THE CONSCIENCE SERIES PART II.

THE HOLY GHOST/SPIRIT

THE CONSCIENCE SERIES PART I.
is located under REFERENCES (REFER) (C-11).

This article is about the Conscience written from the SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE.

Man in his “natural state” is SPIRITUALLY DEAD, he is CARNAL and without any HOLINESS whatsoever. He is, however, a RATIONAL BEING with a Conscience and may perceive the difference between right and wrong. But there is a vast difference between that and the differences between good and evil. It is necessary to have the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of GOD to discern good and evil.

The following is an article about the faculty of the Conscience of Man. It will explain the function of the Conscience and questions if the Conscience is sufficient as a “faculty” to govern Mankind’s ability to make moral, good, right, correct and/or HOLY decisions or choices.

1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto Spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in CHRIST.

Though man in his natural estate is spiritually dead, (carnal) that is, entirely destitute of any true HOLINESS, he is still a rational being and has a Conscience by which he is capable of perceiving the differences between right and wrong and of discerning the feeling of moral obligation. He can be made to realize what his true condition is as a “transgressor of the “HOLY LAW of GOD”.

Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

“Conviction of Sin”
The sense of sin is usually termed “conviction of sin”; and there can be no doubt that the views and feelings of men may be very clear and strong even while they are in an unregenerate state; not yet “BORN AGAIN”.

The “conviction of sin” differs in kind and in degrees for BELIEVERS/DISCIPLES of CHRIST (SPIRITUAL) and non BELIEVERS (Carnal). On the “DAY OF JUDGEMENT” ALL those who are not under the COVENANT of GOD will experience “true conviction of sin” when their own consciences shall condemn them, and they shall stand guilty before GOD.

Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

There is nothing whatever in the kind of conviction of sin in the conscience mentioned above which has any tendency to change the heart or make it better. No matter how clear or how strong such convictions are, there is nothing in them which approximates to those that the HOLY SPIRIT produces in those whom HE quickens.

The HOLY SPIRIT makes us aware of the NATURE of SIN, that it is REBELLION against GOD’S HOLINESS and GOD’S AUTHORITY. The HOLY SPIRIT helps us comprehend the reality of sin and the everlasting separation from GOD that it causes. When we love someone, we would want to remove any obstacles that separates us from our loved ones. The HOLY SPIRIT helps us identify these obstacles and restore our HOLY communion with GOD.

Knowing SIN separates us from our GOD, the HOLY SPIRIT motivates the BELIEVER to remove any traces of it from our lives.
That is a major difference between the instinct of self-preservation that compels a person to encounter religion as a means of escape from what they believe is total destruction. This is conscience using religion as a counter measure. These individuals are trying to appease GOD by the “observances of religious rites and customs” (WORKS) without receiving CHRIST as their personal LORD & SAVIOR and being SAVED through HIM.

They believe they have become the object of GOD’S LOVE by WORKS and they seek CHRIST only as a means of sanctioning their works instead of dependence on HIM for SALVATION. We must be BORN AGAIN — of SPIRIT and WATER. We must have the SUPERNATURAL WORK of the HOLY GHOST/SPIRIT in our hearts, minds and souls — and we must be surrendered to CHRIST as LORD.

Joh_3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh_3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

We must search our hearts and our SPIRIT; to never become complacent about our SALVATION; to realize it is an ongoing battle. We are involved in a war (that has already been won, spiritually) for our souls. The adversary will try to cause us to have a false sense of security and sanction our false pretenses as a measure in our SPIRITUAL growth. We must search ourselves and maintain a sense of GODLINESS to be a people of GOD; we must be like HIM.

CHARACTERISTICS of the HOLY SPIRIT vs the CONSCIENCE
Our CARNAL self does not disappear when we are BORN AGAIN and become a child of GOD. As long as we are on earth we will struggle with the Truth about the world and ourselves. It does not mean that we will be constantly unsure about our SALVATION. But we must examine ourselves to maintain our SPIRITUAL health just as we are examined to maintain our physical health.

The conscience is like a physician who examines the SELF. It will examine our heart and spirit and will give us a probable diagnosis. It will look for symptoms of pretense, pride, presumption, self-confidence and other negative attributes or characteristics.

The HOLY SPIRIT, on the other hand, is a like a SPIRITUAL SURGEON who will dig deep into the SOUL to find and rout out the sinful attributes that are deadly to our SPIRIT. It hates pretense, and is concerned with the SOUL being self deceived. In HIS particular saving work of conviction, the HOLY SPIRIT, unlike the conscience is most concerned with SIN itself than with the punishment because of sin.

The conscience wants to be appeased. It does not want to exercise the mind to meditate on the soul’s spiritual shortcomings and condition. The HOLY SPIRIT, on the other hand, employs HIS energy searching the soul and ridding the SOUL of self delusions, vanities of heart and mind and fortifies the SOUL against the adversary and his subtle arts that mix temptation, delusion and complacency.

The HOLY SPIRIT brings our sins to the forefront where we may behold them whereas the conscience will often rationalize our actions according to the values we have been taught by mankind. The HOLY SPIRIT unmasks rationality showing its evil character as self pleasing, self gratification, and even enmity against GOD . If we will not be ruled by GOD, the HOLY SPIRIT unveils to us that it is enmity against GOD.

The HOLY SPIRIT convicts the quickened soul of the multitude of his sins. He realizes now that all his thoughts, desires and imaginations, are corrupt and perverse; his spiritual awareness now warns him of a thousand things which before he never occasioned a forethought. Under the Spirit’s illumination the soul discovers that he is very unrighteous.

The BELIEVER both sees and feels that GOD is HOLY and that he is completely UNHOLY; that GOD is good and he is not; that there is a most awful disparity between HIM and us. The BELIEVER is made to see, “How can I ever stand before such a HOLY GOD, whose majesty I have so often slighted?” Through the HOLY SPIRIT, the soul is made to realize how it has treated GOD with ingratitude, abusing His goodness, perverting His mercies, and how he has scorned his best Friend.

The HOLY GHOST/SPIRIT brings before the mind, heart and soul the character and claims of GOD. Sin is now viewed in the Light of DIVINITY. We see SIN THROUGH HEAVEN’S EYES (GOD’S eyes) and the illumined SOUL of the BELIEVER is made to feel what an evil and bitter thing it is to sin against GOD.

The pure light of GOD, shining in the conscience over against vile darkness, horrifies the soul of the BELIEVER and he seeks the HOLY GHOST to COMFORT, CONSOLE, TEACH; and GUIDE HIM, and also to REMIND him of the SPIRITUAL GIFTS he has received since becoming Born Again.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;