In popular Christian culture [primarily under the influence of the protestant reformation], many Christians believe that if they have faith in God, they no longer need to be concerned about sin and about keeping a clear conscience.

They believe that being saved by faith and not by works means that one need not be bothered by the condemnation of their conscience.

Is this true? Do we not need to be bothered by the accusations of our conscience [as Christians], because Christ atoned for our sin?

St Paul and St Peter

What did St Paul and St Peter say about ho they kept their conscience and how we ought to keep ours?

Let us look at a few verses in which St Paul talks about how he has kept his conscience.

“Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience up to this day” [Acts 23:1]

So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men [Acts 24:16]

I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience [2 Timothy 1:3]

Let us now look at what St Peter and St Paul said about keeping our conscience clear.

They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience [1 Timothy 3:9]

Keep your conscience clear [1 Peter 3:16]

Does faith make sin irrelevant?

Rather than jumping into debates on faith and works, let us first limit our self to the question of faith itself.

What relationship does conscience have with faith? Does conscience affect faith?

In St. Paul’s first letter to Timothy, St.Paul says:

This charge I commit to you, Timothy, my son … that … you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith [1 Timothy 1:18-19]

St Paul says that by rejecting conscience, we can utterly destroy [shipwreck] our faith.

He also tells Timothy, who is like a son to him, that he must wage warfare [fight with all his strength] not only to hold onto the faith, but also to hold onto a good conscience.

If we had hoped that our faith would save us [irrespective of works], does not a neglect of conscience threaten that very faith.

Let us fight to have a good conscience, let through neglect of our conscience, we lose our faith.

The voice of God!

To think that our conscience does not matter is to not even consider who made our conscience. Did not God give us our conscience? So when our conscience warns us or condemns us or compels us, is it not the voice of God speaking to us?

By rejecting the voice of conscience, we reject the voice of God who speaks to us to counsel us, to warn us and to call us to repentance and metanoia [to change one’s way of life].