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The conscience is the most evident part of the human spirit. The human spirit also contains two other parts, the intuition and the fellowship. Within a fallen man the latter two faculties are usually obscure. The conscience, however, is still able to manifest its function but only to a small degree. In those who are saved, both the intuition and the fellowship have resumed their respective functions. However, the most distinct function of the spirit still lies with the conscience. As the conscience is the most manifest part, so it is also the most important part of the spirit. In the chapter on the spirit of prayer we stated that a man who wishes to pray must be in spirit and that his spirit must be well exercised. But to exercise his spirit he must first exercise his conscience. Unless a man’s conscience has been properly dealt with, his spirit will surely become ineffective before God. If the conscience is improper, the spirit becomes out of function and deflated. Hence, we see what an important position the conscience has within us.
Although the conscience is a major part of our spirit, it is not our ego. Our personality, our ego, is the soul. The soul with its various faculties is the ruling factor of our actions — our thinking, feeling, and deciding. As far as our actions are concerned, the ruling factor is the soul with its various organs, not the conscience. Figuratively speaking, the conscience is equivalent to the Control Yuan (one of the five major branches of the Chinese government), and the various parts of the soul are like the Legislative Yuan. It is the responsibility of the conscience to regulate all the activities of the soul. The conscience does not advocate, comprehend, or desire; it regulates, or oversees. Whether you do something right or wrong, whether you are acceptable to God or not, whether your thinking is in darkness or in the light, whether your emotion is proper or improper, and whether your judgment is pleasing to God or not — all these are under the supervision and inspection of the conscience. If your thought is acceptable to God, the conscience will say yes; otherwise, it will say no. If your preference is pleasing to God, the conscience will approve; if not, it will disapprove. If your decision or choice is agreeable to Him, the conscience will say Amen; otherwise, it will raise an objection.
The above points constitute the position of the conscience. The conscience is the major part, the most evident part, of the spirit. And although it is not the commanding organ of the ego, it is the organ that supervises and checks the various parts of the soul.
First Timothy 1:5 and 19 speak of a good conscience. In our understanding, a good conscience is a conscience void of offense. But there is a difference between being good and being void of offense. In this point we will cover the matter of a good conscience, and in the following point we will look into the matter of a conscience void of offense.
Among the Chinese, some have the saying, “So-and-so’s conscience is bad,” or “So-and-so’s conscience is very good.” This thought about a good conscience or a bad conscience fits in with the concept of the New Testament. In the New Testament a good conscience denotes a conscience that is not crooked or perverted but very normal and right. Not to be perverted is to be normal, and not to be crooked is to be right. A good conscience is one that is normal and right. On the contrary, a bad conscience is one that is perverted and crooked. Suppose it is quite evident that I have stolen my employer’s money, yet I justify my action by saying that he owes me the money. I may reason that since my employer does not pay me what I should earn, it is therefore right for me to steal from him in some way to make up the difference. Everyone knows that this kind of reasoning is called twisting the facts. If I can reason this way, it proves that my conscience is bad.
In 1 Timothy 1 the apostle says that some, having thrust away their conscience, have become shipwrecked regarding the faith (v. 19). Hence, a Christian must continually exercise himself to have a conscience that is right and normal, not crooked or perverted. He should be fair and just. If yes, say yes. If no, say no; if you are wrong, admit it; if you are right, avow it even at the cost of your head — not fearing opposition or difficulty. If you make a mistake, confess it, even though you may suffer loss. Maintain this attitude in dealing with yourself and with others. Brothers and sisters often demonstrate an improper conscience. For example, if a matter involves someone’s wife or relatives, his words will be entirely different than if it involves someone else. If others are at fault, he will readily criticize and condemn. But if his younger brother is at fault, he will play it down, make light of it, and even look for an excuse to whitewash it or cover it up. Such behavior shows that the conscience is improper, abnormal, and crooked. It is a bad conscience. If we wish to serve before God and be a praying one, our conscience must be upright. If my wife or my younger brother or even I myself am at fault, I must condemn the mistake. Draw a very straight line and be very upright so that, regardless of who, what, where, or when, if any action crosses the line, it is judged wrong. This is an impartial conscience, a good conscience.
When the apostle Paul wrote the two letters to Timothy, the church was in a very degraded condition, and many things were in darkness. At that particular time, the apostle especially spoke about the conscience. At such an hour, speaking from the human standpoint, to pass judgment on anything would require one to consider the conscience as the standard. Debating, arguing, and disputing are useless. You just need to check with your conscience.
