Believers in this world enjoy peace of conscience.1 Though their consciences have been truly awakened to bear witness for God, with the truth, against every sin in their hearts and lives, and declare the great evil of sin, the miserable state of the sinner, who deserves the wrath of God,2 yet, because the sinner receives the atonement and rests by faith on the sacrifice and propitiation of Christ, his conscience is satisfied in what has satisfied God, enjoys true peace through the blood of the cross, and testifies that we have peace with God.3 An appeased conscience does not permit the believer to live in sin, but is a tender, awakened, and faithful conscience, to bear witness against sin of every kind - against the enticements of the devil and the corruption of the heart.4
Those who profess to have peace of conscience, and yet live in sin, deceive themselves.5 Though peace of conscience is not founded on the man’s experience, the purity of his motives, or the strictness of his life, pure motives and a strict walk in the ways of God are very helpful to keep and enjoy peace of conscience.6 Conscience sometimes accuses the believer of sin and testifies that he deserves the frown and chastisement of God, though it does not pronounce sentence of condemnation upon him.7 An appeased conscience is precious in prayer, in trouble, and in death.8
1 Rom. 5:1; 1 John 4:13; 3:14, 21; Acts 24:16. 2 Gen. 39:9; Rom. 7:14,18; 1 Tim. 1:19. 3 Rom. 5:11; Heb. 10:19-22; 2 Cor. 1:12; 5:19; Rom. 8:16; 1 Cor. 2:12. 4 Rom. 6:1-2; Col. 3:1-3; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 John 3:3; Jude 23; 1 Peter 1:15; 2:11. 5 1 John 1:6; Deut. 29:19; Phil. 3:18-19. 6 2 Cor. 1:12; 1 John 1:7; 3:21; John 14:23; 15:14; Isa. 32:17; Psa.18:23; 119:165; Acts 9:31; 1 Thess. 3:13. 7 Psa. 34:7; 51:1-14; Jer. 2:17; 4:18; Luke 22:61-62. 8 Psa. 66:18-19; 73:28; Heb. 10:22; James 4:8; 2 Cor. 1:12; Phil. 1:19-23; Luke 2:29; 1 Cor. 15:55; Rom. 5:2.
