The Holy Spirit and
The Holy Spirit and Conscience
God promised that the Holy Spirit will convict us of what is right and wrong helping our conscience. The Bible describes the work and mission of the Holy Spirit: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).
In John 16:13, we read,”Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” And then again in John 16:7, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
However, the Holy Spirit will not guide anybody contrary to what the Word of God teaches. As long as we allow that Spirit of God to guide us into the things Jesus taught, we’re in safe paths. The final judge of all truth must be the written Word of God and not our feelings or impressions.
For even the conscience is not always a safe guide. The conscience can be overscrupulous (1 Corinthians 10:25) or “seared” by abuse (1 Timothy 4:2). It can be enlightened by further knowledge of truth (1 Corinthians 8:7), and it works only according to the light it receives.
The Scriptures say “there is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). The Bible, in fact, speaks of a “darkened conscience” and an “evil conscience” and a “seared conscience”(Hebrews 10:22; 1Timothy 4:2). As long as the conscience is educated by the Word of God, there is safety.
The Bible also says in 1 John 2:4, “He that saith I know him and keepeth not His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him.” This means that true believers will not follow their feelings which may be contrary to the Word of God, but will obey the law and the Word above everything else. Be sure that the mind, heart and life has been illuminated by the Word of God first of all and that you’re following the Word above your own feelings and even the conscience.
As for those that have not the chance to know the truths of the Bible, the Lord will judge them by their conscience and the light they know (Romans 2:15). The Gentiles still have awareness of morality, despite their ignorance of God’s written law. They, in a general sense, can differentiate between what is right and what is wrong.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
