God has placed within every human being a conscience, that inner voice that faithfully tells us if our actions re right or wrong. Rom 2:14,15 - Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. Conscience is God given. It's His law within us, an awareness of general right and wrong. For example you have to be a Christian or a person educated with Bible knowledge to know that murdering another person is wrong. There's not a nation in the world were Christian or otherwise were it's considered sociably acceptable to kill an innocent person! This is God given conscience at work.
Our conscience is a very important spiritual tool. It's God's traffic cop as it were telling us either to stop or proceed in any given matter of decision. It is very evident in the writing of the Apostle Paul that he valued highly his conscience and purposed with great determination to keep from violating it. He always followed His conscience. If he believed something was right to do he did it, and if he believed it was wrong then he refused to do it. Jas 4:17 - Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. (NASB)
To the Born Again Believer our conscience is fine tuned the knowledge of truth gained through God's Word. We are responsible for our actions and held accountable for such. If we understand something to be wrong and do it then we are committing sin. Never violate your conscience! 1Tim. 1:19 - Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.
It's the conscience that takes care of those, so called gray areas. For example: Where does it say in God's Word, "Thou shalt not smoke". It doesn't clearly say that but your conscience tells you there's something not right about it. In Christianity, you'll find that there are some things that are OK for some people and yet wrong for others. This was the case in the Corinthian church. There were those who believed it was wrong to eat meat that had been used as a offering to idols while others couldn't see any problem with it. What is absolutely essential to understand when it comes to your conscience is that it is yours. You must do, under God, what you believe to be right at the time of decision. No one is accountable for your actions but you. No one will answer to God for your actions! This is between you and the Lord and is very personal and based on the revealed Word of God to your heart at the time decision. Do what is right all the time and you'll never go wrong. Do not allow yourself to be convinced against your will to do something that you personally feel is not right! 1Tim. 1:5 - The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.
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