CT08-BA07 | Every Person Has a Conscience
Minute of Transparency: Can you spot a fake?
What is a Deep Fake?
Intro: So last week we entered the meat of Controversy Theory. The section where we talk about the characters in the controversy, their game plans and the weapons they choose to use in the battle.
Today we’re going to talk about the weapon God uses.
Today’s Basic Assumption: Every Person Has a Conscience
Let’s get Freudian
May the force be with you
What is the conscience?
How the conscience works
// 1. LET’S GET FREUDIAN
Since the dawn of time people have had theories about the mind, and how it works. And psychiatrists like Sigmund Freud came along to offer scientific, and medically based explanations for us.
According to Freud the human mind (or personality) is made up of the following parts:
Id: The id is the impulsive (and unconscious) part of our psyche which responds directly and immediately to basic urges, needs, and desires (things like our sexuality and aggression)
Superego: The superego incorporates the values and morals of society which are learned from one's parents and others. It develops around age 3-5
Ego: The ego develops to mediate between the unrealistic id and the external real world. It is the decision-making component of personality. Ideally, the ego works by reason, whereas the id is chaotic and unreasonable. The ego operates according to the reality principle, working out realistic ways of satisfying the id’s demands, often compromising or postponing satisfaction to avoid negative consequences of society.
Theories like Freud’s suggest we control our behavior, and make positive decisions mainly to:
Follow a set of guidelines or expectations put in place by parents, teachers, society in general
Keep from getting in trouble with the rules/expectations of the society we live in
So in Freud’s reality, we are simply making good decisions because it is the smart thing to do, or the advantageous thing to do.
Interestingly enough - we don’t seem to be making choices and decisions because they are morally right or wrong.
This is an important distinction to understand as we begin to understand God’s weapon in the controversy...
// 2. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
First of all, thank you Star Wars for years of fun, and the brilliant telling of the controversy between good and evil, or the light and dark sides of the “force” as it is referred to in the movies.
But I digress… Before we unpack what the conscience is, we should walk through a few important concepts:
Nature vs. Nurture
Similar to Freud’s desire to define the mind, personality or psyche
Nature vs. Nurture is a desire to understand where our behavior comes from. A debate amongst people in the field of psychology - and a continuum upon which most of the treatment modalities live: https://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html
For example, Freud’s Psychoanalysis lives on the far end of the Nature side and Strict Behaviorists live on the far end of the Nurture side - with Cognitive Behaviorists living somewhere in the middle
Nature: Says we are what we’re born with. Very genetics based - that we’re wired up to be the way we are from birth
Nurture: Says we are what we experience. That we are taught to be who we are by our environment, our parents and the world around us
Now CT suggests it is somewhere in the middle - which is probably why I resonated with the teachings of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Therapy and Reality Therapy. They all see a healthy balance between Nature and Nurture
If I were to use concepts from CT I would explain it this way:
First, we are born with the Sin Virus and that it impacts everyone in the same way. This is very much on the Nature side of things
At the same time, the Sin Virus doesn’t determine who we are. We aren’t doomed to be sinful, and give in to our sinful nature in every instance
Second, we are capable of learning. We can be taught to act in ways that go against our sinful nature. Thus the importance of parenting. This whole concept is very much on the Nurture side of things
And finally, it seems obvious that Jesus came to Earth to do the following:
Create the antidote to the Sin Virus - something that people must be “Nurtured” to understand and accept
And He also came to be a role model. He showed us how to live, and that we can live differently if “Nurtured” to do so
Elements of Nature:
Sin Virus - we all get it - no choice in the matter
Biological or genetic factors - each of us gets a distinct set of traits passed down - and again - we don’t get to choose these. Things like depression, anxiety, anger, addictions, schizophrenia, etc. All can be passed down from generation to generation
Elements of Nurture:
Social influences - the people who raise us and speak into our lives. Parents, teachers, coaches, youth leaders/pastors, friends, etc.
Environmental Influences:
+ Environmental Influences - being around positive people, experiencing love, being free from danger or fearful situations
- Environmental Influences - being around negative people, violence, abuse, and experiencing systemic racism
// 3. WHAT IS THE CONSCIENCE?
So we briefly explained the there are two weapons in the controversy: The conscience and temptation…
Temptation we’ll deal with in a few episodes, but God’s weapon in the controversy is the conscience:
The problem is:
Many people don’t believe in the conscience
And many who do believe, don’t truly understand how powerful it is
If you remember in the Second Basic Assumption - we discussed how many debates aren’t actually about the topic being debated. In fact, many debates boil down to something much deeper. A bigger question, which is: Does God Exist?
