Is Conscience Alone A Safe Guide?
By: Lavern Stewart (1976)
We constantly hear the statement, "let your conscience be your guide." Is this safe? Does this not mean, just so one thinks that he is right, he is? Saul of Tarsus had a good conscience while he was persecuting Christians, Acts 26:9-11. He said in Acts 23:1 that he had lived in all good conscience until that day. The same thing is said in Acts 24:16. While he was thus employed he also was a sinner. He tells us about his being a sinner but all the time thinking that he was right in 1 Timothy 1:13-15. Saul, who was later called Paul, saw Jesus on the Damascus road, and was told to go into the city to await further instructions. After he had been there three days without food and water, one came to him that had been sent from the Lord with a message. The message was for him to be baptized, and wash his sins. (Read Acts 9:22).
One can see from this account that conscience was not a safe guide for Paul. The conscience must be educated with God's Word. It is the part of man that tries to get him to do what he believes to be right. In Luke 23:24 Jesus prayed for the people who nailed Him to the cross. Since they did not know what they were doing, their conscience was clear, but that does not mean that they were not guilty of sin - Acts 2 shows they were sinners because they were told what to do for the forgiveness of sins. You may read it in Acts 2:38. The Father answered the prayer of Jesus for those who were sinning in ignorance by giving them a chance to hear the truth of the Gospel, and obey it. There is just one safe thing and that is to learn the truth; then do it (John 8:32 and 1 Peter 1:22).