The Defiled Conscience
Titus 1:15 reads, Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. You've met folks like that: seems they value nothing good that is in their lives--they insist on seeing the negative of everything. This is the state of an unbeliever. If you are in an unregenerate condition, you need to realize that you are in no state to pass judgment on anything as to what is right and what is wrong. If you are not a Christian, your conscience is defiled and you cannot give sound judgment.

Just because something does not bother you right now does not mean it is right. Church, all around you, people are rising up against the standard of the Gospel, and the worldly people are going to try to tell you what is necessary and what is not necessary. You need to stake your claim on God's eternal Word that when a person is not a Christian, he or she has a defiled conscience and he or she can do lots of things that are not right. The Bible lets us know that when we commit sin, the conscience is perverted. It gets out of order and it picks and chooses as it desires, no matter what the Word of God says. The Bible calls it going after the flesh.

An Evil Conscience
The Bible speaks of several different kinds of evil consciences. Every ungenerate man or woman has an evil conscience that is either darkened, brazen (defiant), bribed, seared (insensible), weak or any combination of those.

• A darkened conscience cannot see the light.
  This is why you are not going to get the world saved by singing them a song. Thank God for all the good songs, but you mark it down that when anyone is converted because he got under conviction when someone was singing a song, that individual sometime, somewhere, had Gospel light preached (taught) to him. One of the first things necessary to salvation is for the light of the Gospel to shine on the darkened conscience of a sinner so he can truly see what is right and what is wrong. Oh yes, many a person has been persuaded through a beautiful Gospel melody to open their heart's door to the Lord, but it was because at some time in their life, the truth of the Gospel had been planted in their heart.
  
  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart [conscience]. Ephesians 4:17,18.
  
  In other words, a blind man could just as safely give sound judgment to something in the natural realm as people with blinded hearts (consciences) could give sound judgment in the spiritual realm. I let it go in one ear and out the other when someone who is not living for the Lord tries to tell me what kind of standard I need to hold, because they have a defiled conscience and they do not know anything about what the Church is supposed to live by.
  
  The youth of our society out on the streets carrying on have ignorant and darkened consciences because they were raised in homes where God was utterly ignored. He was never mentioned, except in profanity. God's Word was never taught, and where no Gospel light was shown upon them at all, they grew up in darkened consciences. Therefore, they go out and do most anything that comes to their minds, without thought to the consequences of their actions. God help us, Saints, to not raise children with darkened consciences because Mommy and Daddy will not spend a few precious moments each day to talk to their children, to tell the children about God and what he requires.
  
  
• A brazen and defiant conscience.
  This one raises up and rebelliously refuses to be in subjection to God's known will. There is a picture of this in the Bible: And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey...I know not the Lord... Exodus 5:2. When Moses went to Pharaoh and told him God said to let His people go so they could go into the wilderness and worship Him, Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord that I should obey...?" Did you ever meet people like that? I have. You preach God's eternal Word just as it is and they will tell you, "Who do you think you are, Preacher? If you think I am going to do that, you got another think coming! What makes you think I have to do that?" They have a brazen and defiant conscience.
  
  
• A bribed conscience.
  We can see a "bribed" conscience in the case of Herod (Mark 6:16-28). You know the story: the young female danced so beguilingly in front of Herod that he promised (made a oath in front of witnesses) he would give her anything short of half of his kingdom. Her mother did not like John the Baptist because Ole' John had read the handwriting on the wall to her, so she sent her daughter back to Herod to ask for the head of John the Baptist to be brought to her on a platter. That is a bribed conscience: Herod said, "I cannot back off of my oath. I would be a liar if I did." Herod had John the Baptist beheaded rather than break his word to the girl.
  
  
• A seared (insensible) conscience.
  Let us consider the seared, or insensible conscience. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. I Timothy 4:1,2. A seared and insensible conscience is of someone who has long resisted the Gospel Light.
  
  You sit in the congregation of your church and Sunday after Sunday, God urges you, "You need to go make this right. You need to back up and humble yourself. You know you talked wrong. You need to repent of this." Yet Sunday after Sunday you sit still, refusing to give in to those beckonings, and the hot iron of the Gospel is little by little searing and cauterizing, just like the doctor takes a hot iron and sears a wound to heal it. You are searing your conscience. You can speak lies in hypocrisy by telling people you are clear with God when you know there are things in your life that need to be straightened out. All you need to do is keep that up awhile and your conscience will get seared over until old "self" will have you believing you do not need to straighten out because you are "just as good as the next person".
  
  
• A weak conscience.
  A tender (or weak) conscience is NOT always an evil conscience, but if left in a weak or unlearned condition, it can easily be steered in a wrong direction. The only legitimate reason for a weak conscience is because a person is a "babe in Christ"; they've not been saved long. Thus, their weak conscience is liable to err because of its lack of understanding a part of God's Word. Since the person has a really tender conscience, the devil is ready to move in and take advantage of that tenderness. Because that person does not have light and understanding to know how the devil works, he or she can be troubled in his or her conscience, although it is pure and good.
  
