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"We have a good conscience..."

Text: Hebrews 13:18

THE DOCTRINE OF “CONSCIENCE”

The Scriptures teach us that we have “a conscience” (suneidesis). What is the “conscience”? The following texts touch on the subject of the Conscience.

1. The Conscience works with Knowledge (‘sunoida’ Cf. 1 Corinthians 4:4).

2. It is a consciousness that bears witness within us (Cf. Romans 2:15).

3. The conscience will bear testimony of our conduct (Cf. 2 Corinthians 1:12).

4. The conscience is an operating principle in life (Cf. Romans 13:5).

5. However the conscience can become seared (Cf. 1 Timothy 4:2).

6. The conscience of the wicked can also become defiled (Cf. Titus 1:15).

7. The conscience can help us live well before the Lord (Cf. Acts 23:1).

LIVING WITH A GOOD CONSCIENCE

The writer applied this teaching to his life in the following text:

“Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good
conscience, in all things desiring to live honourably.”
Hebrews 13:18

1. We are confident (peithometha- “we are persuaded”)

a) The writer must have examined his conscience before he wrote these words.

b) His conscience then bore testimony to his heart.

c) Thus he was well-persuaded and could then say “we are confident” (not boastfully but honestly and sincerely).

2. We have a good conscience

a) This was a good sense of well being felt by the writer.

b) This was consciousness that brought satisfaction to the heart.

3. In all things desiring to live honourably

The focus here is essentially “conduct”. The writer had succeeded in fulfilling his desired purpose of “living honourably”!