And the debate over the existence of the conscience falls into that category:
Someone who believes in God - is more likely to believe in the conscience
Someone who believes there is no God, or Higher Power, can’t believe in the conscience - because it suggests there is a connection between our mind and something greater than ourselves
And therein lies the explanation of the conscience:
It is our lifeline
It is a direct connection between us and our Creator
Call it telepathic, refer to it as “momentary impressions,” call it a "still small voice." However you refer to it - it is the same thing
The Bible suggests that the conscience is actually something we’re born with
Remember back when we talked about us being created in His image?
The conscience is thought to be a piece of that
An element of our minds that we were given by our Creator - for a very specific purpose
I’m not 100% sure how the conscience played into our existence before the Sin Virus - but I definitely understand how it plays into our lives today
When Jesus left Earth after being raised from the dead, He made the following statement:
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-18a
This is where we really get an understanding of two important things:
First - the importance of the Holy Spirit, and what His job is
And second - what the conscience is for...
Let’s illustrate the conscience this way:
Pretend your mind is a house, with a lot of rooms
Each is there for something specific
The kitchen is there for eating
The bathroom is there for - we’ll you know...
Bedrooms are for sleeping
The garage is there for your cars and your junk
And the living room is there for…well…living
But there is a unique element in most houses - an element that brings the outside world into your house
It’s called a television - and it is capable of “pulling stuff into” your house and presenting it to you:
You can’t always choose the content that’s coming in - but you can choose if you watch it or not
As you flip through channels, you see things that you may not have intended to see
In moments of weakness you may watch things that aren’t good for you
But there is also amazing content that is uplifting and good for your soul
Ultimately you are in control
You have the power to watch good things
You have the power to watch bad things
You have the power to leave it running all day, or turn it off altogether
I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this illustration:
The conscience is a God-given portal inside our mind
I say God-given because He created us, and made sure it was there
This is why we get to call it His weapon in the controversy
Important: The conscience is NOT the mind itself. The mind is capable of many other things like decision-making, habit-forming, memorizing routines and processes, experiencing stimuli from the physical environment, controlling body functions, etc.
The conscience is a little compartment so to speak within the mind - and it’s where the real magic happens
Like the TV - it is our connection to the "outside world” - our connection to things that are beyond our three physical dimensions. Spiritual things, existential things:
Back to what we talked about from John 14…
Who is this “comforter” or “advocate” that Jesus was talking about?
It’s none other than the Holy Spirit - the third part of the Trinity we don’t talk much about
But this is where the Holy Spirit takes over in our lives
When Jesus physically left Earth, Jesus explained that He would leave the Holy Spirit with us - to be our lifeline to God
So how does it work?
John explained it this way: “He lives with you, and in you…"
And that’s where it all comes full circle in this episode
The Holy Spirit lives and operates in your conscience...
He basically takes up residence there so we have immediate access to God through Him
// 4. HOW THE CONSCIENCE WORKS
Now that we know what the conscience is, and what the intended use is, we need to look a bit deeper at how it works:
Definition: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/conscience
"The inner senses of what is right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action."
"The complex of ethical and moral principals that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual."
So when I read these definitions the following thoughts emerged:
Talks about a “sense” of what is right or wrong. And then it uses the word “impel” which is to drive forward. So in essence - being driven to action by sensing something...
The second one suggests it more a set of principles within us that control what we do and don’t do. Like a filter for our thinking and behaving
Interesting that both are things that can just happen - they could just be there as part of our brain structure. Without any help, or outside force.
But this is where CT takes a stand.
CT suggests that the “sense” or the “complex of ethical and moral principles” actually has an origin. It comes from somewhere other than us, our parents and the environment we live in.
These are HUGE factors, don’t get me wrong. Both Nature and Nurture impact the filter we use to determine our thinking and behaving…
But there is something more. Something above and beyond just the things we’re been born with, and the things we’ve learned from living.
And this is the part of the conscience we MUST get in touch with. So let’s define a few important things about it:
First, our conscience is NOT the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit owns and has first dibs to our conscience
It’s like God said, “I’m going to create humankind in our image, and place a small portal in their brains where I can live."
