The conscience. How reliable is it?

Hello,

I have been wondering for quite a long time how reliable our conscience is and to what degree it is to be "followed".

Romans 14
23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

How do you understand this verse in the context of our conscience?

The problem is:

There are people who seemed to have numbed their conscience and they are free to sin whatsoever without feeling convicted.
But there are also persons who have their conscience damaged the other way around. They feel guilty and condemned for things they ought not to feel guilty and condemned.

Do you believe this verse in Romans, in the context of the chapter where it is written is saying that we should always listen to the vocie of the conscience - even if it may be condemning us into a prison?

I would appreciate any thought-food and help.

Daniel

Hi Daniel,

One of the great challenges to Christians is that they often like to set standards when they are on the [i]mountain top[/i]. Not just for themselves, but for everyone else also. Extreme 'everything' becomes the standard. Add to that the fact that many of these people also expect a Christian Perfection based upon these most extreme views. This makes for a very damaged and disfunctional conscience. It creates a Christian life that literally no one can live up to and often it ends in full on backsliding from the faith all together.

Our conscience is molded by input into our belief system. Our conscience judges based upon what we truly believe to be true. This is why I have often over the years lauded my concern for folk imposing upon other people's conscience and have called for liberty of conscience. [i]Strict[/i] does not always mean 'spiritual'; always know this is true.

A lot of people's strict teachings make Pharisees out of people unintentionally. Their conscience is as tight as a fiddle string and they tighten down others also by their sayings. A person is [i]spiritual[/i] when they recognize their need for Christ and cling to nothing save [i]Him[/i]. Nothing in my hand I bring- simply to the Cross I cling.

Many people that are living real strict and disciplined lives are also joyless in a real sense and live very much in fear. I deal with dying people on a regular basis that have weeks or months to live. I watch as Christians come to the end of the life and their conscience is telling them; "You are not good enough for heaven!!!!" They then try harder and harder. It is a terrible tragedy and I pin much of it on overly zealous holiness preachers who don't understand grace. Their mouthes need to be stopped as they do more harm than good in the long run.

Your conscience will never be fully clear as long as you keep listening to radical preaching. You will never feel up to standard. I see it all the time in my own life and the lives of those near death. I have seen holiness women go insane just months before their death worried that they are not going to make it. How did that happen? Really, really bad theology on overly zealous preaching that left out the critical ingredient of grace. Steer clear of these teachers if you know what is good for you. Study the scriptures and be obedient to what God is saying through them to you. Steer away from radical teachings like the plague. Christianity is about walking in the Spirit. I could go on and on...

Here is an interesting series I listened to a while back.

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=154]Conscience- Dai Patterson[/url]

This is from a conference called "Rora House Whitsun Conference 2003."

Hello friends,

thank you very much for your post RobertW, I always like your posts :)

I also read the thread "Conscience and heart".

So, let us go back to this passage in Romans, where Paul is saying in a sense that "If a man does something and he doubts in his conscience, it is sin".

Let us imagine now a man who has been taught all his life that wearing the color green is wrong.
His conscience is damaged and he truly has a problem with wearing anything that is green.

How could he ever get out of his guilt trap if he wanted and if he realized that this is nonsense? Would he not have to go AGAINST his conscience?

My point, or my question is this:

Do you understand Paul in Romans 14 so that we always have to "follow" our conscience?

How can we be faithful to that and at the same time recover from a legalistic belief system?

Daniel

How could he ever get out of his guilt trap if he wanted and if he realized that this is nonsense? Would he not have to go AGAINST his conscience?

I don't think they would have to go against their conscience. They need their conscience "enlarged" or informed that there is nothing wrong with the color green. I think the below verse alludes that the conscience can be enlarged to believe things are ok when before it wasn't believed so. Although Paul seems infer this is a bad thing.

1Cr 8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

Hello preachparsly,

yes, I agree with you. Nevertheless, for a season one might to "shut out" that voice that is trying to condemn.

RobertW, you adviced to stay away from "radical preaching". Could you please clarify how you would define radical preaching in that sense. On this page you find definetely radical preaching :-)

Daniel

daniel- wrote:
So, let us go back to this passage in Romans, where Paul is saying in a sense that "If a man does something and he doubts in his conscience, it is sin".

Do you understand Paul in Romans 14 so that we always have to "follow" our conscience?

Romans 14 basically is saying don't let what you consider good to be spoken of as evil by those that watch you. And not to be quick to offend someones conscience of those you watch, because you think its wrong. In other words consider your brother in what you do and say!

How can we be faithful to that and at the same time recover from a legalistic belief system?

My solution is a bit simplistic. If you are struggling with these issues, praise god, the mere fact that you are even considering these things is a breakthrough.

Don't judge another mans servant. Keep your mouth shut about certain things.

I agree with RobertW, how many sincere Christian folk have had a load laid on them in terms of what a 'holy' Christian should be and do and are made twice as much a son of hell as they are.

I often struck at the gravity of any minister of God. The awesome responsibility that they have to reflect God accurately is high, high calling. What is God saying to these people now! :-(

Hi Daniel,

Here is an article that should help with your question.

Conscience and Christianity by A.S. Hayden

www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/article_pdf.php?aid=3663

RobertW, you advised to stay away from "radical preaching". Could you please clarify how you would define radical preaching in that sense. On this page you find definitely radical preaching

And someone could rightly suggest that what Robert is saying is radical! :-?

My conscience...how reliable is it? Our conscience is educated by life: what we experience and see and learn from it. Now this has its problems. Since it does and we have a conscience to deal with, one needs to immerse himself/herself into the Word and allow it to define in our conscience what is sin, what is permitted, what is opinion and what is conviction.

But life interferes - sometimes. Let me illustrate. When I was at CPC we worked with people involved in sexual sins. It did not take too long before I noticed these clients had a black look on their faces. Black. hhmmm, you know what? to this day because of what I saw on a regular basis, I refuse to wear a totally black garment. It may have black on it, but not a solid black. I know what I saw and I do not want to be identified with the works of darkness. Soon after I gained this insight, a visiting preacher was at our church delivering a sermon and he wore a black suit. You know how much I got out of that sermon? Nothing. I had this battle raging: "he does not know any better, but he is wearing black, he is not wicked, he is wearing black." So you see, this is personal with me: my experience has taught me there is a spiritual dimension associated with black and many are innocent so I will not judge. In the meantime, no black for me! (Now let us be reasonable: there are lots of other colors one can wear.)

Anyhow, this is my opinion based on my experience.:-o Make any sense?

ginnyrose