Conscience is an aptitude, faculty, intuition or judgment of the intellect that distinguishes right from wrong.

Moral judgment may derive from values or norms (principles and rules). In psychological terms conscience is often described as leading to feelings of remorse when a human commits actions that go against his/her moral values and to feelings of rectitude orintegrity when actions conform to such norms.[1] The extent to which conscience informs moral judgment before an action and whether such moral judgments are or should be based in reasonhas occasioned debate through much of the history of Western philosophy. Religious views of conscience usually see it as linked to a morality inherent in all humans, to a beneficent universe and/or to divinity. The diverse ritualistic, mythical, doctrinal, legal, institutional and material features of religion may not necessarily cohere with experiential, emotive, spiritual orcontemplative considerations about the origin and operation of conscience. Common secular orscientific views regard the capacity for conscience as probably genetically determined, with its subject probably learned or imprinted (like language) as part of a culture. Commonly used metaphors for conscience include the "voice within" and the "inner light".Conscience, as is detailed in sections below, is a concept in national and international law,] is increasingly conceived of as applying to the world as a whole, has motivated numerous notable acts for the public good] and been the subject of many prominent examples of literature, music and film. Conscience is the whole person's commitment to the value and judgment one makes in light of that commitment of who one ought to be and what one ought to do or not do." (p. 114) *DIVISIONS 1. AN EVIL CONSCIENCE (Heb. 10:22; I Tim. 4:2) A. Not all consciences are good. In fact, since the fall of Adam and Eve, man s conscience has become corrupt. B. Paul s description of an unconverted man is found in Eph. 4:18. Spiritual blindness is worse and curable only by Jesus Light of the world. Let us be wary of our old nature and pray daily for deliverance from an evil conscience. 2. A CONVICTED CONSCIENCE (Rom. 2:14-15) A. Such conscience gives man knowledge of God s law but does not empower him to choose good from evil. B. This conscience may either lead one to be sorry for his sins and repent, or excuse and justify himself without repenting. The story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11 is a clear demonstration of conscience brought under conviction without repentance on the part of accusers. 3. A PURGED CONSCIENCE (Heb. 9:14) A. Such conscience has been transformed from that of being evil and convicted to that of being enlightened by God s word (Psa. 19:8). It is a conscience that rejects evil. B. A purged conscience no longer dwells on moral filthiness. It acts like a filter of evil for the soul. 4. A PURE CONSCIENCE (I Tim. 3:9) A. Such conscience is the product of a renewed, converted and purged conscience. It instructs and guides us to live more godly and perfectly in the center of God s will. B. It helps us to truly love and serve the Lord. You cannot have this conscience if God is not first in your life. 5. A WEAK CONSCIENCE (I Cor. 8:10) A. This conscience is usually found among new converts or immature Christians and even among legalistic

