The existence of conscience

Genesis 2:9 NKJV

And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:15-17 NKJV

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. [16] And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Genesis 3:2-5 NKJV

And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; [3] but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" [4] Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. [5] For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Each of us are born with a conscience. Since eating the forbidden fruit, we all have an innate sense of right and wrong.

When we're young that awareness is sharp and, like a clarion call, it stabs at us when we do something wrong.

That is the existence of conscience. It's a God-given instrument to keep us on the right path.

It makes us uncomfortable with evil.

However, it can be suppressed and damaged, even warped, thus making it easy to excuse our wrong motives and actions.

It can be so perverted that we can call evil good and good evil.

Isaiah spoke to a people who had become so poluted in their hearts:

Isaiah 5:20 NKJV

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

We see this happening in the world we live in today - promoting things like abortion up to birth as women's rights - blind to the right of the unborn child's right to life!

Each of us has to grapple with our own conscience and listen to or suppress the still small voice of our innermost being.

We can tell it to "shut up", "go to sleep" or, we can placate it by doing good stuff to try and make up for the bad.

One thing is certain, we all will have to bring it before God one day:

Hebrews 9:27 NKJV

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment

Jesus, through His Blood has made the way to clean our conscience once and for all. It's not a "get out" but He took a just punishment for the sin of the world on the Cross.

That means I can have my conscience cleaned up and restored to its original sharpness as I come to Jesus for forgiveness.

It's not an excuse to keep sinning, but a wonderful working of grace in my heart, so that I no longer want to do wrong.

Hebrews 9:14 NKJV

how much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The Holy Spirit then constantly pours out that Presence of Jesus in renewed hearts guiding us in the Way.

Hallelujah! There is a remedy for a guilty conscience - the only remedy that The Lord accepts:

"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" John 1:29 (yours and mine) - look to Him.