Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. That's both liberating and condemning. On one hand, it means that the person acting against conscience, even if the action is technically permissible, is committing sin. On the other hand, it means if you're uncertain about something, you shouldn't do it.
I'm a counselor, and I see people constantly overriding their conscience. They're told something is fine. Everyone else is doing it. It's not explicitly forbidden. But their conscience resists. And they do it anyway. Then they experience shame, fragmentation, disconnection. Paul is saying: your conscience is wisdom. Trust it. If you can't do something in faith, if you can't do it while genuinely believing it's right, then don't do it.
What strikes me is how seriously Paul takes the individual conscience. Not as a weapon against authority, but as the voice of the Spirit in a person's life. My conscience is not sovereign, but it's not ignorable either. If I override it repeatedly, I sear it. If I listen to it and act accordingly, it becomes a guide toward holiness. The person who hesitates before acting is listening to something true. That hesitation deserves respect, not dismissal.
No comments yet. Be the first.