Ourselves: I; Me; Mine - Chambers, Oswald

Chapter XVI – Ourselves: I; Me; Mine
Ourselves and Conscience

CONSCIENCE is the innate law in nature whereby man knows he is known.
N.B. t he half truth And half error of such phrases As “conscience is the
voice of god” And “conscience can be educated ” will be dealt with.

1. Conscience before the fall (genesis 2:1617; 3:23)

(a) consciousness of self

(b) consciousness of the world (genesis 3:124)

These three are the several sides of mans personal life .

2. Conscience after the fall ( john 3:1921)

(a) the standard of the natural person (romans 2:1215)

(b) the standard of the nationspagan (matthew 25:3146)

3. Conscience in the faithful (1 Corinthians 8:7 12)

(a) conscience and character in the saint (Romans 9:1; john 17:22)

(b) conscience and conduct in the saint (2 Corinthians 1:12)

(1 john 1:7; Ephesians 4:13; Hebrews 9:14)

Conscience is the innate law in human nature whereby man knows he is known. From every stand- point that is a safeguarded definition of conscience.

If conscience were the voice of god, it would be the most contradictory voice man ever heard. For instance, a hindoo mother obeys her conscience when she treats her child cruelly, and a christian mother obeys her conscience when she sends her child to Sunday school and brings it up generally in the nurture and admonition of the lord. If conscience were the voice of god, contrasts of this kind would never occur. Conscience attaches itself to that system of things which man regards as high- est, consequently conscience records differently in different people. The conscience of the hindoo mother attaches itself to the highest she knows, viz. , the hindoo religion; the conscience of the christian mother attaches itself to the highest she knows, viz. , the revelation of god in the lord Jesus Christ.

Probably the best illustration of conscience is the human eye. The eye records what it looks at, and con- science may be pictured as the eye of the soul recording what it looks at, and, like the eye, it will always record exactly what it is turned towards. We are apt to lose what ruskin called the innocence of sight. The majority of us know what we look at, and we try to tell ourselves what our eyes see. An artist does not use his logical faculties, he records exactly from the innocence of sight. When art students are being trained to sketch from nature, you will find that in looking at a distant hill draped in blue mist, with little touches of white or colour here and there, the beginner will sketch not what he sees, but what he knows those blotches indicate, viz. , houses; while the artist gives you the presentation of what he sees, not of what he knows he sees. Something very similar happens with conscience. The recording power of conscience may be distorted or perverted, and conscience itself may be seared. Some shall depart from the faith, . . . Having their conscience seared with a hot iron (1 timothy 4:12).

Then, again, if you throw a white light on trees, the eye records that the trees are green; if you throw a yellow light on the trees, the eye records that the trees are blue; if you throw a red light on trees, the eye records that the trees are brown. Your logical faculties will tell you all the time that the trees are green, but the point of the illustration is that the eye has no business other than to record what it looks at; and it is the same with conscience. To go back to the illustration of the hindoo mother and the christian mother. The conscience of the hindoo mother looks out on what her religion teaches her to be god and records accordingly, and reasoning on the records of her conscience, she behaves cruelly. The conscience of the christian mother looks out on god as he is seen in the white light of Jesus Christ, and reasoning on what her con- science records, she behaves as a christian mother should. So it can never be true to call conscience the voice of god. The difference in the records of conscience is accounted for by the varieties of traditional religions, etc. Whether a person is religious or not, conscience attaches itself to the highest he or she knows, and reasoning on that, the life is guided accordingly.

The phrase, conscience can be educated, is a truth that is half error. Strictly speaking, conscience cannot be educated. What is altered and educated is a mans reasoning. A man reasons not only on what his senses bring him, but on what the record of his conscience brings him. Immediately you face a man with the white light of jesus christ (white is pure, true light, and embraces all shades of colour), his conscience records exactly what he sees, his reason is startled and amazed, and his conscience condemns him from every standpoint.

1. Conscience before the fall

(genesis 2:1617; 3:23)

The words consciousness and conscience meant the same thing originally; they do not now. In con- science before the fall we take the three aspects of a mans personal life, viz. , consciousness of self, con- sciousness of the world, and consciousness of god. And the lord god commanded the man, say- ing, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat- est thereof thou shalt surely die (genesis 2:1617). And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, god hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die (genesis 3:23). In these passages the three aspects are clear- consciousness of self, of the world, and of god. It is the consciousness of god which has been most conspicuously blurred by the fall.

(a) consciousness of self

This takes us back to the general subject of man. When the other creations were passed before Adam in procession to see what he would call them . . . There was not found an help meet for him. Man has no affinity with the brutes; this instantly distinguishes man clearly and emphatically from the brute creation around him. There is no evidence that a brute is ever conscious of itself, but man is ostensibly self-conscious.

(b) Consciousness of the world

We mean by the world the thing that is not my self-continuum, that which continues to exist out- side me. By realising how we come into contact with that which is not ourselves we realise our barriers and limitations. For instance we can never understand the consciousness of an angel, or the consciousness of a dog, because both these creations are constituted differently from the way in which we are constituted. How do we come in contact with what is not our- selves? By means of a nervous system; consequently we can always say, up to a certain point, how another human being sees things outside himself. How do angels come in contact with that which is not angelic? Certainly not by a nervous system; therefore we have no possibility of knowing how an angel comes in con- tact with what is not angelic. Read the records in the bible of angelic appearances, and of the appearances of our lord after his resurrection; physical barriers simply did not exist to him or to them. Physical bar- riers exist to us because of our nervous system. Angels can come and go through rocks and doors, can appear and disappear in a way we cannot understand. Their consciousness is above ours, different from it. When anyone tries to explain to you how an angel sees and knows things, say to yourself, private speculation. You will always find that gods book puts the bar- rier clearly, thus far and no farther. Jesus Christ did not take on him the consciousness of an angel; he came down to where man was, into the world we live in, and he took on him a body and a nervous system like our own. Jesus Christ saw the world as we see it, and he came in contact with it as we do (see Hebrews 2:1618).

