When We Are Not Doing Right, Will God Prick The Conscience?

Q: My grandparents raised me and took me to church. They both died the year I graduated high school and I stopped going to church. It bothers me to this day and I can recall them telling me that when we are not doing right, God will prick the conscience. Is this true? – G.C.

A: One of the ways God reveals Himself to us is through the conscience. Conscience has been described as the light of the soul. Even when it is dulled or darkened by sin, it can still bear witness to the reality of good and evil, and to the holiness of God. He has set eternity in the heart of man (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

What causes this warning light to go on inside when we do wrong? It is the conscience (of our spirit), given by God to steer us away from evil and toward good. Conscience can be our gentlest teacher and friend – and sometimes our worst enemy (or so we think) when we sin.

The Scripture says, “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart” (Proverbs 20:27).

Immanuel Kant said there were just two things that filled him with awe – the starry heavens above and human conscience within.

Persistent sin can dull or even silence our conscience. On the other hand, when we belong to the Lord, persistent attention to God’s Word will sharpen our conscience and make us more sensitive to moral and spiritual danger. When this sense of stirring comes, look to the Lord Jesus Christ and listen for His voice, for He calls people to repent and follow Him, and what a privilege it is.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

(c)2020 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.