Integrity guided by godly conscience

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. 2 Corinthians 1:12-14

There is a saying, “let your conscience be your guide.” The Apostle Paul was confident in declaring that he had lived his life before God and others characterized by integrity. He based this on his conscience guided by God’s wisdom. God provided each one with conscience to help in making decision being able to discern between what is morally right from wrong. This is a gift from God so that individuals could avoid making wrong decisions and reap disastrous consequences. Your conscience will serve as spiritual radar and the ability to have it providing clear direction is dependent on what you are feeding it. For Paul, it is to be strengthened by the grace of God and not worldly wisdom. The only way it could follow God’s will consistently is when it is open and transparent before God. Unconfessed sin can prevent it from functioning the way God wanted it to work. It can only be restored by coming to God in honest confession (see 1 John 1:9). When you allow your own standard in determining right or wrong you will fail to understand God’s righteousness. If you consistently choose self-righteousness by doing things your own way, you will lose sight of what is suitable and true before God. A tainted conscience will become insensitive to sin. As you continue to disregard God’s prodding so you could start to allow His wisdom and grace guide your conscience, you will become numb to moral warnings and will continually give-in to selfish and sinful desires. Let God show you how well your conscience, your internal guide and when He redirect it, be obedient and let Him restore it His way. Once you do this, like Paul, you can claim that your actions were the result of God’s working in your life.

Blessings.