And so the conscience is there for the Holy Spirit to inhabit
The other way to look at it, is that the conscience is the playground where spiritual and existential decisions are made
Because God placed it there, it is inherently a force for good
However, because of the Sin Virus, we have the freedom to allow it to be corrupted
The conscience is basically the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil inside our minds…
Let that sink in for a minute:
Just as Adam and Eve had a physical tree in the center of the garden that became a voting booth in the Eternal Election
So too - our minds have become the tree - the voting booth for each of us
Let’s try and simplify it:
There are two “outside" forces that are competing for our mind
Temptation (which we’ll talk more about soon) and the power of the Holy Spirit
Notice I used the word “outside”
This doesn’t mean they are audible voices coming from the outside - like voices in the hall
We hear the voices inside our minds - they are thoughts. But they originate outside our bodies. In other words - we aren’t creating or producing these thoughts like the thoughts about what to wear in the morning. These are thoughts pushed into our minds from outside forces
The Temptations are being pushed there by Satan
And the conscience working to combat the temptation, is coming from the Holy Spirit
When you look at it this way - your conscience is a little battlefield in the much bigger battle going on between God and Satan in the controversy
This is why Christians often refer to this as Spiritual Warfare:
Because two outside forces are battling inside your mind
Each side wants you
You are the prize
So let’s finish up by talking about the way the Holy Spirit uses the conscience:
Let’s use few words to help us see the role the Holy Spirit plays: We have mediator, advocate, consultant and comforter
First, the Holy Spirit is not a mediator. A mediator is someone who remains neutral, and tries to help you see both sides in a situation. In the case of Spiritual Warfare, the Holy Spirit can only be on one side
Next we have advocate - which is much better. An advocate ensures you are safe, and not taken advantage of. Speaks on your behalf, and looks out for your best interest
The word consultant is also a good word. A consultant helps you see all the variables in a given situation. Shows you the beginning from the end, with all the possible outcomes in between. Helps you see what has worked in the past, and what is most likely to fail in the future. The consultant is also pushing you toward the goal - which is to do the next right thing
And finally, the word comforter. Also a good word, and Biblical at that. John 14 typically uses the word “advocate” but some versions add the word “comforter” which is a great addition when you think about it:
If we only thought of the HS as an advocate or a consultant - we may just view Him like an accountant - there to run the numbers and keep us out of trouble
But when you start using words like “comforter” you start to feel the relational side - the fact that the Holy Spirit is God and has the same DNA as God - which is all built on love - the kind of love that sent Jesus to the cross to die for us
Finally, we can see how the Holy Spirit (using your conscience) works to advocate, consult and comfort us. Here are just 4 obvious ways it happens:
The repetitive thought:
Have you ever thought to yourself, “Why do I keep having the same thought, sense, feeling or impression over and over?"
This could be the Holy Spirit suggesting something to you
Maybe it’s the repetitive thought that you need to reach out to someone you lost touch with
Maybe it’s the repetitive thought that some behavior you engage in is wrong
Whatever the case, these are important thoughts and need to be listened to
The reminder thought:
Similar to the repetitive thought - but not at random times
The reminder thought always comes after another thought or behavior
It’s the thought you have right after you do something you know is wrong
It’s the reminder that, “Remember, we were trying not to do that any more?"
Some people refer to this a guilt - but I would suggest it is a reminder from the HS. The feeling of guilt is self imposed, when we let ourselves, others and God down
The close encounter:
The Holy Spirit can also use the behaviors of other people to help guide us
Have you ever saw a person make a great decision - and you are immediately struck with the idea that, “I should be more like them."
Or the opposite. Have you ever witnessed someone do something very wrong, and you immediately know, “I don’t want to be like that."
These are close encounters - and the Holy Spirit is able to use them to grow you up at the same time
The moment in time:
This is when a person or situation has a big impact on your thinking or behaving. You may not even realize that is a “moment in time” moment. But the Holy Spirit takes the situation you’re in and burns it into your memory through your conscience
Interpersonal:
A moment in time with a parent, teacher, coach, friend, or even a complete stranger
It comes in many different shapes and sizes, from entire weekends together or a single word at the right time
Situational:
A moment in time that jogs our memory so to speak. Or helps us turn a 180
This could be things like getting a DUI and realizing something needs to be done about your drinking
It could be the death of someone close to you that opens your eyes to the fact that life is short and precious and that you are wasting it on fame and fortune
So many different things - but the Holy Spirit can use these situations to kickstart your conscience - and help you make sweeping changes in your life
Landing the plane:
Have you ever really thought about your conscience?
Did it surprise you to think of it in terms of Spiritual Warfare?
That there is a battle going on in your mind - just as there is a battle going on in the world between God and Satan?
Which word for the Holy Spirit resonated most with you? Advocate? Consultant? Comforter?
And have you been able to see the Holy Spirit working in your life? If so as it been:
Repetitive thought?
Reminder thought?
Have you had a close encounter?
Or have you experienced a moment in time recently?
This week look for the Holy Spirit, and listen for him working through your conscience
Is there something you need to start doing?
Is there something you need to stop doing?
My prayer for you is that you’ll tune in to the frequency your conscience is on - and start allowing the Holy Spirit to work the magic in your life
Thanks for being here with us! Next week we shift gears in the Eighth Basic Assumption: Satan’s Game Plan: Revenge
Again, if you’re enjoying this series on Controversy Theory, tell a friend or family member, shoot them an email, post about us on social media, or give us a good rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
Thanks again for being with us, and until next time, keep Transcending Human!