Conscience and the Holy Spirit

[TonyChanYT]

The conscience is a faculty of the soul. It can distinguish between good and evil. It makes us morally culpable.

Genesis 2:

7 Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve's consciences were dependent on God. The Spirit of God was directly connected to their spirits, which are directly connected with their consciences.

Genesis 2:

17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.

After they ate the fruit, they didn't die physically right away. They acquired the ability to decide what was good or not from their intellect and emotions, independently of God. Right away, their consciences told them that it wasn't good to be naked.

Genesis 3:

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Fast-forward to after the Cross, Jesus sent the Indwelling Holy Spirit to repair our conscience, English Standard Version, Romans 9:

1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit

The Christian's conscience is tentacularly connected with the Holy Spirit, specifically the Paraclete. I see this not as a spiritual metaphor but as an objective spiritual reality. This is not a theory. I practice this every day all the time.

Now, my conscience is clear before God, Hebrews 9:

14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

 

[Bob Estey]

The conscience is a faculty of the soul. It can distinguish between good and evil. It makes us morally culpable.

Genesis 2:


In the beginning, Adam and Eve's consciences were totally dependent on God. The Spirit of God was directly connected to their spirits which is directly connected with their consciences.

Genesis 2:


After they ate the fruit, they didn't die physically right away. They acquired the ability to decide what was good or not from their own intellect and emotions, independently of God. Right away, their consciences told them that it wasn't good to be naked.

Genesis 3:


Fast-forward to after the Cross, Jesus sent the Indwelling Holy Spirit to repair our conscience, English Standard Version, Romans 9:


The Christian's conscience is in touch with the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Paraclete. I see this not as a spiritual metaphor but as an objective spiritual reality. This is not a theory. I practice this every day all the time.

Now, my conscience is clear before God, Hebrews 9:

I believe the conscience and Holy Spirit are the same thing. And I believe the Holy Spirit is God.

 

[marks]

Man's conscience is defective.

Romans 2:14-15 KJV
14) For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15) Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another)

Here, speaking of man's conscience, they are either "accusing", which is an active voice verb, meaning they are accusing others, or "excusing", a reflexive verb, that is, excusing themselves.

They accuse others, but excuse themselves. They are not fair in their application.

We have to learn to descern both good and evil,

Hebrews 5:12-14 KJV
12) For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

As we do the parts we understand, we come to understand the parts we don't.

Even man without the Holy Spirit has a conscience, the knowledge of good and evil, however, like all things "fallen man", it's become degraded.

Much love!

 

[Starise]

Even man without the Holy Spirit has a conscience, the knowledge of good and evil, however, like all things "fallen man", it's become degraded.

Such as when a person tells you there is no such thing as sin which is only a religious concept?
I would say that's hardly any conscience at all.
That's a tough nut to crack. In fact I can't crack it. Only Jesus.

 

[Ritajanice]

I believe our conscience is heightened when we become Born Again and as we grow in Christ ,we sin less...imo of course.

1 Peter 3:16-22​

16 Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. ...

17 It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad.

Proverbs 20:27​

27 The human spirit is[a] the lamp of the LORD that sheds light on one’s inmost being.

 

[Starise]

It seems to me unbelievers can quench their conciences pushing in them so far down that they can be ignored with impunity, at least temporarily.
In trying to minister to these people I need a miracle. There is not God, there is no sin. The God of the bible ( if He were real) is cruel and so forth. They are embedded so deeply into this mush that only a miracle can seem to pull out any sort of rationality from them.

As believers we can't go too far without a bell ringing inside and the need to confess sinful thoughts and actions.

 

[Ritajanice]

As believers we can't go too far without a bell ringing inside and the need to confess sinful thoughts and actions.

100% AMEN!!!

 

[marks]

It seems to me unbelievers can quench their conciences pushing in them so far down that they can be ignored with impunity, at least temporarily.
In trying to minister to these people I need a miracle. There is not God, there is no sin. The God of the bible ( if He were real) is cruel and so forth. They are embedded so deeply into this mush that only a miracle can seem to pull out any sort of rationality from them.

As believers we can't go too far without a bell ringing inside and the need to confess sinful thoughts and actions.

I think that there is also the element of despair in those who are aware of the condemnation of their conscience. When they know they are wrong but can't stop themselves, the cognitive dissonance can be too much to take, and requires a mental/emotional denial.

