In popular Christian culture [primarily under the influence of the protestant reformation], people believe that if we have faith, we no longer need to be concerned about our personal sin and our conscience, because Christ atoned for our sin.

Does faith make our personal sin irrelevant?

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Paul tells Timothy:

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]

Paul tells Timothy not only that he must not reject conscience, but that he must take it so seriously so as to wage warfare [fight with all his strength] to hold onto a good conscience.

If we reject conscience [its warning not to sin or its condemnation after we have sinned], it can utterly destroy [wreck] our faith.

Therefore let us heed St Paul’s counsel and fight with all our strength to hold onto faith and a good conscience.