Topical Bible: Conscience: Accuses of Sin

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The concept of conscience as an internal witness to one's moral and ethical conduct is deeply rooted in biblical theology. In the Scriptures, the conscience is often portrayed as a God-given faculty that discerns right from wrong, serving as an inner guide that accuses or excuses one's actions. This entry explores the role of conscience in accusing individuals of sin, drawing from various biblical passages and theological insights.

Biblical Foundation

The Apostle Paul provides a foundational understanding of the conscience in his epistle to the Romans. In Romans 2:14-15 , Paul writes, "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. 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." Here, Paul emphasizes that the conscience acts as a witness to the moral law inscribed on the heart, capable of accusing individuals of sin even in the absence of explicit divine revelation.

Conscience and Conviction of Sin

The conscience plays a critical role in convicting individuals of sin, prompting a recognition of moral failure and the need for repentance. In John 8:9 , during the account of the woman caught in adultery, it is noted that those who heard Jesus' words were "convicted by their conscience" and departed one by one. This illustrates how the conscience can bring about an acute awareness of personal sinfulness, leading to a response of guilt and, potentially, repentance.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

While the conscience is a natural faculty, its effectiveness in accusing of sin is heightened by the work of the Holy Spirit. In John 16:8 , Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit's role, saying, "And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment." The Holy Spirit works in tandem with the conscience to bring about a deeper conviction of sin, illuminating the truth of God's standards and the reality of human transgression.

The Hardened Conscience

Despite its role in accusing of sin, the conscience can become seared or hardened through persistent sin and rejection of truth. Paul warns of this in 1 Timothy 4:2 , describing individuals whose "consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." A hardened conscience loses its sensitivity to sin, leading to moral insensitivity and a diminished capacity for self-accusation.

The Cleansing of Conscience

The New Testament also speaks of the cleansing and renewal of the conscience through faith in Christ. Hebrews 9:14 declares, "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" Through the atoning work of Christ, believers experience a purified conscience, liberated from the guilt and accusation of sin, enabling them to serve God with a clear heart.

Practical Implications

For believers, maintaining a sensitive and responsive conscience is vital for spiritual growth and moral integrity. Paul exhorts Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:19 to "hold on to faith and a good conscience," highlighting the importance of aligning one's life with the truth of the Gospel. A well-informed and active conscience aids in discerning God's will and living a life that honors Him.

In summary, the conscience serves as a crucial instrument in the moral and spiritual life, accusing individuals of sin and pointing them toward the need for divine grace and forgiveness. Through the work of the Holy Spirit and the redemptive power of Christ, the conscience can be cleansed and renewed, enabling believers to walk in righteousness and truth.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 42:21
And they said one to another, We are truly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he sought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come on us.
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2 Samuel 24:10
And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech you, O LORD, take away the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.
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Matthew 27:3
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
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Acts 2:37
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brothers, what shall we do?
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Library

I Believe that I have Now Set Forth, Briefly Indeed...
... a pure heart; for they shall see God." I think that this last statement is made
regarding those whom conscience accuses of the guilt of no sin; concerning whom ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter xi i believe that.htm

Epistle Xlv. To Theoctista, Patrician .
... while, even though all should praise, one cannot be free, if conscience accuses
him ... break out into slander and objurgation, in order that, if any sin springs up ...
/.../the epistles of saint gregory the great/epistle xlv to theoctista patrician.htm

Certainty of Our Justification.
... a saint, with a self-assumed holiness, but as one who confesses: "My conscience
accuses me that ... even so as if you never had had nor committed any sin." As the ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxiii certainty of our justification.htm

That we Should Seek the Verdict of Our Conscience in Every ...
... help if externally people praise someone if his conscience internally accuses him,
in ... and to humble ourselves there by confession of sin, and praise ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/albert/on cleaving to god/chapter 14 that we should.htm

Christ's Priestly Office
... Do what they can, sin, and then Satan, accuses believers to God, and conscience
accuses them to themselves; but Christ, by his intercession, answers all these ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/4 christs priestly office.htm

The Covenant of Grace
... I grant, the least sin is a trespass upon the covenant, but it does ... When conscience
accuses, when sickness approaches (which is but a harbinger to bespeak a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/1 the covenant of grace.htm

The Christian and the Scientific Estimate of Sin
... The spirit which accuses Christianity of gross exaggeration ... to what is the Christian
estimate of sin. ... based respectively on experience, on conscience, on the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/beibitz/gloria crucis/iii the christian and the.htm

Results of True Repentance.
... Until conviction of sin brings us down on both knees ... This is what accuses or excuses
the heathen ... Conscience is "a divinely implanted faculty in man, telling him ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/moody/the overcoming life/results of true repentance.htm

A Letter on the Sin against the Holy Ghost to John Uytenbogard ...
... is produced by sin, the law accuses him who ... to this class of persons belongs the
sin against the ... repulsion and rejection of Christ in opposition to conscience. ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/a letter on the sin.htm

Faustus Avows his Disbelief in the Old Testament and his Disregard ...
... and his disregard of its precepts, and accuses Catholics of ... is pure, but both their
mind and conscience are defiled ... in the appointed seven days was a sin in the ...
/.../faustus avows his disbelief in.htm