A Clear Conscience

​Acts 24:16 ~ “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”
 
The conscience is a God-given gift to mankind in order to regulate our awareness between right and wrong, between what is righteous and what is wicked. Sin, through its defiling effect upon the human condition, has corrupted man’s conscience so that there is decidedly different regulatory information that governs much of the mentality of mankind other than the word of God. Romans 1:21 indicates this, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Without God, the thoughts of man are futile and the heart is darkened. This does not mean that mankind is without intelligence or without the ability to discern truth from error. What has happened is even worse—mankind has taken the intellect that God has given and used it to concoct a narrative for life that is separated from God. Thus, without the regulatory informant of the truth of God’s word, the conscience does not have the means by which it can govern the life correctly.
 
1 Timothy 4:1-2 declares this, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared.” And we see, dear ones, the reality of what the world will become, when the conscience of man is seared and God’s truth does not govern the principles by which we live. This is clearly seen in the corruptions that surround us. In Titus 1:15 we face the dilemma, “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.” Yet, before we begin merely pointing out the troubles that happen in the world around us, let us first and foremost take a look within and ask if our conscience is under the regulation of the LORD Jesus Christ.
 
In our text today, the Apostle Paul is facing a tribunal before Felix the governor. Paul declared, “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.” Paul would make his defense and give a clear testimony to the truth of all he had done. In contrast to this, the high priest, Ananias, along with Paul’s accusers laid the foundation of their charges before Felix and shaped their narrative with lies. Surely one would imagine that the high priest would have a well-governed conscience, knowing that Exodus 23:1 commands, “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.” Yet Ananias violated both—spreading a false report and joining hands with a wicked man, Tertullus (see Acts 24:1-2). Clearly, the high priest did not take pains to have a clear conscience.
 
So, what “pains” does it take to maintain a clear conscience? The word “pains” means to “exercise” or to strive in pursuit of that which is desired. Beloved, if you are to have a clear conscience with God and man it means that you are willing to exercise it with the right information. In fact, that which you feed into your mind will become that which will govern your conscience. Why do so many in our world today suffer with a conscience that violates the word of God? Simple: they only exercise their conscience with worldly information. Hebrews 9:14 declares, “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” This is where it must begin—come to the LORD Jesus Christ, see what He did for you to redeem you from your sins, and trust in Him that He should renew your mind (see Romans 12:1-2).
 
Dear reader, you know as well as I that there is no Christian in this world who is perfect. Even believers sin—but they have to do so against their own conscience. When a believer does sin, he grieves the Holy Spirit who dwells within, even as we read in Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” So, my friends, let me ask you a question: do you need to increase the effectual sensitivity of your conscience? Do as Hebrews 10:22 says, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Come before God with sincerity and trust Christ and His word. Allow the word of God to fill your mind so that it begins to regulate your conscience. Proverbs 3:5-6 illuminates this, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
 
There is a potent confidence that comes when you know that you stand right with God, when your own conscience can testify to your faithfulness to the LORD. That only comes when it is renewed in Christ.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

---