Bible Example of Moral Good and Moral Bad Conscience
The conscience is the soul as distinguishing between what is morally good and bad, encouraged to do the morally good and shun the morally bad, commending one, condemning the other.
Conscience is knowledge to know the difference between good and evil. Adam and Eve did not have knowledge of good and evil when they entered the Garden of Eden. They only knew the good. Once they ate of the tree of life they had knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 3:22-23).
An example of morally good conscience was Pharaoh, when he took Abram’s wife for a concubine. Once Pharaoh found out Sarai was married to Abram Pharaoh commanded his men to send him away, and his wife, and all that he had. (Genesis 12:18-20). Abram in this case is an example of a morally bad conscience and can be faulted for lying to Pharaoh when they came into Egypt. Abram said unto Sarai his wife,” Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, this is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.” Abram lied to protect himself. (Genesis 12:11-13).
The son of Abraham, Isaac, also lied to the men of Gerar acting in bad conscience. When the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was laughing and playing with Rebekah his wife. When King Abimelech found out the truth he reacted in good conscience asking what would have happened if one of his people would have laid with his wife. It would have brought guiltiness upon them. And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. (Genesis 26: 6-11).
Jacob and his brother Esau are both examples of morally bad conscience in their youth. Esau sold Jacob his birthright for a bowl of red stew. Then Jacob tricked his father Isaac in giving him the blessing. (Genesis 25:19-34). It was out of a moral good conscience that Isaac gave the blessing of the birthright. Isaac did feel to make sure that he was talking to Esau. Isaac recognized it was the voice of Jacob but the hands are of Esau. Because the hands were hairy as Esau’s hands were hairy. Isaac ate the venison and drank wine then he kissed Jacob and smelled the raiment with the smell of the field on it; so Isaac blessed Jacob. (Genesis 27:1-46).
Jacob did show good moral conscience when he journeyed to Haram where his uncle Laban, the brother of his mother lived. Laban had two daughters. Leah was the oldest and had tender eyed. Rachel was the younger daughter who was beautiful and well favored. Jacob loved Rachel and told Laban that he would work for him for seven years if only he could marry Rachel. Laban is an example of morally bad conscience when at the end of the seven years Laban used trickery and gave his daughter Leah to Jacob to marry not Rachael. Laban gained another 14 years of work from Jacob. (Genesis 29:1-30).
The New Testament Scripture speaks of having a good conscience, that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good manner of life you have in Christ. (1 Peter 3:16). Paul instructs us to strive to have a conscience void of offence, that is, not to lead others into sin by the way we live our lives. (Acts 24:16).
People who do not have the Law of the LORD and do by nature that which is contained in the law are a law unto themselves. The law of the LORD demands faith, the moral instruction given by the Lord Jesus Christ. They are a law unto themselves. They show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else giving full account one another. (Romans 2: 14-15). John 8:9 gives us an example how we can condemn ourselves if we do not have a good moral conscience. When a woman was taken in adultery the elders demanded she be stoned according to the Law of Moses. Jesus charged them those who are without sin let him be the first to cast the first stone. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
Basically it can be said that every culture have a certain kinds of conduct that are approved or disapproved. Paul urged Christians not to be “conformed to this world” but to be “transformed” by the renewing of their minds, in order to “prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). We are to give and maintain a message of Christian or brotherly love out of a pure heat and of a good conscience and of faith that is sincere. (1 Timothy 1:5). A good conscience is essential to spiritual strength. The Christian should know that behind conscience is the Lord God who is personal, ethical, self-revealing, and loving God.
We are warned there are false teachers who deliberately try to turn Christians away from following Jesus, to evil paths. The way of the world in these latter times is for the departing from the faith. These who have fallen way give heed to seducing spirits, and the doctrines of devils. They speak lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:1–2). This has become socially acceptable to not only fall away from the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ but to become more a part of the worldly ways. It becomes our responsibility in our Christian society that we look after those who have a weak conscience, and prevent difficulties and temptations form being put in their way. We need to try to lead those who have become weak back to the ways of Christ. (1 Corinthians 8:10–12). We acknowledge the fact that in a fallen world, the LORD God’s infallible Word stands above our fallible human consciences. (1 Corinthians 4:4–5). For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity free from pretense and hypocrisy. Having a testimony that our conscience is godly sincerity and pure, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of the LORD God. We have had our own dwelling place where we conduct our lives in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. (2Corinthians 1:12).
People who believe in the true gospel of Jesus Christ have a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:5, 19) or a clear conscience (1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3), which results in love and service. A difference can be made between a good conscience and a clean conscience. A good conscience communicates to the manner or process by which the conscience receives. A good conscience enables one when accused of evil to know that the charge in not true. (1Peter 3:16).
A clean or clear conscience results from an assessment of one’s actions that indicates innocence through the consistency of faith and the resulting action. The Bible has the role of both educating and training us to deny the ungodliness and worldly passions and to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly. It is by the grace of the LORD God that brings salvation to men. It gives us the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:11-13). When the conscience is educated in the right way by the revelation of the LORD God of truth and grace, and the person acts accordingly, the conscience is clear and good. When one rejects the truth of the Word of God and goes about educating the conscience according to the world then the conscience becomes morally hopeless and cannot translate corrupt doctrine into godly conduct. They follow the ways of the world.
Conscience is an ability to reason and distinguish between the true and the false, and yet can be unable of distinguishing between good and evil. The conclusions formed by conscience awaken awareness. Conscience can be and should be a useful God created moral compass that can help us to differentiate right from wrong and good from evil. Job has been a good example of how we should hold on to our righteousness. Taking from Job 27:6-6 “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.”
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MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Bible Example of Moral Good and Moral Bad Conscience:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1846,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “Bible Example of Moral Good and Moral Bad Conscience:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1846,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Bible Example of Moral Good and Moral Bad Conscience:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1846, (accessed).