  This is one reason why we do not need to neglect the assembling of ourselves together, for it is in the strength of unity in witness, reading and studying the Bible and prayer, that we gain a more firm foundation. These things teach us how to fortify ourselves against the enemy of our soul.
  
  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Luke 11:24-26. When we come to the Lord in repentance, and our vessels are swept clean through Salvation, they are empty. They must be filled with something: either the good of study, prayer, praise and witness, or they are in danger of being refilled with corruption. We cannot function as empty vessels, Saints; there must be substance within. And the resources we utilize to fill our vessel determine its strength or weakness.
  
  This is what Paul addresses in I Corinthians, Chapter 10, where he mentioned how we should treat a brother (or sister) with a weak conscience. They have a pure conscience, but it is weak because he or she has not been saved very long and does not have a lot of understanding. You need to get rid of that attitude of, "I do not care about him (her). It does not bother me." Stop and consider a person with a weak conscience! As long as people are being converted to Christ, there are going to be those who have a good, but weak, conscience, until they gain more understanding. The enemy will take advantage of that weakness unless the people of God WORK TOGETHER for their salvation!

A Good Conscience
When you come into old-time repentance, confessing your sins and are truly born again of God's Spirit, the conscience is renewed right along with the heart. Thank God! When He takes that old heart out, with it goes all the sinful attributes of the heart that held the handwriting of God when you got alone and which brought up those things: "What are you going to do about this? What are you going to do about that?" When God forgives you of your sins, every one of them are removed as far as the east is from the west and you get a conscience that is just as clean and pure as that of a little baby who is innocent of all wrong!

A good conscience may be defined as one that is set is please God in all things. It hates sin and it loves holiness. It is one that is governed by the Word of God and is fully in subjection to its Author. Let's examine several qualities of a "good conscience":

• Sincerity
  How little of this virtue is left in our world today! We see shams and hypocrisy working on every level and every arena: political, commercial, social and religious. The government is taking apart the businesses of nationally-known religious men and foaming out their shame before the whole world--about how crooked they have been and how they have misused people's money. All of that is definitely having its effect. It is building up a coldness against true salvation. It is giving people another reason to stay out of church services and have nothing to do with the church. However, in the face of all this, God's cry to His people is to live closer, work harder, and lift the standard higher against these devilish things.
  
  The lives of many people are regulated by temporary expediency (that which is best for the moment), rather than principle. Now that can be dangerous because some things that look best for the moment might not be best in the long run. On the other hand, the opposite can also be true. However, with the redeemed of the Lord, men and women definitely born again and walking in the light, the fear of the Lord has been planted in their hearts and they can say with the Apostle in verse 18 of our original text, "Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly."
  
  
• Tenderness
  This tenderness is not a sissified tenderness, but a wakefulness of heart to the least move of Satan that would try to bring sin into your life. Even what many call "trifling matters" domatter. A tender conscience will chide and condemn you. We are living in a day when people ride over things, and they tell you, "It does not bother me," but if the conscience is tender, it will bother you, from a mere word spoken wrong to a deed done in a wrong light. Oh, no one is going to come around and put you in jail, for you did not do any crooked. You were just UNchristian in the way you spoke and the deed you did.
  
  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. Job 27:6. We can understand the character of a tender conscience by looking at its opposite: a seared conscience. Every one is working toward one or the other. By the practice of your life, you are working towards a tender conscience, or by the practice of your life, you are working towards a seared conscience.
  
  
• Fidelity
  When conscience faithfully discharges its office, there is a constant judging of our state before God, according to His Word. And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Acts 23:1,2. And we get excited because somebody raises his eyebrows or gets a little peeved? Paul got socked in the mouth for saying that he lived with a good conscience!
  
  Favorable judgment that others may have on you or towards you brings no real satisfaction if you are not upright before God. No matter what may be the fashion or the custom of the hour, one whose heart beats true to God will not knowingly do anything against conscience.
  
  
• Tranquility (Quietness, Peace, Satisfaction)
  Tranquility is another attribute of a good conscience and is a sure reward for sincerity and fidelity. Her [Wisdom] ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Proverbs 3:17. ...but a wounded spirit who can bear? Proverbs 18:14. You might as well expect to pick up a hot coal out of the fire and hold it in your hand without suffering any pain as to expect to sin without getting a troubled conscience. One operates on the senses of the body, while the other operates on the senses of the soul. Just as surely as fire will burn you, conscience will trouble you. The tranquility of a good conscience is earnest (down payment) of the undisturbed calm that awaits us in Heaven.
  
  True tranquility is determined from the other properties of conscience that have been mentioned. It must issue from sincerity, tenderness, and fidelity. Otherwise, it is an evil conscience. And allow me to clarify a point here: every peaceful conscience is not a good one, nor is every uneasy conscience an evil one. (Remember the "Seared" [insensible] conscience?)

False Peace
When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace. Luke 11:21. What kind of peace is that? It is a false sense of peace that the enemy of your soul, when he has control of your life, will bring over your being. It is a conscience that has been put to sleep by the opiates of Satan. Nevertheless, there will be an awakening.

