God wants you to have confidence in all situations. It comes from a clear conscience and placing trusting faith in God. So, have you ever been in a room when the lights went out or a brief blackout prevented you from seeing anything? It causes you to walk cautiously, feeling your way around so you don’t stumble. Then, what a relief when the lights go back on! You can see things clearly. What a CONTRAST! That’s how it is with an enlightened relationship with God; and likewise, one with the lights on.
RELEVANCE
God seeks to open the eyes of our understanding (Ephesians 1:18) and enlighten our darkness (Matthew 4:16). He does this through the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Our path is illuminated by the Holy Spirit revealing God’s truth. That’s how God makes the “crooked places straight and rough places smooth” (Isaiah 40:4).
The issue is, how do we receive and process truth? That’s where the conscience comes in. Our conscience holds the key to many of God’s mysteries of life (1 Timothy 3:9). It, therefore, behooves us to pray that the Holy Spirit help us concerning the matter of the conscience. As Paul revealed, three key areas that affect our walk include “love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (1Timothy 1:5-6).
Whereas an unhealthy conscience predisposes us to corruption and deception, a healthy and clean conscience keeps us sensitive to the illumination of the Holy Spirit, God’s conduit to true wisdom. It’s the difference between having an open or closed door to God’s throne room in heaven. That’s why it’s so crucial to have a healthy or good conscience (1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:3; 1 Peter 3:16) in contrast to a weak, seared, defiled or insensitive one (see 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:15; Hebrews 10:22).
RESPONSE
Meditate on the scriptures cited above and below. Ask God for the grace to enlighten your conscience and set it free; making it healthy and good for God’s glory.
REFERENCES
Acts 24:16; 1 Corinthians 8:7-12; 1Timothy 1:5; Hebrews 9:14