A Clear Conscience

A Clear Conscience

Bible: 1 John 1

I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man (ACTS 24:16).

Ffyona Campbell became famous as the first woman to walk around the world. But her celebrations were short lived. Something was troubling her. Guilt kept dragging her down—pushing her to the edge of a nervous breakdown. What was bothering her? “I shouldn’t be remembered as the first woman to walk around the world,” she finally admitted. “I cheated.” During her world-wide trek, she broke the guidelines of the Guinness Book of World Records by riding in a truck for part of the way. To clear her conscience, she called her sponsor and told the truth.

God has given each of us a conscience. It means that we feel bad or guilty when we do things we know are wrong. In Romans, Paul describes our conscience as “sometimes accusing [us] and at other times even defending [us]” (2:15). When we trust Jesus, looking after our consciences is really important. If we keep doing wrong things, and ignoring the feeling of guilt, we can dull our conscience so we don’t hear its warnings any more. But listening to it, admitting to God when we’ve messed up and turning back to Him will lead to a healthy, and happier, way of life (1 JOHN 1:9; LEV. 6:2-5).

Paul lived with a well-maintained conscience, saying, “I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man” (ACTS 24:16). When he got things wrong, he talked about it with God straightaway, without delay. Is something you’ve done bothering you? Follow Paul’s example. Talk with God and clear your conscience!

DON’T IGNORE YOUR CONSCIENCE —LET JESUS FREE YOU FROM YOUR GUILT!