What is a conscience?
Here's the answer:
A conscience is something God put inside us to help us make choices in our lives.
But how does our conscience work?
The word "conscience" has two parts, "con" and "science." The word con means "with" and the word science means "knowledge." So when you put the two together, it means "with knowledge." Our conscience is our knowledge of right and wrong. When you do something wrong, and you feel bad inside, that's your conscience reminding you that you made a mistake. That's how our conscience works.
God has given everyone a conscience, or knowledge of right and wrong. The Bible talks about having a good conscience and a clear conscience. How can we have those? We have those by confessing our sins (wrong actions and bad choices) to God and allowing Him to make us right inside. When we do what's right and we do what He wants us to do, then we can have a clear conscience.
When we become Christians, God’s Holy Spirit will come into our lives and act as our conscience, helping us understand what we should and should not do (John 14:26; 16:13).
The Bible says we should study God’s Word to "hold on to a good sense of what is right and wrong" (1 Timothy 1:19). God helps us live right as we walk with Him and follow His Word, and that gives us a good conscience.
Bible Truth
"But you have received the Holy Spirit from God. He continues to live in you...God’s Spirit teaches you about everything" (1 John 2:27).
"So when you know the good things you should do and don’t do them, you sin" (James 4:17).
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways remember him. Then he will make your paths smooth and straight" (Proverbs 3:5–6).
