Q:
Do you think we have something inside us that tells us what's right and wrong? I used to think so, but I work in our local police department and I've seen people do so many evil things that I'm beginning to wonder.
A:
Yes, God has put within each of us a conscience—an inner sense of right and wrong. When King Solomon rebuked someone who had wronged his father, he said, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did” (1 Kings 2:44).
Tragically, however, our conscience—this inner moral compass that ought to point us to right and wrong—can become dulled and suppressed, and we may not even be able to hear its warnings. Instead we deliberately choose to do wrong—and the more we do this, the more calloused or hardened our conscience becomes. Some people, the Bible says, “suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18).
What is the problem? The basic problem is what the Bible calls sin, which is like a spiritual disease that affects every one of us. Sin battles against our conscience, and even can almost destroy it. Tragically, some consciences become dulled almost from the beginning, through the sin of parents or the evil influence of others.
Why did God give us a conscience? One reason is because He loves us, and He doesn’t want us to destroy our lives and the lives of others through our evil deeds. But He also gave it to us to show us our need of Christ. He alone can forgive our sins and change our hearts, and then help us live the way we should. Don’t give in to cynicism or despair in your job, but ask God to help you point others to Christ’s transforming power.