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A Perfectly Good Conscience - Acts 23
A Perfectly Good Conscience - Acts 23
“Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, "Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.” (Acts 23:1)
Conscience? I like Paul’s description of the purpose and function of the conscience when he writes that some “show the works of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them”. (Rom. 2:15). Our conscience sits as a judge upon our actions and thoughts. When we violate our understanding of right and wrong, our conscience pronounces us ‘guilty’.
How does one live with a perfectly good conscience before God? First, the goal must always be centered upon God – His desire, His will, His instructions. Thus the word ‘conscience’ is a combination of ‘con’ (with) and ‘science (knowledge/knowing). One then must KNOW God’s will in order to have such a good / clear conscience before Him.
Then, one must, to the best of his ability, never violate what he knows is the correct course of action. In doing this, one can live with a clear conscience even when slandered or misrepresented by others. You know what you did and you know it was right. This requires that you NEVER do that which you perceive is WRONG.
The opposite of this of course is a ‘guilty conscience’ where one knows that he did what he ‘knew’ was wrong. Here we must recognize that such ‘knowledge’ can be taught and corrected as we learn more correctly the will of God. As we are learning and growing we must not violate our conscience by doing what we think is wrong. In this way our conscience can be said to be ‘clear’ (1 Tim. 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:3). But, there are several descriptions of a conscience when one willingly violates his conscience. It can be said to be seared (1 Tim. 4:2), or ‘defiled’ (1 Cor. 8:7, Titus 1:15). How is your conscience? Have you developed it according to God’s word?
Hugh DeLong
