The three categories of the feelings of the conscience are the result of our offenses-we have either offended God or sinned against man In our intention, motive, word, and action. Therefore, these feelings can be considered as feelings of offense. The keener one’s conscience is and the more one lives in the presence of God, the easier it will be for him to have a feeling of offense. Whenever he offends either God or man, there is immediately a feeling of offense in the conscience. Hence, by the intensity of this feeling of offense, we can tell the degree of keenness of one’s conscience and the extent to which he has been enlightened by God.
However, as far as the feeling of offense itself is concerned, it is a serious damage to our spiritual condition. When one’s conscience has this feeling of offense, his fellowship with God is hindered and thus his entire spiritual condition is lowered. Therefore, whenever a Christian has the feeling of offense in his conscience, he must immediately go before the Lord to confess his sin according to this feeling and claim the cleansing of His precious blood. Sometimes there is also the need to go before man and deal with the matter. Then the feeling of offense will vanish, and the conscience will be void of offense. Therefore, dealing with the conscience, on the one hand, is to cause our conscience to become keen and rich in feeling, and, on the other hand to cause our conscience to be secure, at peace, and void of offense. Hence, the result of dealing with our conscience, on the one hand, is to bring us into the light of God so that we will become more enlightened, and on the other hand, under such an enlightenment, to cause us to get rid of all the things that are outside of God, not agreeable with God, and not acceptable to God, so that we may experience a deeper cleansing.
Now we come to the condemnation of the conscience. Condemnation issues from the feeling of offense in the conscience. When our conscience senses that we have done wrong, it condemns. Therefore, these two are really one; they are difficult to distinguish. Some define the condemnation of the conscience as the accusation of the conscience. These are also two aspects of one thing. For example, the judge in a law court condemns, whereas the prosecutor accuses. Likewise, when our conscience feels we have wronged, it will, on one hand, represent man to accuse us, and, on the other hand, represent God to condemn us. The feeling of offense in the conscience causes our spirit to become so depressed and powerless in spiritual things because the feeling of offense brings with it the accusation and condemnation of the conscience. Therefore, if we would be delivered from the accusation and condemnation of the conscience, there is no other way but to deal carefully with the feeling of offense. When the feeling of offense in our conscience disappears, the accusation and condemnation of the conscience will naturally vanish.
The sensitiveness of the conscience issues from a serious and thorough dealing. If there is no dealing with the conscience, the feeling of the conscience will certainly be slow and dull. When the conscience goes through severe dealings, its feeling becomes keen, even to the point of being sensitive. Hence, the sensitiveness of the conscience is a good phenomenon. It proves that the conscience has already been dealt with quite thoroughly. If our conscience has not been dealt with to the point of its becoming sensitive, then that dealing is not thorough enough.
Some deal so thoroughly with their conscience that they feel convicted should their speech or actions be just slightly off color. They are sensitive not only after they have wronged, but even when they are about to do any wrong. Furthermore, the degree of keenness of the conscience in such persons can develop to such an extent of sensitivity that they feel wrong about their every action and word. If they do not act or speak, they also feel wrong. At this point, their whole being appears completely confused. However, when a man passes through such a stage of keenness and emerges from it unto sensitivity of the conscience, he has learned the lessons of dealing with the conscience quite well; the feeling in his conscience will then be constantly keen and normal. Therefore, the sensitiveness of the conscience is a necessary phenomenon.
However, when a man’s conscience is dealt with until it becomes sensitive, it may develop into an over-sensitive state and thereby become a weak conscience. This weakness due to over-sensitivity is the result of over-dealing with the conscience. A Christian who is newly saved or who is not seeking will not acquire weakness of the conscience. Only those who are seriously seeking the Lord and dealing severely with their conscience, but who are still immature and tender in life, will have this weakness. Such persons, when gained by the Lord, deal thoroughly with their conscience, purging away all its darkness and wrong doings. Their conscience is like glass, clear and bright. At this time their conscience has been sufficiently dealt with; there is no need to have any further dealings. But because they are young and inexperienced in spiritual things, they frequently deal too much, thus producing an over-sensitive conscience, which causes weakness of the conscience. Like the skin of our body, some parts are calloused and dull in feeling, while other parts are tender and keen in feeling. New skin formed over a wound is tender and extremely sensitive, hurting at the slightest touch. We may say that this is the weak condition of the skin. Likewise, if the conscience is dealt with so much that it becomes over-sensitive, it produces a feeling of offense in everything. In many matters such a one condemns himself even before God has condemned him; he loses his peace even before God has disallowed anything. This kind of condemnation and uneasiness may continue to exist even after he has dealt with the matter, causing much needless suffering and affliction. This condition of a weak conscience is the result of over-sensitiveness of the conscience.
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