You might say that your conscience is at ease. However, are you really sincere about obeying God? Do you have tenderness towards the least thing that would come into your life that is wrong? Do you have fidelity? If not, then you are operating under false peace. We must just not look at how much peace we have, but how real is the peace is the cause or source of our peace!

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. I Thessalonians 5:3. Hell's flames are leaping around their feet, but they are crying peace! What kind of peace is it? It is the kind of peace a person has when the devil has hold of him and his goods are at peace. The only hope of ever breaking that up is some of us reaching that individual with the Gospel and under the anointing of God's Holy Spirit reading the handwriting of God to that soul. There is such a battle on because the devil has people under this false peace and he does NOT want you and me disturbing anyone!

Exercises For A Good Conscience
Note that a good conscience can only be maintained by constant diligence. Now this is a million miles from what the world tells people: "Just get saved and go your way. You will make it all right." You have a job on your hands if you keep a good conscience!

And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Acts 24:16. Now, the only way to understand what Paul meant by that verse is to read verses 14 and 15 as well, wherein he tells what kind of exercise he did, and it is an exercise that is very much lacking in the Church of today: But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. Acts 24:14,15.

Paul's exercise consisted of two things: believing and obeying. Believing the message and obeying the message will produce a clear hope towards God and your conscience will witness that fact. This exercise is an essential part of Christian living.

Paul wrote to Timothy: This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck. I Timothy 1:18,19. The sum of personal godliness is (1) faith, which is the principle of the things to be believed and obeyed, and (2) a good conscience, which is the received approval from God that the things you believed have been rightly done in your life.

When you lose a good conscience, you make shipwreck of the faith. Let's look at ways to exercise a good conscience:

• Diligent and Daily Search
  We exercise ourselves by a diligent and daily search in the scriptures that we may discover the Will of God for our lives. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17. An ill-informed conscience is at its best weak and ignorant. Bible study is not only necessary, but vital. You do not know how to live right if you do not study. It means something to keep a conscience void of offense towards God and man. You are not going to see the inside of Heaven if there is one thing in your life against God or man. It takes some exercise, some work, and some effort. We also exercise by a serious inquiry into the state of our hearts and ways. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Psalm 4:4.
  
  
• Commune With Your Conscience
  One reason why your conscience does not talk to you is that you do not talk to it. As usual, the world has a version of this. They call it, "Getting in touch with the inner you." Except the difference between that which the world prescribes and that which the Word of God prescribes (and it's an important difference), is that the world is not operating under the Holy Spirit. They seek to resolve things man's way, but perfect resolution can only be found through God. Commune with your conscience: just sign off everything else after you pillow your head and say, "Lord, I am lying here in reverence before You and I want to commune. Conscience, where are you?" After you ask this of your conscience, be still and let it talk to you.
  
  If Psalm 4:4 was acted upon, the spirituality of many would go up considerably. However, many of you have to run over here and run over there. You get to bed at midnight and you are completely worn out. You hit the sack and you go to sleep and sleep until the alarm goes off, and away you go again. Where is the communing on your bed? Do some exercising. Talk to your conscience. And then be still. It will tell you if everything is clear!
  
  
• Take Time To Be Holy
  This is what Paul was talking about when he said, "I exercise myself." We take time out of our schedules to exercise everything but our consciences. It takes time and effort to have a conscience void of offense towards God and man. We need to frequently challenge and call ourselves to account how matters stand between God and us and between our fellow men and us. I have learned from experience that oft reckonings PREVENT mistakes.
  
  We need a uniform course of obedience. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. I John 3:18. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41.
  
  
• Seriously Resist and Mortify Sin
  We exercise ourselves by a serious resistance and mortification of sin. In Mark 9:43-47, we read where Jesus said it was better to cut off a hand or a foot or pluck out one of our eyes, than to allow them to cause us to do wrong. He wasn't saying that we were supposed to hack up our bodies--He was saying that's how important it should be to us that we lay aside those things that are wrong! That involves some suffering, too; however, we'd better be willing to suffer greatly to lay any and all of it aside and make our home in Heaven than to hold onto the things of this world and end up in eternal torment with that thing to which we were bound, forever and ever.
  
  
• Sincere Repentance and Confession
  We exercise ourselves by sincere repentance and confession when there has been a failure. How many miss it on this point! We will make mistakes--there will be failures. However, it is not that the Grace of God cannot keep us: it is the fact that we do not pray sometimes as we ought and our flesh will lead us in the wrong way--thus we fail (fall short). It could be through something we said or some deed we did or even an attitude we should not take.

How are we going to exercise ourselves to hold a conscience void of offense? We do that by squarely clearing up a mistake or a failure, and in a timely manner. Not putting off that which we know we should do! One of the greatest weaknesses of today is putting an "if" on what we say or do. (This is justifying our wrongdoings.) When you feel compelled to put an "if" on the reason you said or did something, you are being a hypocrite. You have too much pride to admit you were wrong. "If" may take the pressure off a little, but you won't find any lasting satisfaction in it, and there is NO forgiveness in it at all. Many people lose a good conscience because they will not really repent and confess the truth of the matter.