Is the Conscience a Safe Guide?

The conscience is how we use our moral judgment to determine right and wrong. It is a learned function. The conscience is trained. Therefore, if it is trained in a wrong fashion, it will recognize what is wrong to be right, and it will be an unreliable guide! I believe there are different types of consciences:

OPINIONATED CONSCIENCE: is selfish; makes judgment calls based on its own moral standards; has no regard for truth upon which all judgments must be based.

PERVERTED CONSCIENCE: cannot distinguish right from wrong due to influences of evil environments and false teaching. Consider Saul (Paul) who had a perverted conscience before learning the truth (Acts 22: 3-4; 23: 1; 26: 9; 1 Tim. 1: 15-16).

SEARED CONSCIENCE: to play with the wrong thing or commit wrong actions until your conscience no longer bothers you (1 Tim. 4: 1-2).

SHIPWRECKED CONSCIENCE: the result of a deceived or misguided conscience. Hymenaeus and Alexander fell to this condition (1 Tim. 1: 18-20).

DEAD CONSCIENCE: self-explanatory; no pulse; can no longer be wounded. Only a live conscience can be wounded (Acts 2: 37-38; Heb. 4: 12).

HOW TO CREATE A CLEAR CONSCIENCE: Motive plays a role in training a conscience. Consider the band of grifters known as "Irish travelers." They're thieves and they teach their children to perpetuate this behavior. These children do not necessarily know they're being trained to be criminals. It's just a way of life for them. Ergo, only truth can create a safe conscience because it sets us free (Jno 8: 32). In the account of Saul's (Paul's) conversion, once he realized he was in the wrong, he willingly chose to act upon the correct information and change his errant behavior. His own sincerity lead him to humble himself and re-educate his conscience.

We cannot begin to touch God's wisdom. That is why we need to submit to His will rather than our own (Psa. 94: 11; Prov. 14: 12; Isa. 55: 8-9).

I know that I did things in the past that I was ignorant about, but as I got older and wiser realized that they were a lapse in conscience. I appreciate the fact now that my conscience convicts me quicker than it used to, and that I know to seek out God's opinion and that of those who are wiser than myself.