Even believers can be affected this way, as we wait for our maturity, and a full control over our flesh.

Much love!

 

[Starise]

I think that there is also the element of despair in those who are aware of the condemnation of their conscience. When they know they are wrong but can't stop themselves, the cognitive dissonance can be too much to take, and requires a mental/emotional denial.

Even believers can be affected this way, as we wait for our maturity, and a full control over our flesh.

Much love!

I totally get what you're saying here. As an early believer I had a few vices which I could have easily tried to justify. Instead I went to the Lord every time and there were MANY times. I just couldn't lie to myself that it was ok. There were times I didn't think I was ever going to kick it, but I never gave in and eventually the Lord did what needed to be done, some of it very difficult.

The unbelievers I spoke with about this were online and not admitting to anything they might be engaging in, yet in reading between the lines it seems they are overlooking something they are doing by saying it isn't wrong to themselves. I'm afraid to peer into their lives to see what it is because it would likely be painful for me as a believer to see. For unbelievers immorality is one of the common ones, or it could be something like booze.

 

[marks]

I totally get what you're saying here. As an early believer I had a few vices which I could have easily tried to justify. Instead I went to the Lord every time and there were MANY times. I just couldn't lie to myself that it was ok. There were times I didn't think I was ever going to kick it, but I never gave in and eventually the Lord did what needed to be done, some of it very difficult.

I think this is a key difference that Jesus makes in our lives. We just cannot remain in sin, no matter how difficult we find our lives to be.

I know sometimes life can be very difficult, sometimes just holding on by the fingertips, and sometimes slipping and falling. Our flesh has been corrupted by sin, even before we begin. Then as we make poor choices, and also as we become victimized by other's poor choices, that damage accumulates, sometimes becoming overwhelming in it's power over us, producing a mind fully bent towards evil.

It's like living in a delusion while at the same time knowing the truth. At times we walk in the truth, but at times we fall back under that delusion. Walking in the Spirit, or walking according to the flesh, and all the lies that have been woven into it's brain.

The unbelievers I spoke with about this were online and not admitting to anything they might be engaging in, yet in reading between the lines it seems they are overlooking something they are doing by saying it isn't wrong to themselves. I'm afraid to peer into their lives to see what it is because it would likely be painful for me as a believer to see. For unbelievers immorality is one of the common ones, or it could be something like booze.

We have several from time to time who join the forum to proclaim how they have become sinless. Completely ceasing from sinning. Without exception, I see the fleshiness in their speech. I come to see how they are either in denial over their own behavior, or they have redefined sin to allow what they do.

Your words, "likely be painful for me as a believer to see" resonate in a deep and terrible way, because the fact is, that seeing my own weaknesses and fallings is very painful for me, knowing the sadness it causes my Savior. Knowing how I'm selling my birthright - a fruitful life - for a bowl of putrid stew. My only comfort is His assurance that when I see Him I'll be like Him, and it cannot be soon enough to suit me! I'm broken, and my life is still a mess in some ways, too many ways! But there is much right also, and the main thing I find is I need to first and foremost be honest with myself, and with God.

As I've come more to realize how God knows my mind, my heart, my desires, my fears, my hurts, and that I have no secrets from Him, how everything will be judged according to my secret intentions, it's easier to just allow myself to be His patient in His spiritual hospital, and not hide from Him in shame, since wherever I go, He's there too.

Much love!

 

[quietthinker]

The conscience is a faculty of the soul. It can distinguish between good and evil. It makes us morally culpable.

Genesis 2:


In the beginning, Adam and Eve's consciences were totally dependent on God. The Spirit of God was directly connected to their spirits which is directly connected with their consciences.

Genesis 2:


After they ate the fruit, they didn't die physically right away. They acquired the ability to decide what was good or not from their own intellect and emotions, independently of God. Right away, their consciences told them that it wasn't good to be naked.

Genesis 3:


Fast-forward to after the Cross, Jesus sent the Indwelling Holy Spirit to repair our conscience, English Standard Version, Romans 9:


The Christian's conscience is in touch with the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Paraclete. I see this not as a spiritual metaphor but as an objective spiritual reality. This is not a theory. I practice this every day all the time.

Now, my conscience is clear before God, Hebrews 9:

or did the devil tell them it was not good to be naked?