Exhortation Station

2 Corinthians 1:12 — “For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of Elohim, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”

1 Timothy 1:5,18,19 — “⁵ But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith…¹⁸ This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, ¹⁹ keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.”

Do you notice a key word in these verses?  It’s the word conscience.  The Greek word for “conscience” is Strong’s #G4893, “suneidesis.”  This word is a form of G4894 (suneido) which, according to Strong’s, means “to see completely.”  Our conscience allows us to “see” right and wrong — it’s our moral compass.  The value of a clean conscience cannot be understated.  Let’s look again at the above passages…

First of all, notice (in 2 Corinthians) the boldness that comes with a clean conscience (Paul states that “our proud confidence” is “the testimony of our conscience.”)  Secondly, notice in 1 Timothy the stated importance of keeping a good conscience as well as the danger of losing a good conscience.

Let’s look at some more verses:  Proverbs 15:3 — “The eyes of YHWH are in every place, watching the evil and the good.”  Proverbs 10:9 — “He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.”  Proverbs 28:1 — “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.”

I believe there are some important principles to be learned here.  Those who pervert their ways are in constant fear of being found out.  For them, the knowledge of Yah’s eyes being on them is a source of trepidation.  On the other hand, those who walk in integrity (good conscience) have no fear of being found out, because they have nothing to hide!  In fact, they want to be found out!  For them, the knowledge that Yah’s eyes are on them is a source of joy and boldness, and the knowledge that others are watching them only encourages them to shine their light all the more.

Here’s a discernment tool that may be helpful for keeping a clean conscience:  Simply ask yourself, “If I could see Messiah Yahshua standing next to me, is there anything I would change about my actions?”  If there is an area in your conscience that needs cleansing, the key is to repent of any sin to Yah and be honest about the issue with any people who need to be made aware.  Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”  Secrets are enemies of the conscience; transparency and accountability are key antidotes.

To everyone reading this post, and to the youth especially, I urge you to be diligent to keep a clean conscience.  I can personally testify to the sense of joy and rest that has come when I’ve confessed sins that needed to be confessed to Yahweh, Mom, Dad, etc.  Remember that Yah is compassionate and eager to wash us clean when we repent of our sins (Isaiah 1:18).  Praise Yah!  Let us ask Yah to search our hearts and preserve in us a pure conscience before Him.  There is great shalom (peace) that comes with knowing we have nothing to hide.

Hebrews 10:22 — “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

(All Bible passages NASB; Hebrew transl. added.)