Signs of a Working Conscience

You’re never going to stop sinning as long as you’re breathing. But there’s a difference between being a sinner and living in a pattern of sin. And if you’re a true Christian, you won’t live in a pattern of sin.

The Bible says, “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God” (1 John 3:9–10 NLT).

For example, if you’re a Christian and start to contemplate doing something that is sinful, and you’re aware that it’s wrong, that is a good sign. It’s good to come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

And if you end up doing the wrong thing anyway and then feel deep guilt afterward, that, too, is a good sign. It means that your conscience is working.

Our consciences are like smoke alarms. The purpose of a smoke alarm is to alert us to danger—or the need to change the battery. In the same way, our consciences tell us that what we’re doing is wrong.

However, you need to be concerned when you can contemplate a sin and don’t feel any conviction about it. You also need to be concerned when you can go through with that sin and don’t feel any guilt whatsoever. That means your conscience isn’t working.

When God deals with us when we go astray, it’s an indication that we are children of God. The writer of Hebrews said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child” (12:5–6 NLT).

The fact that God convicts you and that He disciplines you when you have gone astray says that you are a child of God.

If your children do something wrong and you discipline them, you’re simply doing your job as a parent. That is your responsibility. However, if someone else’s children misbehave, that is not your responsibility. Their discipline is the responsibility of their parents.

In the same way, God disciplines us because we are His children, and He loves us.

Maybe you’ve been doing some things you shouldn’t be doing, and you’ve sensed the discipline of God in your life. Or, you’re feeling guilty. If so, rejoice. It means that your conscience is working.

When you don’t feel the guilt anymore, when you can sin again and again and feel nothing, that means you’re getting a hardened heart. The Bible warns, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (Proverbs 14:12 NLT).

If you feel guilt for your sin, here’s what you need to do: Go to Christ. He will forgive you. That is why He died on the cross.

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