Throughout history, countless individuals have demonstrated the power of the human conscience. One example who comes to mind is Martin Luther, the leader of the Reformation. He had to appear twice before the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Each time, he was told to recant his teachings, including justification through faith alone and the authority of Scripture over church tradition. Luther declared, “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.”¹ The consequence of making such a statement was dire—eventually, Luther was excommunicated. However, backing down would have violated his conscience, and with God’s help he maintained his resolve.

Another example of one who kept a good conscience despite immense pressure to compromise is the Apostle Paul. In Acts 22 we read about a time when he was arrested at the Temple in Jerusalem for preaching the Gospel. When he was brought before the chief priests and their council, he told them, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1). What a testimony! Despite great opposition and persecution, God gave Paul the strength to live by his convictions.

We all make decisions between right and wrong every day. The consequences of our choices may not affect as many people as were affected by Martin Luther or Paul, but people will be impacted—first and foremost, ourselves. The conscience is an important tool for making the right choices in difficult circumstances. Today, we will consider what the conscience is, how it can become clear, how to keep it clear, and the blessings that result from doing so.

What is the conscience?

One dictionary definition of a conscience is “a person’s moral sense of right and wrong, acting as a guide to one’s behavior.” In essence, the conscience is like a moral compass. However, it can be flawed as it is biased by each person’s own environment and experiences. A healthy conscience is one that approves thoughts and actions that are consistent with the teachings of the Word of God.

The conscience can be either guilty or clear. When it is guilty, we feel condemned, troubled, and ashamed, and we cannot escape it. When it is clear, we experience an inner freedom from knowing that we are innocent and that no one can condemn us.

God graciously implanted the conscience in us as a powerful tool in the battle against sin. One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to reveal sin to us, and He often does that through the conscience. John 16:8 says, “And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” He reproves or convicts of sin by troubling the conscience. He leads people to the place where they will admit, “Yes, Lord, I am guilty,” so they can take the necessary steps to have their sins forgiven, their hearts changed, and their consciences cleared. When we use our consciences the way God intended—when we acknowledge our sins and ask God to remove them—we can experience freedom and joy.

If we do not use our consciences the way God intended, we risk losing this gift. We read in 1 Timothy 4:2, “Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” Here Paul referred to people who blatantly fought against the Gospel, and the result was that their consciences were “seared.” They stopped feeling guilt for their evil actions.

We see this often today. Secular culture celebrates sin but does not tolerate the guilt that sin produces. People want to feel confident and empowered, and guilt is not conducive to high self-esteem. Many move away from God in an attempt to eliminate condemnation, and the consequence is that the conscience becomes desensitized to wrongdoing and no longer works. God help us to never be in that dangerous condition.

Obtaining a clear conscience

The foundation of a clear conscience is rooted in the sacrificial work of Christ at Calvary. If we want to be rid of our guilt, Calvary is the answer. We must come to God ready to own all the wrongs we have done and tell Him, “I am sorry. Please forgive me. I believe in the power of Jesus’ Blood that was shed on Calvary. Let it be applied to me.” That Blood will work wonders—it transforms lives! We read in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The same Blood that has power to forgive sins has power to purify the conscience. Hebrews 9:13-14 says, “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” The author of Hebrews was making a comparison between the Old and New Covenants. Under the Old Covenant, there were many rituals that were required for purification. For example, if someone touched a dead body, that person was considered unclean and had to be separated from society. In order to be cleansed and rejoin society, that person had to offer an animal sacrifice and be sprinkled with its blood. The offender succeeded in becoming ceremonially cleansed, but consciousness of his sinful condition remained.

Now consider the difference between these sacrificial animals and our Savior. Jesus, who is God, humbled Himself and took on human flesh, lived as a man, remained sinless, and then offered Himself to the Father as a sacrifice. How much more His Blood is able to cleanse! If the blood of an animal can accomplish external purification, the Blood of Christ can completely purge our consciences from sins committed when we were spiritually dead.

That is what happens when a person is saved—his or her guilt is purged by the Blood of Jesus. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” That is the power of the Blood of Jesus Christ—to have a heart that is clean, pure, and free from guilt.

