3:161 Peter 3:16

Keeping a good conscience in Christ means living a faithful, blameless life that exposes false charges of wrongdoing and puts those who make them to shame.Lt 124, 1906, par. 15+2 A good conscience bears a good life as surely as a good tree bears good fruit, shown in a meek and quiet spirit, gentle words, kindness and peace, with self kept out of sight so that Christ appears.Lt 34, 1894, par. 34–39+2 It belongs to a high Christian attainment of having God's love in the heart and practicing the truth daily in humble obedience, and it goes with readiness to explain the hope within with meekness and reverence while enduring suffering for doing right.Ms 185, 1898, par. 7–10+4 When opponents speak evil falsely, believers are to leave them no truthful ground for it, refusing to retaliate or answer with excitement, but speaking with humble, sanctified wisdom and calm, pure words that reveal Christ's Spirit.GW 358.3+3 This conscience and conduct are to be cultivated especially in home life through loving service and Christian courtesy rather than fretting or faultfinding speech, forming peacemakers known as children of God whose character represents heaven.Ms 65, 1886, par. 17–22+1

A good conscience bears a good life as surely as a good tree bears good fruit.4T 347.1 The spirit and mind of Christ improve conduct in every relationship and duty.4T 347.1 Unkindness, overbearing behavior, complaining and fretfulness are not its fruits.4T 347.1

The verse belongs to a call to high Christian attainment, having God's love in the heart with supreme love for God and for those Christ died for.Ms 185, 1898, par. 7–10 It calls for living and practicing the truth daily in humble, careful obedience, not merely professing belief.Ms 185, 1898, par. 7–10+1

Keeping a good conscience means sanctifying Christ in the heart by a meek and quiet spirit seen in gentle words, kindness and peace.Lt 34, 1894, par. 34–39 It means keeping self out of sight and letting Christ appear.16MR 295.3–296.2 Good conduct in Christ is shown when believers are sustained by the Word, let true light shine through them, and reveal a patient, kind, forbearing spirit.16MR 295.3–296.2 Christ is revealed not by show of knowledge, talent or philosophy but by a soul emptied of natural self acting as God's delegated messenger.16MR 295.3–296.2

Good conversation in Christ is believers' words and actions as the fruit by which others recognize and judge them.2T 597.3+1 It is a witness to the truth that stands in clear contrast to shallow talk about dress, fashion and personal adornment.Lt 19, 1897, par. 24

Keeping a good conscience and living faithfully and blamelessly in Christ puts to shame those who speak evil falsely against believers as evildoers, because blameless conduct exposes the accusations as false.Lt 124, 1906, par. 15+4 This faithful life belongs together with readiness to explain the hope within, answering with meekness and reverence in a meek, faithful, respectful answer, and with enduring suffering for doing what is right.Ms 30, 1898, par. 25–26+3 Keeping the conscience good means sanctifying Christ in the heart by a meek and quiet spirit appearing in gentle words, kindness and peace, especially in the home through loving service and Christian courtesy rather than trifling, cheap, fretting, suspicious or faultfinding speech.Lt 34, 1894, par. 34–39 Such readiness belongs to peacemakers known as children of God, and cultivating gentleness and the peace of Christ and sowing as peacemakers produces a harvest unto eternal life, in contrast to an unkind, fretful, harshly judging temper that mars character.Lt 34, 1894, par. 34–39

A godly, careful life shaped by faith in Christ is to be maintained even when others speak falsely, and it should leave opponents no just or truthful ground for speaking evil.HSFM 197.3+1 The truth must be practiced daily in humble, careful obedience to God, not merely professed.HSFM 197.3 When that life is maintained, false accusers may be exposed to shame.HSFM 197.3+1

