Mission Venture Ministries

Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. (Hebrews 13:18) 

The Lord has given us a conscience for our protection. To develop and trust this warning system, we must be committed to taking certain actions:  

• Apply the Word of God. As you put into practice “the perfect law that gives freedom” (James 1:25 NIV), your conscience will grow stronger because you know God’s heart better. 

• Arrive at decisions through prayer. Instead of making a choice because it sounds good, bring every issue to God in prayer. 

• Agree to obey God. When you desire to function God’s way, you’ll consistently ask, what does He want me to do? This practice will enable you to discern and follow the Spirit’s lead. 

• Acquire sensitivity to the Spirit’s conviction. As believers, we are no longer condemned, so we must recognize the difference between conviction and condemnation. The Spirit always shows us exactly what in our life requires repentance; He doesn’t give us a sense of vague guilt. 

• Abandon yourself to God’s will. Commit daily to be a “living sacrifice” and your conscience will steer you closer to the Lord. As you renew your thinking, you’ll “test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2). 

As Christians, we are to keep our consciences clear by obeying God and keeping our relationship with Him in good standing. We do this by the application of His Word, renewing and softening our hearts continually. We consider those whose consciences are weak, treating them with Christian love and compassion. 

Our consciences can remain clear as we continually confess our sin to God and trust that the blood of Jesus is sufficient to make us right with Him. We continue to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). We trust that, in spite of our imperfections, God delights in us and in His transforming work in our lives (Philippians 2:13; Romans 8:29). 

Jesus said, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). We live with a clear conscience by refusing to wallow in the failures that God has forgiven. We stand confident in His promise that, “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). 

In conclusion, a person with a good conscience lives and behaves according to a God-given moral code of excellence; he or she possesses upright inner convictions and is able to discern between right and wrong. 

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