Living by the Spirit

Is the Holy Spirit the same as our conscience?

Scholars like Lynn Pryor say "no." While the conscience serves as an internal moral compass between right and wrong, Pryor surmises that the conscience is a gift from God to all humans, regardless of whether they follow Jesus. Citing the words in the Apostle Paul's teaching in Romans 2:15, Pryor agrees that although God has hardwired all humans with his laws in their hearts, not all of us are living by the Holy Spirit.

So, what's the difference?

The Holy Spirit is of God himself, and our conscience is a part of God's design for our humanity. The conscience is our internal process system of thinking and decision-making based on our experiences, biases, beliefs, and motivations. In other words, our conscience is of our own hearts and minds, whereas the Holy Spirit is divine and distinct. This means that as Believers, even our conscience must be submitted to God if we are to be governed by the Holy Spirit. Our thoughts and feelings can lead us astray. For example, our conscience can make us ruminate on situations far too long, keeping us in a cycle of shame. Our conscience can also make us feel guilty when we're justified or feel justified when we're not. Ultimately, our conscience, whether clear or in turmoil, isn't always right. That's why we need God, who sends His Holy Spirit to those who accept it to clarify, guide, advocate, and teach us about righteousness according to the way, truth, and life that is Jesus Christ.

What does this mean?

The Holy Spirit operates beyond our human understanding, which means that it's outside our control and unable to be manipulated. We may be people of character and integrity, but the Holy Spirit is a gift explicitly reserved for Christians that sustains us as we strive to live out our calling as disciples. In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit is what helps us acknowledge Jesus as Lord over our lives and enables us with gifts for the common good, rather than the conscience that informs us about how to look after ourselves. Paul goes on to state that more than morality the Holy Spirit provides us with "wisdom, knowledge, faith, the gift of healing, prophecy, discernment, or the speaking and interpretation of tongues" so that we as his children and followers can continue God's redemptive work in the world and honor our call to love God and our neighbors as ourselves.

The Holy Spirit in your daily life.

Knowing where we end and the Spirit begins requires humility and prayer. We must understand ourselves and our limitations to appreciate the fullness of God's capability to lead us with grace, courage, and honor. We must also acknowledge that our conscience isn't enough to sustain our hope in Christ and remain committed to holiness. Therefore, we must submit our conscience to the Holy Spirit by studying the Scriptures, engaging in prayer, and seeking the counsel of kingdom communities to adopt a more Godly perspective and strengthen our faith to endure life. Additionally, by accepting Jesus into our lives and welcoming His Holy Spirit, we must produce fruit that extends beyond the understanding of right and wrong and into the holistic embodiment of God's Word. As Galatians 5 states, the Holy Spirit empowers us to live with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits provide us with a framework for discerning between our conscience and the promptings of the Holy Spirit by teaching us to evaluate decisions and conduct ourselves according to biblical teachings rather than our senses.

Overall, understanding the distinction between the Holy Spirit and our conscience helps us lean into a renewed relationship with God. By cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit through prayer, scripture study, and community engagement, we align our conscience with God's will. This process allows us to grow spiritually, enabling us to produce the fruits of the Spirit, which are essential for our transformation and for positively impacting the lives of those around us.