religionists like the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus time. B. People with this kind of conscience are easily offended over little shortcomings of others and tend to scold others for their failure to observe non-essential matters. C. A weak conscience can be overcome by constant prayer, Bible study, and practicing obedience to God. 6. A GOOD CONSCIENCE (I Pet. 3:16) A. All of God s children should possess this kind of conscience for it enables them to willingly serve and obey Him. It is the opposite of a weak conscience. It is not easily offended and does not always find fault in fellowmen. B. It is a conscience that remains zealous and hopeful in spite of accusations and persecutions by the wicked. 7. A CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENCE (Acts 24:16) A. One of the highest goals in the Christian life is the attainment of spiritual maturity that is characterized by a conscience that is void of any offence before man and especially before God. B. Such conscience produces careful believers who are very sensitive to the benefits and welfare of God and man. One with such conscience will give last place to his personal interests and seek those things which will bring good to men and glory to the Lord. Herein is JOY = Jesus, Others, You! * SUPEREGO- superego is the component of personality composed of our internalized ideals that we have acquired from our parents and from society. The superego works to suppress the urges of the id and tries to make the ego behave morally, rather than realistically. *EGO- the division of the psyche that is conscious, most immediately controls thought and behavior, and is most in touch with external reality. *relationship between super ego and conscience ccording to the Quran, all human beings, both men and women, are born with two opposite moral constituents. The first is mentioned in the chapter entitled Yusuf (Joseph) as al nafs al amara (12:53) and the second is mentioned in the chapter entitled Al-Qiyamah (The Day of Resurrection) as al nafs al lauwama (75:2). What are al nafs al amara and al nafs al lauwama? In psychological terms, they are the ego and the conscience with which everyone is born. Almost all human behaviour is affected by these two features. Negative behaviour is the result of al nafs al amara and positive behaviour is the result of al nafs al lauwama. The ego, if left uncontrolled becomes the source of all evil, for it is a highly inflammable part of man. In a normal situation, it remains in a dormant state, but when one's ego is negatively touched, it becomes super ego and the result is breakdown. The best way to avoid an ego problem is not to provoke it. In the absence of provocation, the ego creates no problems. But provoke the ego and it is like setting a lighted match to a powder keg. *KINDS OF CONSCIENCE

I. The RELIGIOUS conscience. By this I mean the conscience exercising itself in the things of religion, in religious belief and actings. In our dealings with God, in the service of God, in our testimony for God, let us be thoroughly conscientious, not formal, superficial, perfunctory, but conscientious. If I act religiously simply because others do so, or because it involves my good name, or because of habit, I am not acting conscientiously. Let our religion mold our conscience, and let our conscience penetrate and pervade our religion. I do not merely mean that a religious man should be a conscientious man, but that he should carry his conscientiousness into all that concerns religion. He should be alive, not only to duty but to responsibility.

II. The SECULAR conscience. Though not of the world, we are still in the world. We are hourly coming into contact with the world in public and private. Every movement of our daily life comes, more or less, into contact with the world; it may be collision, or it may be communion and mutual help in common things; let us in all these be thoroughly conscientious, in what we do or in what we abstain from doing. Never let the world say of us, in reference to either word or deed, There goes a religious man without a conscience. In all secular and social things let us manifest a conscientious spirit, and show to others that the fear of God is before our eyes. Let that fear regulate our daily communion and walk. Let a sense of responsibility toward God and our fellow men be ever on edge.

III. The COMMERCIAL conscience. By this I mean conscience throwing itself into all our business transactions, our buying or our selling, our giving or receiving, our bargains, our speculations, whether merchant, lawyer, banker, farmer, tradesman, mechanic, or whatever our worldly calling may be. Let us take counsel with conscience continually. Let the fear of God be before our eyes in the counting-house, the shop, the warehouse, the market, or wherever our calling may place us. Hard driven bargains, advantage taken of men's necessities, grinding of the poor, over-charges, unjust measures, dishonest statements as to goods sold or purchased these are not things into which conscience can enter. Let every man of business, on whatever scale, be out and out conscientious, having the fear of God before his eyes.

IV. The FAMILY conscience. Into each circle of life, outer and inner, conscience must enter. The fear of God must reign in the family. We must be conscientious in our family dealings, making each member of it feel that we are acting in the fear of God. Let us be conscientious in our family rules, at our family table, in our treatment of our children, and in their education. Be conscientious with them and before them. Never let them say that we do an unconscientious deed. Conscience says to each father and mother, 'Train up your child in the way he should go.' Oh, By contrast, the conscience is the source of all kinds of good. The conscience checks you from indulging in any evil practices, and if you do indulge in any kind of misdemeanour, the conscience becomes alive and compels

you to repent and amend your behaviour. The conscience in this way serves as a corrective to every human personality. This means that whenever there is any controversy, the outcome is in your own hands. If you provoke the ego of the opposite party, you are bound to taste the bitter results of your action. Your negative action will be followed by a negative reaction, and you shall have to pay the price for your own uncalled for initiatives.