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Having a good conscience; that,
whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that
falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that
ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. 18 For Christ also hath
once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went
and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient,
when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark
was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21 The like figure
whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 22 Who is gone into heaven,
and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made
subject unto him. (1 Peter 3:16-22 (KJV)
The conscience has often been compared
to the guiding principles of the magnetic compass. “The compass of a wooden ship will keep true to
the pole unless there is something in the cargo to deflect it such as of a
massive metallic nature. It is found to be very difficult to make a compass
that will work reliably on an iron vessel. We remember when Captain Murray of
the ill-fated ATLANTIC (RMS Atlantic of the White Star Lines, sunk offshore
Halifax Nova Scotia on April 1, 1873 with a loss of 535 souls) showed us the
compass of that luxurious steamship which was his especial pride and thought to
be perfect. That compass failed to do perfect work, and that noble ship was
wrecked upon the rocks because of it. The conscience is the compass by which
man steers his bark. It is a defective thing. Base metal of the world in its
cargo has often destroyed its polarity and hurled its possessor upon the rocks.
Perfect consciences are rare, and those so esteemed fail at the most important
crisis. The compass is sometimes elevated on iron ships so as to get above
disturbing influences. It is an example for us. We must get up so near God as
to be above earthly allurements.” - from a period account
of the disaster.
In more recent history, radio beams
have been used by aircraft to navigate to their destinations. These beams
provided a direct-path reference to our destinations. They do not curve or vary
from the direct path. But now, in even more contemporary times, GPS is used for
navigation. In real time, our progress on the map, or across real terrain, is
plotted for us by means of satellite communications. Though technologically
advanced, these means of navigation, too, can be compared to our consciences.
The straight-line courses to the desired destination must not be ignored if we
desire to arrive on time and without needless delay, or even risk becoming
hopelessly lost on a sea of sin and ungodliness. The benefit of a good
conscience must likewise be relied upon if we are to continue on that straight
and narrow path which we, as Christians, must travel. If we, through foolish
neglect or even deliberate intention, disregard the wooing of the conscience,
we will get off course and may never find our way back without a drastic
correction to course. When we first doubt the righteousness of an act or
thought, we must squelch that thought or act at once, or risk grave error.
God has equipped each soul with a
means of navigation through life. It is a direct beam of light that will always
point the way to righteousness and good conduct. But for many, the cares of
this world have extinguished that light and those who are lost grope about as
blind men seeking the path of least resistance. Men who walk in darkness have
suffered their light of conscience to be extinguished. They are on the Broad
Road down to destruction.
The conscience is compared to God’s Lamp in the breast of every man,
woman, and child. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. (Prov 20:27a) The conscience is a counsellor, not a tyrant. It does not
scream and shout out directions. It simply, in a humble and quite voice,
whispers to us that we are wrong in doing a certain thing, or in thinking a
certain thought. The Lord said to Elijah, in his distress: Go forth, and
stand upon the mount before the Lord.
And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind
rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not
in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not
in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not
in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it. (1 Kings 19:11-13)
Though the conscience speaks in a still small voice, and is incomprehensible to all others,
Godly ears will hear, heed, and obey that voice.
Great men of old have heeded the
gentle impulses of a good conscience –
as a matter of fact, that is what made them great. Remember Joseph, in the very
prime of youth and
manhood, was tempted by the wife of Potifar. He had every earthly thing to gain
by being seduced by this rich and powerful woman; but conscience would not
allow it. Joseph’s response? . . . . how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And
it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto
her, to lie by her, or to be with her. (Gen 39:9-11) Joseph had a conscience that was
keen to hear the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and he quitted himself accordingly.
We are all born with a conscience.
Unfortunately, our compasses are often ill-treated and influenced by other
worldly masses that pass into our purview. 1 Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in
hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron . . . . (1 Tim 4:1-2) I once wrote about the
benefit of ‘habitual righteousness’
as opposed to ‘habitual sin.’ When we are first made
aware of our salvation and election in Christ, our hearts are overflowing with
joy. But soon after, our thoughts of virtue and righteousness are smothered out
by the cares and temptations of the world. But he that received the seed into stony places,
the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath
he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or
persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (Matt 13:20-21)
Let me
give an example: If I hear a humorous story that can be repeated before good
people, I rush to repeat it as soon as I can. In that way, I do not forget the
story. The same is true with works of righteousness that reflect our salvation
by grace alone in Christ. The more I begin to do good works worthy of my
calling, the easier it becomes to continue in that vain. Of course, I have a
long way to go to grow in my calling; but righteousness in living is bolstered
by habitually following in good works. The same is true of sin. When we are
first saved, if we look back (as Lot’s
wife did at Sodom) to our old ways with lingering desire, it becomes impossible
to break our old habits of sin. Perhaps we were not truly called and chosen in
the first instant.
In the
old days, wounds that bled profusely were seared with a hot iron to stop the
bleeding. But the site of the wound became hardened, and there was a subsequent
loss of feeling at the scar made by the hot iron. When we sin habitually and
disregard that “small still voice” within, our ears grow dead to the
sound of the voice. The Holy Spirit may beckon loudly to our unaccustomed ears,
but as we ignore that voice, it grows weaker to our senses until it is no
longer a sound we can sense. If, at the age of five, there was suddenly an endless knocking on
the door that never ceased, we would either answer the door; or else, over
time, the knocking would be more and more subdued to our hearing so that, at
last, we would no longer hear though it continued as before.
There
is also another kind of conscience that is not deaf to that “small still voice” but it hears it very weakly. Such
was the case with Pontius Pilate, the Roman Curate. He even pronounced Christ
INNOCENT and sought ways to free Him (which was within his power), but he failed
out of a sense of political correctness and religious fervor on the part of the
Jewish rulers. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which
is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be
crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried
out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could
prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took
water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I
am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. (Matt 27:22-24) If one is fully aware of the justice of God, it would take far
greater courage to sin, regardless the mortal consequences, then to act with
righteousness. Pilate failed the test because that was the kind of fellow he
was, and God knew Him to be that kind of person beforehand.
On the other hand, some hear the voice
of conscience too late and respond to it in the wrong way. Such a man was the “man of perdition” – Judas Iscariot. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was
condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to
the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the
innocent blood. (Matt 27:3-4) Judas heard that small still
voice, but responded too late and in the wrong way. He repented HIMSELF, but
not to God.
We all have a conscience of sorts:
Some speak in loud and audible tones, some speak imperceptibly, and others
speak too late for our good. Which kind do you have, and do you heed the VOICE
that whispers to you?