As it was when evil was spoken against Christ, false accusations and suffering for the truth do not prove a person guilty.HSFM 197.3+1 Christ endured profound humiliation and was punished as the sinner's substitute.Lt 102, 1905, par. 18 So also now, when adversaries of truth misapply truth, misinterpret and wrest the Scriptures to sustain error, speak evil, falsely accuse, and make personal threats to stir retaliation, believers are to keep words pure and calm, refuse to retaliate, and reveal Christ's Spirit and not natural temperament, with Jesus by their side to help and angels close beside them to keep them in peace and give them words as a sweet odor showing they have the Spirit of Christ and of the truth; Christ is revealed not by show of knowledge or superior talent or philosophy but by a soul emptied of natural self acting as God's delegated messenger, and then the efforts of adversaries will be powerless, as in Christ's day, and those who falsely accuse will be ashamed.16MR 295.3–296.2

When falsely accused, a Christian must bear it as a Christian should and prove the accusations false by life.Lt 1c, 1890, par. 26–28 He must not feel his dignity is wounded and leave his appointed place of duty, but stay faithfully in his place.Lt 1c, 1890, par. 26–28 He must humble himself as a little child before God, confess his own fault in criticizing others and correct it as far as possible, take any position he can fill to serve the cause of God, and by devotion and faithfulness redeem the failings of the past and in no way dishonor Christ.Lt 1c, 1890, par. 26–28

A good conscience and good conduct in Christ go together with readiness to explain the hope within, answering questions about that hope with a meek, faithful, respectful answer given with meekness and reverence.Ms 30, 1898, par. 25–26+4 This witness belongs with living faithfully and blamelessly so that false accusations of wrongdoing as evildoers are exposed as false and the accusers are brought to shame.Ms 30, 1898, par. 25–26+3 It includes enduring suffering for doing what is right.1T 506.1–507.4

When opponents make false statements about the work, the truth is to be held fast without repeating the opponents' claims and without excitement or evil feelings, but with humble, sanctified wisdom and reliance on divine power.GW 358.3+1 Words are to be kept pure and calm, retaliation refused, and Christ's Spirit revealed rather than natural temperament, with self kept out of sight that Christ may appear.GW 358.3+1 Jesus stands by the side to help, and angels are close beside to keep in peace and to give words to speak that show the Spirit of Christ and of the truth, as a sweet odor, while those who labor in word and doctrine are sustained by the Word, witness for God, let true light shine through in clear, bright beams, and reveal a patient, kind, forbearing spirit.16MR 295.3–296.2 Christ is revealed not by show of knowledge or superior talent or philosophy but by a soul emptied of natural self acting as God's delegated messenger in His place, and then, as in Christ's day, the efforts of adversaries who misapply truth, misinterpret and wrest the Scriptures to sustain error, speak evil, falsely accuse, and make personal threats to stir retaliation will be powerless.16MR 295.3–296.2

The good conscience and blameless conduct required are to be cultivated in home life, where character thus formed represents and symbolizes the church above.Ms 65, 1886, par. 17–22+1 This is done by sanctifying Christ in the heart with a meek and quiet spirit appearing in gentle words, kindness, and peace, through loving service and Christian courtesy rather than trifling, cheap, fretting, suspicious, or faultfinding speech.Lt 34, 1894, par. 34–39 Such readiness to give the reason for hope with meekness and reverent fear belongs to peacemakers who are known as children of God, and consistent good conduct in Christ puts to shame those who falsely speak evil against them as evildoers.Lt 34, 1894, par. 34–39 Cultivating gentleness and the peace of Christ and sowing as peacemakers produces a harvest unto eternal life, in contrast to an unkind, fretful, harshly judging temper that mars character.Lt 34, 1894, par. 34–39

The verse gives a message of great importance to ministers of the gospel and to ministers' wives, calling every minister to search deep and make clean work for eternity for his own soul.Lt 164, 1910, par. 4 He is to labor with zeal for the conversion of an unsanctified, unconverted companion, and the convicting, converting power of the gospel is to be sought to search the hearts of ministers and their families.Lt 164, 1910, par. 4 This is lest danger come in through unsanctified influences and an irreligious element remain in their homes.Lt 164, 1910, par. 4 Faithful character in keeping a good conscience will be tested in the coming time of trouble.1T 506.1–507.4