When I lived in north China over thirty years ago, I always encountered outside opposition with regard to the truths and messages I preached. Following the release of every message given on the Lord’s Day or in the conference meetings, the reactions always came quickly. Some brother would come and tell me, “Brother Lee, a certain elder or pastor or preacher said that your teaching is wrong and that you preach heresy.” Sometimes I would just say this: “If only he would allow the Lord Jesus to touch every one of his possessions, he would know that my teaching is right.” You know what I mean. Why did he say that this particular message of mine was wrong? He said this because his conscience was not upright, and that particular message happened to touch the matter of his possessions before the Lord. If he was one who lived absolutely for the Lord and was fully consecrated, he would surely have an upright conscience. If he spoke according to an upright conscience, he would have to admit that the message I gave was right. But since he was in a state of desolation and failure before the Lord, his conscience became twisted, distorting the facts, and he defended himself. Consequently, he was not able to speak according to an upright conscience.
The most accurate part within a man is his conscience. But when man is in a fallen, darkened state, the darkness and degradation will influence his conscience, causing it to be warped. When the church is entirely in the light and walking according to the truth, there is no problem. But when the church is degraded and fallen, resulting in confusion, preaching the truth will not be very profitable, for if the conscience is confused and one is distant from the Lord, how can he contend for the truth? It was in such a situation that the apostle wrote the Epistles to Timothy, especially pointing out the matter of the conscience. People have often come to argue with us concerning a certain truth. At the end of every argument we just said, “Brother, since we are in a dark age today, every child of God must live before the Lord by his own conscience.” The moment we said that, such a person would not argue with us anymore. The moment we touched his conscience, he did not have much to say, for regardless of the circumstances, there is always a standard in man’s conscience. However, man usually does not maintain a sufficiently good conscience. Rather, he often goes against his conscience and bends it, thus producing a bad conscience. During the church’s degradation you and I need to exercise ourselves to not follow this crooked age or walk according to the degraded condition of Christianity. Rather, we must maintain an upright, normal, proper, and good conscience. Thus, we can be a proper man of prayer.
A conscience void of offense is a guiltless conscience. To be guiltless means that all wrongdoings that were condemned by the conscience have been dealt with before God and have been forgiven by Him. Hence, there is no more feeling of guilt and condemnation in the conscience. This is expressed in Acts 24:16: “Because of this I also exercise myself to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” Once you make an error, you should always deal with it immediately so that there will be no offense, guilt, or blemish on your conscience. Your conscience should be free from condemnation before God as well as free from accusation before men. Your conscience should respond clearly when it is touched.
Brothers, this is a very serious matter. You may be able to fool everyone else, but please remember, you can never fool your conscience. Especially in times of the church’s degradation and confusion, many people like to debate about doctrines and dispute over matters of service to God. If you have a conscience without offense and have thoroughly dealt with everything before God, then when you argue with others, there will be a clear, confirming response within you. But suppose you did not obey the light that you saw, or you did not answer a certain demand of God, or you were unwilling to forsake something as God required. Then there would be an offense in your conscience, and you would not be able to speak words that carry weight and that evoke a clear, confirming response within.
In the past years we have met many people who were like this. Sometimes we ourselves are the same because our unwillingness to answer a certain demand of God causes an offense in our conscience. This offense becomes a leak within us, and even though we sing and minister, our spirit is not strong; neither do our prayers and words have a clear sound. Then one day, by the grace of God, we deal with the particular offense and answer God’s demand. Immediately, the offense in our conscience is gone, the sound of our prayer is changed, and when we stand up again to give a testimony, there is an inner confirmation, which is a conscience void of offense.
Today, during the church’s degradation, it is not easy for one who serves God to keep his conscience free from offense. Paul spoke such a word while he was being judged. At that time not only the worldly power was resisting him, but the authorities of Judaism were continuously condemning him with the Word of God and the laws of the Old Testament. It was not an easy thing for Paul to keep a conscience without offense before God. He was able to stand before the Gentile officials and the Jewish rulers, that is, both the political and religious groups, and say with a loud voice, “Because of this I also exercise myself to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” As far as politics were concerned, he was innocent; and as far as religion, that is, the laws of Judaism, were concerned, he was faultless. His conscience before God was solid, not hollow. There was no leak, hole, offense, guilt, sin, or accusation in his conscience. He was able to stand before both groups and speak clearly and with weight.
The leaders of the Jewish religion had a guilty conscience before God. If Paul had questioned them, just a light, little prick would have proven that they had a bad conscience. Since Paul’s conscience had been dealt with before God, he could say that his conscience was without offense; therefore, he was a man who served God and was also a man of prayer. His conscience was supporting him because there was no flaw in it. By the cleansing of the precious blood, we must keep our conscience free from any offense so that we may be men of prayer.
The Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart” (Matt. 5:8). This refers not just to a clean heart but to a pure heart. We also need a clean, pure conscience. In 2 Timothy 1:3 the apostle says that he served God with a pure conscience. This is not just a clean conscience. Something that is clean is not necessarily pure, because there may be mixture in it. For instance, if you put a piece of steel and a piece of wood together and give them a thorough washing, they will be clean but not pure. We should have a conscience that is pure as well as clean.
Suppose someone asks God for a number of proper things, but he does not seek God absolutely in his conscience and has no sense of condemnation. This kind of conscience may be clean, but it is not sufficiently pure. A man can be for God and at the same time be for the work of the gospel — to preach the gospel successfully and to work and bring forth fruit. These things are neither bad nor defiled, but the intention within him may not be pure. He may still desire other things besides God. To have fruit in gospel preaching, to have power in carrying on the work, and to have the spreading and increase in leading the church — these are good, but the motive behind them may not be pure. This means that the conscience is impure.
What does it mean to have a pure conscience? It means that you can say to God, “God, I only want You and nothing else. I do not even care for the work of the gospel, power for the work, fruits of the work, or the spreading and increase of the church. I just want You.” Such a conscience is a pure conscience. During the degradation of the church, Paul spoke in the letters to Timothy concerning a pure conscience as well as a good conscience. He said that he served God with a pure conscience. His conscience sought only God. Anything that was outside God had no place in him. He was one who served God with a conscience that was pure to such an extent.
Some have seriously condemned their work before God. This does not mean that their work was unsuccessful. On the contrary, their work may have been very effective. A good number of people may have been saved, and many may have received help. But one day when the light of God shined upon them, they said to the Lord, “O Lord, these things have largely replaced You and have robbed You of Your place in me. Within me I am not pure, single, or absolute enough toward You. I still seek things other than You.” Such men, when you meet them, will give you a deep sense that they are those who live before God and whose conscience is pure. Please remember, only people like this can work for God, and the real fruit of the work will be manifested through them. But those who care for the results of the work may not always have results, and those who seek power to preach the gospel may not necessarily obtain power. Real results and real power are with those who care only for God Himself, for the results and the power are just God Himself. Such men have a pure conscience within them. Hence, they can serve God.
You need to understand the situation at the time that Paul wrote the second Epistle to Timothy. If he had not desired God alone, and if his conscience were not fixed on Him alone, it would have been impossible for him to stand firm at that time, for at that time he had lost everything. The churches in Asia, which had received the greatest help from him, had deserted him. Even Demas, his co-worker, having loved the present age, had forsaken him and gone to Thessalonica. All those who were beside him deserted him and left him alone in the prison. He had to handle the matter of his defense by himself. Nevertheless, he was not discouraged, for he knew what his desire was. He desired neither the church nor the work but only God Himself. Therefore, in spite of the fact that the environment was entirely negative, he remained steadfast. His conscience was not only clean but also pure.
If our conscience can be pure to such an extent, we also will condemn all things that are outside God. Not only will we condemn those things that are evil but also those that are good, for we know that those things are not God Himself. What we seek is not the work, the blessings, or the church of God. What we desire is just God Himself. Then our conscience is not only clean but also pure. This is the word used by Paul when writing the second Epistle to Timothy. At that time he was not only rejected by the Gentiles but also was forsaken by the churches and his fellow-workers. Although everyone deserted him, he knew that the Lord had not left him. Hence, in such a trying hour, he was able to say that he served God with a pure conscience.
Brothers and sisters, many times God may not listen to our prayers. In the beginning you may pray for ten things and know that God has answered every one of them. But gradually, you dare not and cannot pray for a number of things because you know that these are not what God is after. You know that He would not listen to your prayer for such things. If you do not deal with your conscience so that it becomes pure, you will say, “Oh, why should I pray? God would not listen to my prayer anyway. I do not need to pray anymore; neither do I need to serve God.” But if your conscience is pure to the degree that you do not care for anything but God Himself, then in this circumstance you would not murmur to God. Instead, you would say to Him, “God, I thank and praise You for not answering this particular prayer of mine, because what I asked for at that time was not You Yourself. Although it was something good and was not sinful, it still was not what You want.” When your conscience is clean and pure to this extent, you can be a very deep, very proper man of prayer.
