Understanding A Seared Conscience

As I have walked with Christ, the last twenty years, I have regrettably experienced some prodigal periods wondering away from the peace and truths of the Faith. While I take no pride in these periods of rebellion against the Indwelling Spirit, they have afforded valuable insight around the subject of conscience and proper moral living.
Morality has not been my strong suit to say the least. So if you struggle with a wondering eye and heart this blogs for you! If you have a less addictive personality type and people consider you stable, through this blog, you can peek into the heart of an addict and find the Living God.
It seems to me there is one type of person with two general manifestations:
The prideful person that:

1. Beats up on themselves because they can never live perfect or,
2. Beats up on others because others are not  perfect.

Now I suppose there could exist a “3” person that is Nuerotic and vacillates between the two opposing behaviors, there biggest struggle would be figuring out who they would want to be today.

*A little side note as I move to link this to the subject of conscience.
It is my observation that North American churches in general effectively perpetuate both groups of people. I blame this mostly on the single pastor systems and loose knit, program driven church styles of this day and age, both of which are Post-Biblical. I love God’s church so my observations are not antagonist in nature. Its just revelation from my own journey.

Let’s lighten things up a bit and talk about the effects of my sin!!!
My prodigal journeys have often dulled my conscience toward God and His kingdom. Making me oblivious to the lives around me, and robbing me of the joy, peace and rest that exists in Christ.

Recently I was struggling with a moral decision that I have failed with in the past. I was struggling with wanting to commit the same act again. I even started down the path of that sin because of a seared conscience and God in His mercy set my conscience ablaze. He showed me that walking sins path was futile because I would be laden with many sorrows. I had to accept, in that moment, that I was a child of the King and I will always be a child of the King. The thing that is cool is that God transitioned me from a dull conscience to a raw one in a moment. I knew instantly how to separate myself from that sin. In a moment life became simple again: clear.
I then went to the Word and this is what I found:

conscience: [4893, sunei÷dhsiß suneidesis, soon-i´-day-sis], moral consciousness, co-perception is a compound word and prolonged word from
[4894. sunei?don suneidon; from 4862 and 1492]; to see together, hence to comprehend: —aware(1), realized(1).made up

[4862. su/n sun; a prim. prep.]; with, together with - accompanied by(m, companions *(2), including(1), together with(1).

[1492. ei¶dw eido, i´-do; a primary verb]; to see (literally or figuratively); by implication, (in the perfect tense only) to know: — be aware, behold, x can (+ not tell), consider, (have) know(-ledge), look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand,

If you’re a Greek geek this study will make you shout!!!
For the rest it is simple, conscience is a gift from Our Sovereign God. Conscience helps us see clearly. It helps see our life, our circumstances, our critical decisions and our relationships. It guides our life in simplicity and sincerity, and all of this guidance is Co-lead by the Spirit:

“For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you” 2 Corinthians 1:12 (Emphasis Added).

To study this word in its twenty-nine different contexts is eye opening and clarifying, but for the addict, immoral personality there is one central text, Luke 15:11-32.

The thing that is interesting is that the word conscience doesn’t show up in this passage it is simply demonstrated through verse 17, “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ” (ESV)
I like how the NIV declares this, “when he came to his senses”, but the truth is God in His great mercy opens our eyes to see clearly who we really are. When our consciences are set ablaze, if we are His children, we will drop our hog slop and run to Him.

In personal reflection if I act against my God given conscience I am dulling the vision, joy and simplicity of my life. It makes the decisions to follow God easier. Why act inconsistent with who I am because after I act out I still am who I am.

A seared conscience is made raw by a merciful God. Think about it!