Adrian Russell made an interesting observation at MTS training last Thursday. We were talking about how in grey areas of Christian living, Christian's love to use the phrase "It's a matter of conscience" to explain why they should or shouldn't engage in a particular activity.Adrian commented,
Is conscience ever used in the Bible to make something okay? In Romans 14 our conscience can make something not okay, but does conscience ever condone an action?
What a great question. One which I don't know the answer to. But I have definitely seen the concept abused to approve all manner of what I see to be sin.
My gut reaction is that Adrian's right. However when Paul makes the statement in Romans 14:14;
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.
When Paul says this, is he appealing to his own conscience? "I know and am persuaded" seems to indicate a personal conviction. But that conviction is "in the Lord Jesus". So at that point he is appealing not to himself, but to the gospel as his basis. This takes the acceptability of the action first from the gospel and then into his mind. Whereas the way people speak of a 'matter of conscience' is usually something that starts as a conviction in their own mind and then is understood in light of the gospel.
Maybe a diagram would help.
The gospel informs us what is lawful and what isn't which then informs my decision making (conscience.)
The alternative is to begin with conscience. Most people that appeal to conscience say if it's lawful in mind then it's okay. However if our conscience approves something we must then go to the gospel to decide if the action is acceptable or not. However, if an action is unlawful in my mind, I need not necessarily go to the gospel in order to confirm it's unlawfulness (though I may choose to). However, if my conscience says something is unlawful and I have not then understood that activity in light of the gospel I must not insist on my way to others.
An example might also help illustrate. You might think buying Bratz dolls for your daughter is not a right thing for a Christian parent to do. They are after all a bit trampy. However, someone else says they think it's okay. For the parent who says it is fine, they should then go to the gospel to see if there are principles which would inform them in the purchase of trampy dolls. I would contend the Bible is unclear at the point.
The parent who thinks it would be sinful to buy Bratz dolls, must not buy the dolls (or is it Dollz?). Even if they go to the Bible and believe it is not a clear command, they must still refrain.
I don't know if any of this has made the concept of conscience clearer to you. But I've certainly enjoyed writing about Bratz dolls.
Do you have a better way of explaining it?
Stupid computer lost my comment...
ReplyDeleteI think you're on the money here. I think the position you suggest is consistent with the timbre of other scripture on the matter like Titus 1 - to the pure all things are pure - and 1 Corinthians 8 - re: food sacrificed to idols.
I think conscience dictates what is sin - because if you think it is, and you do it, you're sinning.
It also doesn't define sin - because you might not feel that something isn't a sin, and do it, when it is.
Good post Izaac.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a second, non-biblical, but valid way of talking about 'conscience' which has got to do with 'calling'. This is capturing the personal circumstances, outlook, role, principles which might inform a person's actions.
It seems that Christians views of television, voting, parenting and other things fit into this category.
Hey Izaac. Thanks for the post. :)
ReplyDelete14:23 really is the rub, isn't it?
Wez Coffey once explained it really well in something like this fashion:
If my kids saw a couple of packets of Jaffas on the table, and thought that I wouldn't want them to eat them, it would be wrong for them to do so. They would be expressing rebellion against me, and not demonstrating faith in God that obedience is right and good.
This is true even if I had actually bought the Jaffas for them and want them to have them. If, in their minds, the action is an act of rebellion, then it is wrong. The analogy with acts against conscience towards God is obvious.
Thanks all for your comments and examples.
ReplyDelete@ Mikey
Your examples are extremely helpful. Perhaps I would make a variation of the first picture and add a third category "Lawful, Unlawful and Wisdom". Because as you said there are many areas of existence which are neither condoned or condemned.
However, I am trying to delete "calling" from my vocabulary as it is almost always used in an unhelpful non-Biblical way. A criticism that I of course am not leveling at someone as well thought out as yourself.
Hey Izaac, I'm using calling in a 1Corinthians 7 sense, where the situations/circumstances of life you are in when the Lord calls you become a calling.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification.
ReplyDeleteYou're right I'm too evangelical. If I see something done wrong I want to do the opposite rather than doing it right.