Conscience vs Holy Spirit

[bbyrd009]

From the Revised Standard Version:

1Sam.25

1. [31] my lord shall have no cause of grief, or pangs of conscience, for having shed blood without cause or for my lord taking vengeance himself. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid."

Wis.17

1. [11] For wickedness is a cowardly thing, condemned
   by its own testimony;
   distressed by conscience, it has always exaggerated
   the difficulties.

Acts.23

1. [1] And Paul, looking intently at the council, said, "Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience up to this day."

Acts.24

1. [16] So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men.

Rom.2

1. [15] They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them

Rom.9

1. [1] I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit,

Rom.13

1. [5] Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

1Cor.8

1. [7] However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through being hitherto accustomed to idols, eat food as really offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
2. [10] For if any one sees you, a man of knowledge, at table in an idol's temple, might he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?
3. [12] Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

1Cor.10

1. [25] Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
2. [27] If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
3. [28] (But if some one says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then out of consideration for the man who informed you, and for conscience' sake --
4. [29] I mean his conscience, not yours -- do not eat it.) For why should my liberty be determined by another man's scruples?

2Cor.1

1. [12] For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience that we have behaved in the world, and still more toward you, with holiness and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God.

2Cor.4

1. [2] We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

2Cor.5

1. [11] Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

1Tim.1

1. [5] whereas the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith.
2. [19] holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith,

1Tim.3

1. [9] they must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

1Tim.4

1. [2] through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared,

2Tim.1

1. [3] I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience, as did my fathers, when I remember you constantly in my prayers.

Tit.1

1. [15] To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted.

Heb.9

1. [9] (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,
2. [14] how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Heb.10

1. [22] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Heb.13

1. [18] Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.

1Pet.3

1. [16] and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
2. [21] Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

tks, i just didnt see any in the quote :)

 

[Enoch111]

I think the conscience is the natural reaction to the fact that Adam and Eve ate from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We all have that, even non-Christians. But the Holy Spirit only guides those who belong to Jesus.

The Bible tells us that the conscience reflects "the Law" (the Ten Commandments) and operates in all human beings, even those who do not know the Law. As a result the unsaved can do what is righteous. But the Holy Spirit convicts and convinces both believers and unbelievers through the Word of God and the Gospel.

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: 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, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.(Rom 2:14-16)

For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His [the Holy Spirit's] sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Heb 4:12,13)

 

[GEN2REV]

Hello all. So my dad is concerned about whether or not he is saved. So he originally thought your conscience was the same as the Holy Spirit. I told him no, they arent. So i digged into him some more about why he was so concerned about it. He is trying to use this as assurance. So how would you describe the differences between the two?

If you do not have the Holy Spirit, your conscience does not bother you when you sin; or when you break the Laws of God.

If you have the Holy Spirit, your conscience does bother you when you sin; your conscience is the Holy Spirit IF you have the Spirit.

Here is what Jesus had to say about how to have the Holy Spirit.

He who knows, and keeps, the 10 Commandments (Jesus' and the Father's Commandments), he it is that loves Jesus. He that loves Jesus will be loved by Jesus' Father and Jesus; and Jesus will manifest Himself privately to them as the Holy Spirit. In other words, Jesus will come to live inside your heart as the Holy Spirit.
John 14:21

Jesus reiterates after being asked how this is possible by telling us that 'IF' (there's that IF = conditional) IF a man loves Jesus, He will keep the 10 Commandments and Jesus' Father will love him and Jesus and the Father will make their home inside that person's heart - as the Holy Spirit.
John 14:23

Read the whole conversation in John 14:21-23.

Jesus tells us He and the Father are ONE in John 10:30.

He also tells us that all of His intentions ARE the Father's intentions that were made well known in the Old Testament in John 5:30.

 

[GEN2REV]

the Holy Spirit convicts and convinces both believers and unbelievers through the Word of God and the Gospel.

No feud intended, but I don't think the Holy Spirit convicts, or convinces, unbelievers of anything.

Faith (belief) is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8
Nobody can come to Christ, or the Bible, unless God draws them. John 6:44

The Word of God, and the Gospel, is completely inert without Faith having already been put into a person by God, or unless that person has the Holy Spirit. Nobody has the Holy Spirit who has not first been given Faith by God and learned at least something about the Commandments.

At least according to Scripture.

I know Romans 2:14-15 says that about conscience, but either conscience is not translated properly or Gentiles is not. Because only those who have entered into the New Covenant have the Laws of God written on their hearts.
Hebrews 8:10-12

 

[Enoch111]

No feud intended, but I don't think the Holy Spirit convicts, or convinces, unbelievers of anything.

Well then you have no idea about the work of the Holy Spirit.

JOHN 16: THE CONVICTING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE UNBELIEVING WORLD
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter [THE HOLY SPIRIT] will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove [CONVICT AND CONVINCE] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

 

[GEN2REV]

Well then you have no idea about the work of the Holy Spirit.

Yeah, ... I do, but we'll work with the only verse you have to make your case. And it actually comes down to a single word.

8 And when he is come, he will reprove [CONVICT AND CONVINCE] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

That word is reprove.

My KJV defines it as convict there as well, but it doesn't mean to teach all the unbelievers of the world anything as in giving them wisdom on the matter, or even causing their conscience to bother them.

It means to judge the world as wrong, or to enlighten the person to which the Spirit comes of the evil deeds of the world around them.

Look at the verses prior. John 16:7 says that the Comforter is sent to an individual, not to the whole world. Whatever action reprove is referring to is an action that takes place within that individual who received the Comforter.

The Comforter doesn't indwell one person and simultaneously cause the entire world to feel guilty for their sins against God. That's not what it's saying there.

Another way it could be correctly interpreted is that the Comforter will then convict/reprove the world through the individual that He has come to; through their subsequent work of spreading the Truth of God's Word, etc.

That's the only point I'm trying to make here.

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

Hello all. So my dad is concerned about whether or not he is saved. So he originally thought your conscience was the same as the Holy Spirit. I told him no, they arent. So i digged into him some more about why he was so concerned about it. He is trying to use this as assurance. So how would you describe the differences between the two?

"Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.…" Romans 2:14-16

We feel guilt because we are guilty, we do things that are wrong and our conscience convicts us - the law written on our hearts. Unbelievers experience this. it is our conscience. We learn not to do those things in life. Still the Holy Spirit is even more convicting and guiding, with Him, now we now which way to go, what is truth. Before, it is like we are wrestling with ourselves, analyzing every thought that comes in our mind and without comparing it to Bible truths, we drift. God is still there guiding _ I believe _ those whom are on His list to be saved throughout their lives. He whispers thoughts and tells you, "You ought to go this way", or "Don't do that" ... "Stay away from this person". We identify these messages as intuition. It comes from out of nowhere. We did not come up with it, but it's real. And when we argue against it, we screw up.