Conscience

This Free Grace Broadcaster is dedicated to the subject of the conscience. Arthur Pink introduces this vital subject by defining conscience and by describing it as our best friend or worst enemy. Richard Sibbes beautifully explains the nature of conscience and why God gave it to us. William Perkins helpfully lists the duties of conscience as giving testimony and judgment. Following that, William Fenner demonstrates that every person has a conscience and gives further reasons why God gave it to us. In a second article, Arthur Pink helps us understand that our conscience has been corrupted by sin, that it is only able to work according to the light that it has, and that its operations are faulty. John Flavel takes us deeply into the sin-burdened conscience, and what a journey that is! He writes of the burdensome sense of sin, the memories of our sin, and the condemnation of conscience. In his second article, William Fenner informs us that ministers must know the spiritual state of their flocks to properly minister the Word to the conscience of God’s people. Again, John Flavel reveals the misery of a conscience in hell—a damned conscience. Yes, friends, consciences will follow the lost to hell. Mercifully, in his third article, Pink takes us into the comforting realm of a good conscience: how do we obtain one, what are its characteristics, and how do we maintain it? J. C. Ryle than tells us that nothing in our gospel-war against sin is better calculated to quiet, soothe, and comfort a raging conscience than justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Finally, Charles Spurgeon warns against using outward practices and a little bit of religion to quiet our conscience: that can be eternally deadly. As always, the joy of salvation and the heaven-on-earth of a peaceful conscience are found only in the finished work of Christ and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.