RIGHT DOING GUIDED BY CONSCIENCE AND CONVICTION
Monday – June 30, 2025
Video link: https://youtu.be/rD6CcxYa-YY
Greetings and welcome to Awake, Arise, and Triumph Ministries and the current two-part teaching on “conscience”. I think we all intuitively have some understanding of what I am talking about. In a general sense it is the knowledge between right and wrong. Here is the question, how do we gain that knowledge. Is this knowledge between good and evil, knowing right and wrong, God given to all peoples, only to God’s people, or is it learned? What about the conviction of the Holy Spirit, where does that fit in?
The word conscience does not appear in the Bible Books before Matthew however similar ideas are expressed. In the Greek, the Bible Books starting with Matthew we find the following word transliterated from the Greek to English as suneídēsis, a feminine noun from suneídō Strongs Number G4894, meaning to be conscious of. Conscience, to be one’s own witness, one’s own conscience coming forward as witness. It denotes an abiding consciousness whose nature it is to bear inner witness to one’s own conduct in a moral sense. It is self-awareness. It is a knowing of oneself, consciousness; and hence conscience, that faculty of the soul which distinguishes between right and wrong and prompts one to choose the former and avoid the latter according to The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament.
Hearing from our conscience and being convicted by other people or by the Holy Spirit are separate things. The more common word for conviction in Scripture is reprove. To reprove is to illuminate a wrongdoing. That light or illumination may come from another person or from the Holy Spirit. Here is an example of both.
Titus 1:13 (KJV)
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
This first one is an example of one person pointing out to another an error in thought, word, and action. This would be an illumination, a bringing of light to the wrong.
John 16:8 (KJV)
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Here we see Jesus telling them and us that when the Holy Spirit is come and He came on the day of Pentecost some 2000 years ago that He would reprove (convict) the world of sin. Conviction comes from another, either a person, or the Holy Spirit. A disturbed conscience is from within ourselves. So, you see, one could have a guilty conscience and be convicted of the Holy Spirit at the same time. You may not want to be convicted or not have a clear conscience concerning a thing but if we repent it is a gift and keeps us safe. Now, back to our main topic, conscience before I end for the day. Let’s look at a Scripture before the Cross that illustrates the idea of conscience without using the word. The word conscience does not appear in the Bible Books before Matthew.
1 Samuel 24:4-6 (KJV)
4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
5 And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.
6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
Notice in verse five his heart smote him. The word for heart is the soul, the residence of our mind, our understanding, will, and emotions. Look at this one in the Bible Book of Job.
Job 27:6 (KJV)
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
He says, I will hold fast to right doing in the sight of God and in so doing “my heart shall not reproach me”. Another way of saying my conscience will be clear before God.
TAKE HOME:
- Conviction can come from another person and is commonly called being rebuked. Conviction may also come from the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, a guilty conscience is from within our own soul. We will frequently experience both.
- Holy Spirit reproves the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
- Right thinking, speaking, and doing according to the Word of the Lord keeps the conscience clear before God and ourselves.
Lord willing, I will resume right here tomorrow. Remember, we love you, the Lord loves you, and there is nothing you can do about either one.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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