This was typical wisdom about how to live life. You
should make decisions that are noble and upright, ones which allow you to sleep
easy at night. It makes sense
Follow your heart.
It sounds the same, but in reality, it just encourages
you to embrace choice. Whatever you would like to do, whatever will make you
happy, do that.
This philosophy marks our age and the belief that
happiness is the highest priority.
The only problem is the inconvenient conscience. Though
we are told constantly that this new ethic is good, though movie after movie
endorses this position, our conscience doesn’t.
So what do we do with our conscience? I think people try
different strategies. Firstly, there is the “ignore it” strategy. If we get
court up in activity (of importance, of course) then we don’t have to think
about it. We don’t need to ask questions about what we ought to do, about right
and wrong, or make any assessment of our actions.
Another approach is to justify our actions. I find that
moral outrage on talkback radio often reflects people who are uneasy with their
course of life but don’t want to change. So they state their position and call
for tolerance.
Finally, people try and clear their conscience. They can
do this by acts of service, and confessing to a friend, on television or in a
diary. They engage in some ritual of purification, hoping that the guilt will
leave them.
As much as you try to clear your conscience, you
can’t. Your conscience testifies to your life before God. That
said, here is the wonderful news of Christianity. Jesus CAN clear your
conscience. He not only takes away your sin, but He makes it possible to
approach the Father without shame and guilt. Because of Christ, you belong in
the presence of God.
Praise God that whatever you have done, it is not only
removed, but so is the guilt that goes with it.
