The position of the conscience is in the human spirit. The human spirit has three parts: fellowship, intuition, and conscience. Although this is not clearly stated in the Bible, we can ascertain this fact by our experience. In our spirit there is a part called the fellowship, the function of which is to fellowship with God. Another part, the intuition, functions to sense God and know His will directly. Finally, the last part, the conscience, enables us to discern between right and wrong, good and evil.
There were progressive changes in revealing the three functions of the human spirit. Before the fall, the function of the conscience was not yet revealed. Therefore, at that time there were only two functions in the human spirit, fellowship and intuition. After the fall, when man hid from the presence of God (Gen. 3:8), his fellowship with God was frustrated and his intuition became dull, but his conscience began to function. His newly activated conscience enabled him to sense and differentiate between right and wrong, good and evil, in every phase of his life. Directly after the fall, although the fellowship and intuition of the spirit became withered and insensitive, the conscience became activated. Unfortunately, when man sunk deeper into sin, even the feeling of the conscience was cast aside. At this point, man’s conscience became seared as by a hot iron (1 Tim. 4:2), so that even when he indulged in licentiousness and lusts he hardly had any feeling at all (Eph. 4:19). Thus, the functions of his spirit were completely lost.
When we are saved and regenerated, the Holy Spirit enters into us and quickens our spirit, giving us a new spirit (Ezek. 36:26). At this time, the three functions of our spirit are recovered. We can freely fellowship with God, directly know His will, and keenly differentiate between right and wrong. Therefore, the functions of the spirit today are not the same as they were after the fall, neither are they similar to their condition before the fall. Today all three functions are present at the same time; moreover, all are strong and keen.
We may divide the function of the conscience into three aspects. First, the conscience is the organ which enables us to differentiate between right and wrong, good and evil. Second, the conscience enables us to know both what God justifies and what He condemns (Rom. 2:15), what He delights in and what He hates. Thus, from this viewpoint, the conscience really enables us to know the will of God. Third, the conscience represents God in ruling over us. Just as a nation governs its people through the police force, so also God governs us through the conscience. This universe cannot exist unless it is controlled by numerous laws and principles established by God. Whoever defies these laws and principles will be condemned and judged accordingly. God has also established numerous principles and laws in His ruling over man; these principles and laws are being executed to a great extent by the conscience. God set up the conscience within fallen man that man might govern himself according to these principles and laws. If anyone acts contrary or is about to act contrary to these principles and laws of God, his conscience immediately condemns him and restrains him from going further astray and falling into corruption. The conscience rules not only to uphold the existence of the individual, but also to hold together all the relationships of man in the universe. Therefore, the major function of the conscience is to govern man. Actually, the purpose of the conscience in enabling man to discern right and wrong and to know what God justifies and what He condemns is also to represent God in ruling over man.
Since the conscience is a part of the spirit, it is closely related to the intuition and fellowship. Since the soul surrounds the spirit, the conscience is also closely related to the parts of the soul, the mind and emotion and will. Furthermore, since the conscience is a part of the heart, it is also closely linked with the heart. Thus, positionally speaking, the conscience is closely related to all our inward parts-namely, spirit, soul, and heart.
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