1 Peter 3:16
“and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.”
Several times throughout the bible we’re told to keep a good conscience.
What is the conscience? It’s not God (1 John 3:20). God can speak through our consciences, but it can be wrong. It’s our internal judge that condemns our wrongs and applauds our rights.
Our parents teach us right from wrong. However, when we leave their presence, our consciences are part of what keep us obedient.
The law that the conscience uses to judge us is what we think of right and wrong. We may have learn wrongly. Our conscience will judge us by that wrong statute. We can re-educate our consciences by correcting our errors. It takes a while to sink in.
Our consciences supports us when we obey. It almost feels like we have the support of another. It gives us bravery. It’s an inner companion which keeps us from being alone.
We need a balanced use of our consciences. They aren’t God and they can be wrong. So, constant adherence to them isn’t necessary. However, they won’t be ignored for long. If we do, then we’ll start to feel overly guilty.
The extreme response is to ignore our consciences entirely. This is like pharaoh hardening his heart. Our hearts become calloused. The guilt becomes less, because we are losing feeling. This is not good. We cut off a major avenue in which God speaks to us.
As we learn from Christ, our consciences learn His rules and attempts to support us. Peter says to keep the good conscience. In doing so, we won’t be shamed.
However, there are those who aren’t fans of Christ and His ways. They will mock us for following Him. It’s shallow. By keeping a good conscience, we give them no real reason for their heckling. This won’t stop them, but it makes their message hollow. Peter says that they are the ones being shamed.
Lord, thank You for our consciences. Help us to keep it clean, but not to be enslaved to a harsh one. Your mercy is greater.