Keep A Clear Conscience

Acts 24:16
Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience toward God and all people.

It is so important to live in such a way that you know you’ve done everything right. There is a peace and a confidence you have when you know you’ve done the right things for the right reasons.

In the old Disney movie, Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket tells Pinocchio to let his Conscience be his guide. By saying so, Jiminy Cricket assumes that Pinocchio has a conscience to be led by but as we all know Pinocchio has a lying problem that sabotages his conscience and gets him in a lot of trouble. His inability to let his conscience be his guide takes him away from his Father and gets him in trouble with people.

Before we talk about keeping a clear conscience we need to make sure we understand what a “conscience” is.

Conscience is defined as the awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one’s conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong. 2. The part of the superego in psychoanalysis that judges the ethical nature of one’s actions and thoughts and then transmits such determinations to the ego for consideration.

There should be a process daily going on in our minds whereby we are weighing our motives against our actions to see if they line up with what is right according to the will of God.

The two areas where we should have a clear conscience are with:

1. God. When David said in Psalm 51 “I have sinned against you and you alone.” He was talking to God about his adultery and murder. David had sinned against Bathsheba for having sex with her, he sinned against her husband by having sex with his wife and then setting him up for murder, he sinned against Joab for using one of his loyal soldiers to die a needless death to cover up his mess, he sinned against his wives and children by bringing innocent blood upon his future generations. I don’t think he was in denial but he knew that primarily he had not obeyed God. When God is our primary source of morality we know that He is a priority for a clear conscience. Before we hurt anybody else we’ve already hurt God first and foremost.
We keep a clear conscience with God by obeying His commandments.

2. With Hu(man)s. It is secondarily important that we have a clear conscience with people. You want to be able to look every person in the eye and be able to honestly say, “I’ve done right by you.” This dual relationship between divinity and humanity with our conscience was best summarized by Jesus when He said in Matthew 5:23-25 (New International Version)

23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

In other words God is not trying to hear you if you do not have a clear conscience with other people.

Dear God, help me to keep a clear conscience, just as I try to keep good records financially to avoid an audit so also let me keep good spiritual books so that when the Holy Spirit audits my life, He will find everything as it should be. I want to live with a clear conscience that I have not hurt anyone or owe any man anything. Lord, guide me today so that I can keep a clear conscience with you and all those that I encounter.

In Jesus Name,

Amen