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Conscience

Conscience

What shows that Jehovah has given all humans a conscience?

What can happen to the conscience when a person persists in wrongdoing?

Is it enough just to believe that what we are doing is right?

Joh 16:2, 3; Ro 10:2, 3

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • 2Ch 18:1-3; 19:1, 2​—King Jehoshaphat unwisely lends help to wicked King Ahab and is rebuked by Jehovah

    • Ac 22:19, 20; 26:9-11​—The apostle Paul recounts how he once thought that it was right to persecute and kill Christ’s followers

How can the conscience be properly trained?

2Ti 3:16, 17; Heb 5:14

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • 1Sa 24:2-7​—King David’s conscience moves him to treat Jehovah’s anointed one King Saul properly

How can sinful humans have a clean conscience before God?

Eph 1:7; Heb 9:14; 1Pe 3:21; 1Jo 1:7, 9; 2:1, 2

See also Re 1:5

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Isa 6:1-8​—Jehovah assures the prophet Isaiah that his sins can be forgiven

    • Re 7:9-14​—Those of the great crowd have a clean standing before Jehovah on account of the cleansing power of Christ’s sacrifice

Why should we not ignore the guidance of a conscience that is trained according to God’s Word?

Ac 24:15, 16; 1Ti 1:5, 6, 19; 1Pe 3:16

See also Ro 13:5

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Ge 2:25; 3:6-13​—Adam and Eve ignore their conscience and later feel shame for disobeying God

    • Ne 5:1-13​—Governor Nehemiah appeals to the conscience of his fellow Jews, who are ignoring God’s laws and charging high interest rates

Why should we be careful not to stumble a brother or a sister whose conscience is not yet well-trained?

What goal should we have regarding our conscience?