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CONSCIENCE

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 11, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 6.

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“CONSCIENCE.”

By C. A. Watkins

BY C. A. WATKINS.
WEBSTER says that conscience is a sense of right or wrong. Perhaps there is no one thing that bars the mind from the truth of God, or is made so many times an excuse in this present day, as conscience. We hear people say: “I can’t observe the seventh day. My conscience will not let me.” But hold a moment. What do we mean by this term “conscience?”—“Sense of right or wrong,” knowledge, education, training, is all there is to it. All consciences are not right; some are evil. See Heb. 10:22. Are we sure ours is not of that kind? There is a standard by which we can test it, found in Isa. 8:20: “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Now is your conscience agreeable to this? or is it filled with dead works, or dross and tin? See Heb. 9:14; Isa. 1:25. If so, they must be purged away by the blood of Christ. Heb. 9:14: “How much more shall the blood of Christ . . . purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Paul had borne this test; his conscience had been purged from all sin; and he was thus void of offense to both God and man. Acts 24:16. A pure conscience will serve God. God’s law, his precepts and commandments, will find acceptance, instead of the traditions of men. “Now ye are clean through the word,” says Jesus. John 15:3. His word becomes a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway. When Paul was preaching at Ephesus, there were many whose consciences were against Christ, they having been taught by books in their possession. But the Holy Ghost was upon Paul, and many were made to believe, and came and burned their books. Thus the word of God prevailed. Acts 19:17, 18. The word, when once in possession of our hearts, puts therein new principles, new purposes, new desires, and a new conscience. All may be cleansed by the blood of Christ from all our dross or tin, or dead works.
Our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, but God will remove such offensive apparel, and give instead the garment of his salvation, the robe of his righteousness, the mind of our Lord and Saviour. Then, and not till then, can we say, “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.” 2 Cor. 1:12.