Today many of our prayers are not deep or proper enough. We are like children asking our parents for whatever we want. In the past our parents, considering that we were still young, gave us some things according to what we had asked. The same is true in our experience with the Lord. But gradually, as we grow before the Lord, we can no longer pray as we wish. In some instances we are not able to open our mouth and ask. In other instances, when the Lord fails to answer our prayer, we are no longer able to complain. Rather, we give thanks, for we know that God would never give us those things that are outside Himself. Hence, to be a deeper, proper man of prayer has very much to do with having a pure conscience.
Regardless of how much we exercise ourselves to have a good and pure conscience, we still need to cleanse our conscience daily. This is because we are still in the old creation, in the flesh, and in this evil, defiled age. We simply do not know how many times in a single day we have been contaminated and have committed offenses. The defilement and guilt in our conscience can be washed only by the blood of Jesus. This is according to Hebrews 10:22: “Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.”
The more one prays before God, the more he realizes the necessity of the blood. The realization of our need for the blood is entirely a sense in our conscience. If you do not live much before God or pray much, you will not be able to sense the urgency of the blood. It is when you really live before God that the words in 1 John 1:7-9 will be effectually fulfilled in you. God is light. The more you are in the light, the more you will realize that you have offended a certain person or that you are wrong in a certain matter. You will also realize that you were defiled when you contacted someone, and you will feel guilty about certain motives and thoughts. You will have all sorts of accusations in your conscience. All these are the offenses of the conscience. At such a time, unless you apply the blood, your conscience will become defiled. The more one prays, draws near to God, and lives in prayer and fellowship, the more he will sense the absolute necessity of the blood. He will be one who always experiences the cleansing of the blood.
Every time a man goes before God, he invariably has to pass through the altar and the blood. According to the type in the Old Testament, everyone who intended to go into the Holy of Holies to draw near to God had to first offer the sacrifice and shed the blood at the altar. Then he could bring the blood of the sin offering with him into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle it before God. This means that every time you go before God to pray, your conscience needs to be cleansed by the blood. While we are still in this flesh and in this age, no one can go before God to pray at any time without applying the blood. If, instead of applying the blood, you trust in your own goodness, your conscience will not be able to bear witness with you. There will always be some defilement or guilt in you, and you will always be at fault or not faithful enough in some matter. If you are just a little negligent, there will be the accusation in your conscience, and this accusation will become an offense. Therefore, if you wish to remove the offense in your conscience, you must continually seek the cleansing of the blood.
Hebrews 10:22, 2 Timothy 1:3, and Acts 23:1 show that the conscience is absolutely related to prayer. One whose conscience is not cleansed cannot pray, because there is a separation between him and God. One whose conscience is not pure enough also cannot pray before God. Once there is an accusation or a condemnation in your conscience, you will sense immediately that there is a curtain and a veil in you. The curtain creates a distance, a separation, between you and God, whereas the veil puts a cover over you so that you are unable to see God. Not only so, but once the conscience has a problem, it will be difficult to have faith. Once there is a hole in the conscience, faith leaks out. When the conscience is bad, has offense, is not pure enough, or is not being cleansed by the precious blood, one cannot pray before God. You may pray hastily, but you always feel that you are praying outside the curtain and have not entered into the Holy of Holies. Also, you always feel that there is a veil covering your heart. Thus, you cannot see the light of God’s face, and you are not in His presence. Your prayer is not getting through to God. It seems that there is a wall of separation or a layer of covering that hinders your prayer from reaching God. Hence, in order to have good, proper prayers, prayers that reach God, you need to deal with your conscience until it becomes good, without offense, pure, and cleansed. Then, as there is no more condemnation in your conscience, you will be able to pray. Hence, there is an absolute relationship between the conscience and prayer.
Summing up the previous few points we can see that a conscience for prayer is a good conscience, a conscience without offense and guilt, a conscience free from accusation. It is also a clean, pure conscience, and a conscience that is always being cleansed by the precious blood. Having such a conscience, when you enter into God’s presence and pray, you will sense that you are before Him, in the light of His face, and without either a separating curtain or a covering veil.
Whenever you go before God to pray, you ought to deal with your conscience in a proper, detailed way. After dealing in this way, you can come boldly and pray to God out of a clean, pure conscience — a conscience without offense, a good conscience. You know that you have passed through the curtain, so there is no separation between you and God. You also know that there is no veil, no covering, in you. You are in God’s presence, in the light of His face, and there is a free-flowing communion between you and God. At that moment your conscience will enable you to pray boldly, powerfully, and confidently. Your conscience will confirm and support your prayer. Moreover, as there is such a free flow and mingling between you and God, God is able to anoint you with His heart’s desire. Consequently, His desire becomes your desire, and His feeling becomes your feeling. He prays in you, and you pray with Him. Therefore, if we wish to pray, we need to have a conscience that will enable us to pray.
