Topical Bible: Conscience of Saints, Pure and Good

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The concept of a pure and good conscience is a significant theme in the Christian life, reflecting the inner moral compass that guides believers in their walk with God. The conscience, as understood in the Bible, is the God-given faculty that discerns right from wrong, prompting individuals to act in accordance with divine principles. For the saints, or those set apart for God's purposes, maintaining a pure and good conscience is essential for spiritual growth and effective ministry.

Biblical Foundation

The Apostle Paul frequently addresses the importance of a good conscience in his epistles. In 1 Timothy 1:5, he writes, "The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith" . Here, Paul emphasizes that a good conscience is integral to the Christian life, alongside love and faith. It is not merely an internal feeling but a reflection of one's alignment with God's will.

In Acts 24:16, Paul declares, "In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man" . This statement underscores the dual aspect of the conscience: it is accountable to both divine standards and human relationships. A clear conscience before God involves living in obedience to His commands, while a clear conscience before others involves integrity and honesty in interpersonal dealings.

Characteristics of a Pure and Good Conscience

1. Sensitivity to Sin: A pure conscience is acutely aware of sin and is quick to repent and seek forgiveness. Hebrews 10:22 encourages believers to "draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" . This cleansing is made possible through the sacrificial work of Christ, allowing believers to approach God with confidence.

2. Guided by the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in shaping the conscience of the saints. Romans 9:1 states, "I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit" . The Spirit aids believers in discerning truth and empowers them to live according to God's standards.

3. Commitment to Righteousness: A good conscience is committed to righteousness and justice. In 1 Peter 3:16, believers are encouraged to maintain a good conscience so that "those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ" . This commitment serves as a testimony to the transformative power of the Gospel.

4. Peace and Assurance: A pure conscience brings peace and assurance to the believer. 1 John 3:21-22 states, "Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God, and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight" . This assurance is rooted in a life that seeks to honor God in all things.

Challenges to Maintaining a Pure Conscience

The conscience can be seared or corrupted through persistent sin and disobedience. 1 Timothy 4:2 warns of those whose consciences have been "seared as with a hot iron" , indicating a loss of sensitivity to moral truth. Believers are called to guard their hearts and minds, continually renewing their conscience through the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit.

In summary, the conscience of saints, pure and good, is a vital aspect of the Christian life, guiding believers in their pursuit of holiness and service to God. It is nurtured through a close relationship with Christ, adherence to Scripture, and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hebrews 13:18
Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Peter 3:16,21
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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

All Saints' Day, or St Ursula's Day
... THE INNER WAY SERMON XXVII All Saints' Day, or St ... and who desires to possess a pure
and empty ... must, before all things, examine his conscience diligently, that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon xxvii all saints day.htm

"Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
... the stream that flows out of a pure heart and a good conscience. By love, we mean
principally love to God, or Jesus Christ, and then love to the saints next to ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xiv now the end.htm

How all the Saints have Confessed with Truth that they were ...
... And therefore with daily sighs all the saints grieve over ... secrets and inmost recesses
of their conscience, cry out ... will have confidence that he is pure from sin ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xvii how all the.htm

Indeed in all Spiritual Delights, which Unmarried Women Enjoy...
... it is enough for them their conscience before God ... is the chaste life of the Saints,
as though it ... things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things ...
/.../augustine/on the good of widowhood /section 27 indeed in all.htm

Noble Company.
... of clergymen, and, indeed, in the conscience and experience ... truly catholic conception
of All Saints' Day. ... somewhat toward whatsoever things are pure, true, just ...
/.../kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xxii noble company.htm

Truly we must Consider, that God Gives us Some Goods...
... prophesied of, and be born, it was the duty of the Saints to use ... that all would this,
only in "charity out of a pure heart, and good conscience, and faith ...
/.../augustine/on the good of marriage/section 9 truly we must.htm

Jacob --Israel --Jeshurun
... look like the stuff of which heroes and saints are made ... us in order that we may be
pure and good ... and the being the character, which a conscience enlightened by ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/jacobisraeljeshurun.htm

Sermon for the Second Sunday in Lent
... Scribes [raising doubts and questions of conscience], that a ... that neither our Lady,
nor the saints, nor the ... of grace, and come short of that pure, exalted good ...
/.../xi sermon for the second.htm

The Holiness of God
... unbelief:' but the holiness of God is pure, like wine ... The saints are called vessels
of honour; they are called ... a child to its father; his conscience does not ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/7 the holiness of god.htm

That God is to be Loved and Worshipped in Diseases: and Also of ...
... neither good nor evil, for in their pure nature they ... more joyfully to the kingdom
of the saints, if in ... that truly that is of gladness of conscience and ghostly ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter ix that god is.htm