 In Luke 19 we read about Zacchaeus, a wonderful example of someone who obtained the freedom and joy that comes with a clear conscience. Zacchaeus saw something in Jesus that he wanted—something special and life-giving. When he met Jesus, Zacchaeus embraced His teachings and told Him, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” Jesus said to him, “This day is salvation come to this house” (Luke 19:8-9). Zacchaeus obtained the forgiveness of sins that he needed.

It is important to note that because Zacchaeus had defrauded others in his past, in addition to repenting to God, he needed to make restitution to those he had harmed. If he had skipped that step, not only would his relationship with God have been uncertain, but his wrongdoings toward others would have weighed on his conscience. When he resolved to obey God’s Law and make restitution, his sins were forgiven, his conscience purged, and he was free from guilt and condemnation.

Shortly after I was saved, I also had to make a restitution. God reminded me about a time that I had deceived my parents at the age of ten. I was feeling guilty and He let me know, “You’ve got to go and make that right.” When I told my parents what I had done, so much joy came to my heart and my conscience was clear. That is what God can do.

Maintaining a clear conscience

Obtaining a clear conscience is one thing, but maintaining it is something that requires regular attention. That is why Paul said in Acts 24:16, “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.” Guarding our consciences is a daily exercise. It involves praying for God to lead us, making choices that are in line with His will, and being mindful of our actions towards others.

Prayer is critical because the conscience can be mistaken, even after we are saved. The devil is called “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10). He would like to bring confusion and false guilt. If we are ever unsure of what is right or wrong in a situation, we can take our concerns to God in prayer and He will reveal the truth to us. He will help us know if a feeling of guilt is a prompting of the Holy Spirit or an accusation of the enemy.

Jesus gave this instruction in Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” When the Holy Spirit brings to our minds a problem between us and a brother or sister, we want to do our best to reconcile the matter right away. This is not only for situations where we were the offender; this also applies to situations where we have been offended. Doing this will help keep our consciences clear.

In 1 Timothy 1:19, Paul told Timothy, “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.” Faith and a good conscience go together—we cannot have faith with a guilty conscience, nor a clear conscience without our faith. If we lose either one, we have nothing—we are lost. So once God has given these to us, we must hold on to them. When Paul testified to the council, “I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day,” he was saying that he was a man of integrity, someone who was upright. That is what Christianity is about: having an up-to-date testimony, and the Lord will help us do that.

Blessings that result

We read in 1 Timothy 1:5, “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” Here Paul was summarizing what happens when people keep God’s commandments. The result is charity (God’s love) coming from a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned (sincere faith). These four elements work together to make us strong Christians who bring honor to God. Charity and a pure heart go together; God’s love does not come from an impure heart. And if our hearts are pure, we have nothing to feel guilty about. Our sincere faith is what directs all we do. No matter where we are, who we are around, or what we are going through, our lives are an open book for anyone to see. We can be totally transparent, having no record of offense against others.

Once, at a café near my home, an elderly man asked me, “What do you do?” I thought he was asking about my profession, so that was what I told him about. Then I said, “Well, I’m also the pastor of a church.” He replied, “Oh, yeah! I noticed something different about you.” What he noticed was the Gospel—it makes a positive difference that others can see. People cannot help but notice the contrast in a life of freedom and joy, and without hidden sins.

At the same time, some may feel convicted by our lives and reject us. We read in 1 Peter 3:16, “Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” Even if others oppose us or slander us, our testimony has reached them, and God can let them know that what we have is genuine.

A good conscience not only gives us confidence before men, but also before God. We read in 1 John 3:21-22, “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” When we have no condemnation, we can have confidence to approach God and ask what we will from Him. What a blessing!

The conscience is a valuable tool given to us by God. It is central to our relationship with Him and our witness before others. May we follow Paul’s example and endeavor to always have a conscience void of offence toward God and our fellowman. When we do so, we will experience these blessings and more, and God can use our lives in truly extraordinary ways.

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¹ “Luther and Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms (1521),” German History in Documents and Images, www.germanhistorydocs.org, accessed February 6, 2026.

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