institutes for Biblical Truth programs and classes, that learning can and does escalate exponentially, if the functions of the conscience are targeted. Alas, we’ve become trapped in a fundamentally humanistic educational worldview that ignores the human spirit, while the potential in the conscience awaits admission and development. This is the very reason that when one develops conscience in a godly sense, the fear of the Lord results in the beginning of all aspects of knowledge, skill and wisdom. This is of no small affect, as the fear of the Lord, in a healthy conscience empowers potential in understanding wisdom in administration, skill for all forms of conflict and shrewdness in virtually every manner of human need. But the mere fact is that conscience is undeveloped and worse, often ignored. Perhaps the proper, working understanding of the fear of the Lord, is also one of the reasons that some of the greatest minds and intellectuals throughout history were in the majority, Jewish. It just can’t be a coincidence. Some of the greatest minds and scientific inventors of human history were Jews. For example, Albert Einstein was a Jew, even though it is uncertain as to what his actual belief system was since numerous authors seem to contradict each other about this. Many Jews didn’t, and do not, acknowledge the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but that does not void God’s promise to the nations through Abraham (Gen.12:1-3;18:17;22:18). So if the Spirit is to guide believers into all truth, and desires to speak through the inward witness, or knowing in the conscience: have we been missing something that could potentially open up the doors for academic prowess? I believe so. But, it will not develop without an increased appreciation for the fear of God.
I hope this has made you think! I want you to realize that the invisible part of you, in your spirit, has a big role to play in the joint interaction that the Holy Spirit wants to do through the inward witnes in your conscience. There is so much that could be talked about concerning this. What's more the condition of your conscience affects how you discern, intepret and apply what the Spirit speaks. We'll take a look at the different conditions of conscience from the biblical overview in the next article so you can begin to align yourself with the ways of God's Spirit through the fear of the Lord. We need to unplug those inner ears to hear Him clearly.
I hope this has made you think! I want you to realize that the invisible part of you, in your spirit, has a big role to play in the joint interaction that the Holy Spirit wants to do through the inward witnes in your conscience. There is so much that could be talked about concerning this. What's more the condition of your conscience affects how you discern, intepret and apply what the Spirit speaks. We'll take a look at the different conditions of conscience from the biblical overview in the next article so you can begin to align yourself with the ways of God's Spirit through the fear of the Lord. We need to unplug those inner ears to hear Him clearly.
