If you have not read the previous blog posts in this series, you can read by clicking on the links below.
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The word conscience and the word faith occur together in four scriptural contexts. Most notable is a statement made by Paul. “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck” (1Tim. 1:19). This statement provides both an explicit and implicit truth.
On the explicit level, ignoring your conscience destroys your faith. “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away [referring to the conscience] concerning faith have made shipwreck” (1Tim. 1:19). A paraphrase states it this way: “Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.”
The idea is that when you go against your conscience, you shipwreck your faith. The reason is that when you go against your conscience, you are going against what you believe, and therefore, you are destroying your faith.
Because of this reality, planned secret sins destroy faith. It’s one thing to stumble. It’s quite another to have a planned secret sin. Back before modern technology, men did this by having a secret post office box for inappropriate material. The same can be done today in a variety of ways. No wonder Jesus said, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:18).
But while ignoring your conscience destroys faith, on the implicit level, the converse is also true. Following your conscience builds faith. Each time you obey your conscience, your faith is strengthened, because you are following what you believe. As seen in the previous article, it is important to believe right. But it is also important to follow what you believe.
John Van Gelderen
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