Purging the Conscience

Background Scripture: Hebrews 9:1-28; 10:1-38
Lesson Scripture: Hebrews 9:11-14; 10:19-22

Introduction

Conscience is defined as “an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior” (Oxford).Conscience appears to be formed, at least in part, by childhood influences and life’s experiences and is also moderated by a person’s physical and mental constitution. Living in a healthy environment that is secure, safe, and godly will greatly contribute to having a good conscience. However, because our conscience may be formed by earthly influences that are not sound, the voice of our conscience should not be given the final authority to determine right and wrong. May this lesson help us to purify our conscience so that we are led by God’s guiding hand.

Key Verse

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil (Prov. 16:6).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

Our lesson text was written to those Jews who had accepted Jesus as the Messiah and had become Christians in the budding New Testament church. This new way of serving God contained particular challenges for these brothers and sisters. They had been taught to trust in a very exacting order of sacrifices and rituals. As these people accepted the gospel, they surely experienced a profound sense of relief when they surrendered to Jesus and left the old way of life behind. However, as they went forth in the new way and experienced real-life tests, disappointments, and failures, they must surely have been tempted to shift their loyalties back to the familiar way where tangible sacrifice atoned for their mistakes.

It is perhaps difficult for us to understand the magnitude of the change these Hebrew Christians experienced. Their conscience was fully programmed to live the life that was dictated by Jewish culture. As we read the book of Hebrews, we catch a glimpse of their challenge. The writer is uncompromising in helping them remain focused on where their salvation really was. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). The teachableness of these early Christians is an inspiration for us today. For them, it became necessary to face their conscience, admit that its guidance was flawed, and become willing to chart a different course. Their willingness to allow their consciences to be purged by laying it down and aligning it with the voice of God is a lesson from which we can gain direction for our own lives.

Practical Truths for Today

When we are lukewarm or lack a childlike trust in God, we revert to living by conscience. As with the Jews, we can live by knowledge instead of living by the daily inspiration that God wishes to impart to us. Our spirit becomes hard as we come to rely on nothing more than the intuition of right and wrong to guide our steps.

An evil, weak, or impure conscience is defined as one that imparts guilt and condemnation. A defiled or seared conscience lacks a sound moral basis for decisions. What are the identifying differences between the voice of an impure conscience and the voice of God? Here are some indications of being guided primarily by an impure conscience: inflexibility, intractability, a dismissive attitude towards others’ convictions, or a demanding and critical view of others. A conscience not governed by the Holy Spirit often demands increasing strictness and tighter control. Living under the counsel of the conscience alone is not a life of freedom, joy, or inspiration.

An overactive conscience may exert itself by threat or fear. Perhaps a crisis has arisen, and there is no time for personal devotions. A demanding conscience may capitalize on feelings of guilt. “You’ve missed your devotions—now God is displeased with you,” the conscience whispers. God’s voice does not bring fear and anxiety, nor does it bring harsh charges. Rather, his voice offers rest and a quiet invitation to restoration.

Those of a careful disposition may have a conscience that is more sensitive to the concerns of the day. Likely, it will be more difficult for them to lay their feelings down, while those who do not have a close conscience may need to come to a keener understanding. In any condition, our challenge is to listen for God’s voice above the murmur of our conscience.

Children brought up being exposed to godly values have a tremendous advantage. Christian life is much easier when the voice of our conscience and the voice of God do not conflict. It is important for our children to observe that Father and Mother are not rigid in their Christian lives. Children need to see that their parents allow their lives to be shaped by God and are easily entreated by others. Our homes should be free from the impression that Christian life is a set of rules. Instead, the atmosphere should express the warmth of a personal relationship with Christ; this results in heartfelt conviction. Bible reading, prayer life, and church attendance are important parts of family life. However, may we be careful that these bulwarks are more than mere ritual. If the soul is to be fed, we will need a connection that is deeper than a conscientious adherence to good habits. For most of us, this will require the occasional purging of our conscience as we open our hearts to the Father’s voice.

If a conscience has been trained to support a self-serving life, it will remain silent and will need to be purified. A lack of conviction will restrict our usefulness to God. He may be calling us to a special task, but if personal interests and ambitions are focused on earthly things, conscience alone will not lead us into the will of God. Only the cleansing blood of Christ applied to the mind will bring clarity of conviction.

There may be times in life when we will need to modify our conscience. Perhaps certain ones have strong feelings that a particular activity or thing is wrong. To submit and let go of those closely held convictions, where needed, requires a work of grace. Submission is needed to back up. Alternately, maybe certain ones have been raised in a home where spiritual things were not very important, and they reached adulthood with few guiding principles and a very loose conscience. As the tests of life come and the sanctifying fires begin to burn, this conscience, too, will need a work of grace. Will I allow my conscience to be molded to the standards that God’s voice has revealed? He speaks today by his Son, who is the Living Word; the church, which is his Body; and the Holy Spirit, which the Father sent in Jesus’s name.

Having a mind that is free from guilt and offense, relieved by the balm of forgiveness, is the rich blessing of a clean and pure conscience. God has a unique plan for each of us that is not a carbon copy of someone else. As we allow God to purify our mind and conscience, there will be a greater liberty and freedom to deal with and accept what life bestows upon us. To accept the purging of our conscience in the atoning blood of Christ may seem too simple and goes against our pride and independence. However, as we come to know God’s love in greater measure and to truly trust Him, it becomes much easier to place our feelings and emotions into his hands so that He can shape and mold them into that which edifies our spiritual life.

A good conscience will exercise a positive influence in the Christian’s life, and it is truly beautiful to see the child of God who is guided, protected, and nurtured by the hand of the Father.

Questions

1. What role does the conscience fill in the born-again Christian who is governed by the Holy Spirit?
2. If I find it difficult to move beyond my childhood influences and accept others’ direction, what is wrong? What causes me to hold so tenaciously to my conscience?
3. Share an experience where your conscience has been purged.
4. “I don’t have a conscience against that,” some will say. Are we then free to partake of that thing?
5. How does a church teaching differ from a matter of conscience? Or does it?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).