19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
Today’s opening Scripture reveals in clear terms the end of God’s commandment, that is love, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and faith unfeigned or without pretence. All of God’s commandment to man is to this end: faith and love, faith towards God and love towards God and to one another, from a pure heart and a good conscience. Conscience is the inner knowledge of and witness to truth; it is the testimony of the spirit of man of truth, the voice of the spirit of man as to truth. A good conscience then is the testimony of the spirit of man of the truth, which is graciously expressed via actions consistent with such testimony. God’s Word is the truth, Jesus the Lord Himself witnessed to this in John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” God’s Word is truth, it is reality; therefore, the Word of God alone can produce in you a good conscience as you receive the word and live by it daily.
The Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, described the state of some believers in the end time in 1 Timothy 4:2 “Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” The conscience can be seared with a hot iron when the testimony of the heart or of one’s spirit regarding truth is denied and erased via consistent speaking of lies in hypocrisy. When the testimony of the spirit regarding truth is not given the corresponding expression or acted out, when there is a betrayal of the witness of the spirit of man to the truth by contrary actions, the conscience is said to be seared and then becomes bad or evil. Apostle James described some believers, who hear the Word but do not practice it. In his admonition, he said, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). To receive the Word and not live by it is to deceive or betray one’s conscience, which produces a weak conscience and in turn a seared one. To hear God’s Word and know the truth, and not live by it, is to deceive oneself; and self-deceit or self-delusion is the beginning of self-destruction. Beloved, be a doer of the Word and maintain a good conscience, nurtured by truth and the corresponding action of honesty and truth.
My Solid Front (Confession):
In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I maintain a tender and good conscience nurtured by truth and prompt and total obedience to the Word. Amen!
Further Meditation:
1 Timothy 4:1-10; 2 Corinthians 4:1-2.