The feeling of our conscience is closely related to life. First, we shall study this relationship at the time before and after we were saved. Before we were saved, death and darkness were in us, and our conscience had very little light and feeling. After we were saved, God’s Spirit brought God’s life to dwell in us, and our spirit was quickened. At the same time, our inward parts were all renewed, the function of the conscience was restored, and the feeling of the conscience was revived. Therefore, the feeling in the Christian’s conscience originates from the birth of his spiritual life.
This is the true condition when we are saved. After we are saved, the feeling of the conscience increases as the life grows. To the extent our life grows, to the same extent the feeling of our conscience increases. The more we advance in the growth of life, the richer and keener will be the feeling of our conscience. Therefore, if we desire a keener and richer feeling, we need to pursue further after life. If our life is abundant, the feeling of our conscience will be strengthened. Moreover, if we deal with all matters according to the feeling of the conscience, then the growth of life will increase. The growth of life affects the feeling of conscience, and the feeling of conscience aids the growth of life. These two in a mutual cause and effect relationship forward us onward in the path of life.
The feeling of the conscience is also connected with the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. This feeling, derived from the birth of life and increased according to the growth of life, also passes through the Holy Spirit and is enlightened by the Holy Spirit. We can never separate life and the Holy Spirit, because the life of God is in the Spirit of God; therefore, we cannot sever the growth of life from the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. The more the Holy Spirit shines in us, the greater is our growth in life. And the greater growth of life we have, the stronger is the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. These two also act as a mutual cause and effect on one another and always exist in the same proportion.
Since the feeling of the conscience is based on the measure of life, and the measure of life is inseparable from the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the feeling of the conscience is naturally affected by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. When the life within us increases in growth, the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit will become greater and the feeling of the conscience will become stronger. It is like a teacher who bases his instruction upon the grade-level of the pupil. Normally, the grade-level of a pupil conforms to his age, which in turn affects the teacher’s lesson. The Holy Spirit within us is our best teacher. The measure of life we possess is our spiritual age. Whatever feeling we sense in our conscience is the lesson which the Holy Spirit enlightens within us. The feeling of conscience differs in each one because we all have a different measure of life. Thus, the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit in each one of us differs accordingly.
Conversely, the feeling of the conscience can also strengthen the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. If we deal with matters according to the feeling of our conscience the Holy Spirit will naturally gain more ground and give us more enlightening; therefore, the enlightening of the Holy Spirit and the feeling of conscience mutually affect each other both as a cause as well as an effect.
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