Psalm 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

This famous Psalm was written by King David in reference to being called out by the prophet Nathan for David’s sin of adultery with Bathsheba. David declares here that he has only sinned against God. He sent his guard to fetch her to his bed chamber. He asked Bathsheba to bed her husband to cover their sin. He sent his commander to withdraw support from Uriah so that Bathsheba’s husband would die. He asked those who knew about his sin to keep silent and not witness against him. Is it not a sin to ask others to conspire in your sin? Did he or did he not sin against each of them?

There seems to be a conflict here and it needs to be resolved so that we can believe the Word of God. I know when someone sins against me, I am wounded. It sure feels like that person has sinned against me and not God alone. What are we missing here?

How soon do we forget that Jesus Christ died for all man’s sins for all time? They were laid upon Him at the Cross. Those sins were also David’s sins. They were my sins from my past. They are my sins today. They are the sins I may commit years from now. All sin is covered, taken away by Jesus our Atonement.

If Jesus took them, then any sin is a sin against Him alone. We don’t look at it that way. We want to hold sin against those who offended us. What does the Word say about this?

Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Sin is against Him alone. It is not ours to avenge.

Romans 14:19a Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace,

Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

The Word of God ties the conscience to the condition of our heart. If your heart is not pure, the conscience will not exhort you to good deeds.

Luke 11:34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.

Do you think we see what we are doing as being an evil thing? Our conscience tells us what we are doing was good and right. A conscience does wrong if the heart is wrong. You must always guard your heart and protect it.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

The conscience is a function of the mind. It is a reasoning power which weighs character against desire. All healthy humans have this power of reasoning. It is developed, learned through training and practical exercise. There are consequences for actions, we must weigh penalty against desire. Christians do not own the corner on a good conscience. Non-believers can be just as law abiding as Christians.

Romans 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

The conscience we are seeking to discover here goes above and beyond the natural, beyond developmental training, beyond historical insight. The conscience we seek to develop is one which is a reflection of the changed heart, the new creature, the new man in Christ. It will serve you to stay out of trouble areas where the law allows access.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life

Keep here is the Hebrew word natsar which means to guard with fidelity.