What Does the Bible Say About The Conscience

A Good Conscience

Acts 23 :1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

"Conscience " - this is a word Paul used all together 23 times in his speeches and letters recorded in the New Testament. It is used only nine times in other parts of the New Testament.

Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness

I Tim 1:5,19 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

I Tim 3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Romans 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Conscience is an inner faculty which judges what is right and wrong. It is an inner voice which can speak in alarm when an individual does something contrary to its judgement, or be correct.

Paul insisted on the importance of having a "good" conscience.In Acts 24;16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men. and 2 Cor 1;12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. he gives one of the principles he always followed.

Even when he was persecuting he church he maintained good conscience ( Acts 26;9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 

Phil 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.)

He thought that he was doing was right I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This shows that conscience is not infallible and can make serious errors.It needs to be instructed by the word of God.The blood of Christ alone can purify. 

Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.