A Good Conscience

Day 289: 1 Timothy 1:1-20

“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” - ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Paul starts this first letter to his protege, Timothy, in the most interesting way. He warns him of false teachers and how he should not get sucked into their arguments. The goal of his command was not to win a fight. Instead, the objective was love.

One of the words that will keep coming up in 1 Timothy is the word conscience (used 4X). Paul includes it here in between a pure heart and a sincere faith. It is important!

Eugene Nida defines conscience (syneidēsis) as the psychological faculty which can distinguish between right and wrong.

I cannot think of a more relevant word for our world today and what we see missing so often. So many people do not know the difference between right and wrong. They make our conscience something subjective to our circumstances, feelings, and opinions of others. I mean, all you have to do is compare the list Paul gives in verses 9-10.

Yet God created our conscience to help us know right from wrong, and the Holy Spirit heightens this sensitivity (see John 16:8). This gives us the definition of what truth sounds like.

Felt convicted lately? Don’t dismiss it. Instead, confess it. Our walking in freedom from sin is what motivated Jesus to die on the cross.