We are only conscious of ourselves and of what is outside us by means of a nervous system: our conscious life depends altogether on our nerves. When we are asleep we are not conscious at all. What hap- pens when we sleep? The world goes out; the nervous system is not working. An anaesthetic makes the world go out. The reason we shut up a lunatic in an asylum is because his nervous system relates him to the world differently from the majority of men. He does not record what he sees outside as we do,

Consequently he becomes so different and possibly dangerous that he has to be confined. Now think of the lower animals. A great deal is said about the intelligence of dogs, and a great amount of talk about insight, falsely so called, into the nature of a dog. A dog is the most human of all animals, but yet we have no means of knowing how a dog sees what is not itself. We have no more means of knowing how a dog sees than we have of know- ing how an angel sees; we simply take our own consciousness and transfer it to the dog. The recognition of these barriers above us and below us is essential to knowledge, and keeps us aware of our limitations. Spiritualists deny that there are any barriers: they claim that we can come in contact with angels, and understand how angels see things. Remember, the body of man is his glory, not his drawback. It is through the body that mans character is made and manifested. The body is essential to the order of creation to which we belong; your body is the temple of the holy ghost, says Paul, and we are held responsible for the way we manifest this fact to the world. When a man experiences a great alteration inwardly, his nervous system is altered. This explains what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17: if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new (rv ). Wherever the grace of god works effectually in a mans inner nature, his nervous system is altered and the external world begins to take on a new guise. Why? Because he has a new disposition. If any man is in christ jesus, his nervous system will prove that he is a new creature, and he will begin to see things differently. Heaven above is brighter blue. Earth around is sweeter green. Something lives in every hue christless eyes have never seen; birds with gladder songs oevrflow. Flowers with deeper beauties shine. Since i know, as now i know. I am his and he is mine. That is not only poetry, it is a fact.

(c) Consciousness of god

These three types of consciousness are clearly manifest in the way eve talked to the serpent (see genesis 3:23). Eve was conscious of herself, she was conscious of her surroundings, and conscious of god. In our lord Jesus Christ these three aspects of consciousness were perfectly clear. With us, the consciousness of god has become obliterated, and we miscall all kinds of things god. The system of things a man considers highest he is apt to call god. In Adam the consciousness of god was different from our natural consciousness, it was the same as in our lord. Jesus Christ restores the three aspects of a mans personal life to their pristine vigour: we come into real, definite communion with god through Jesus Christ; we come to a right relationship with our fellow-men and with the world outside, and we come to a right relationship with ourselves, we become god-centred instead of self-centred.

2. Conscience after the fall ( john 3:1921)

That is where we live to-day, viz. , a mixture of christian and non-christian, and a great deal that is neither one nor the other. John 3:1921 is the fundamental analysis: . . . Light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil (RV). What is light? Jesus said, i am the light. He also said, if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! Darkness, in this connection, is my own point of view. Immediately a man sees Jesus Christ and understands who he is, that instant he is criticised and self-condemned; there is no further excuse. Our lord is the final standard.

(a) The standard of the natural person

Under this heading we deal with the standard of the natural person i. E. , the one who has never seen or heard of Jesus christ. In Romans 2:1215 the con- trast is drawn clearly and emphatically between what we may call religious and irreligious people. What is the standard of judgement? The gentiles knew nothing about Jesus christ or about the law of god as an external standard, and they were judged according to their conscience. Take the grossest case you can think of no where is there any record of a cannibal tribe thinking it right to eat a man; they always try to conceal it.

(b) The standard of the nations

The standard of the nations i. E. , pagan nations, who likewise know nothing about Jesus christ (Matthew 25:3146). These verses are often applied to Christians, but their primary reference is to the judgement of the nations. The standard for christians is not these verses in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew; the standard for Christians is our lord jesus christ. In the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew gods magnanimous interpretation of the acts of certain people is revealed, and they are amazed and astounded when saw we thee an hungered? . . . When saw we thee sick? We never heard of thee before. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. The standard of judgement for the natural person is conscience; and the standard of judgement for the nations is conscience.

(c) The standard of the naturally pious

I verily thought with myself [i. E. , according to con- science], that i ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. (acts 26:9)

If conscience is the voice of god, we have a nice problem to solve! Saul was the acme of conscientiousness. Our lord refers to the same thing: they shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto god, they will think they serve god in putting you to death ( john 16:2 RV ). That is the outcome of obedience to what is understood as conscience. No one who has read the life of the apostle paul and his records of himself could accuse him of not being conscientiou she was hyperconscientious. Conscience is the standard by which men and women are to be judged until they are brought into contact with the lord Jesus christ. It is not suf- ficient for a christian to live up to the light of his conscience; he must live in a sterner light, the light of the lord Jesus christ. Conscience will always record god when once it has been faced by god.

3. Conscience in the faithful

(1 Corinthians 8:712)

These verses show that we can be spectacles to other Christians. When the natural sight is wrong, spectacles are worn to adjust the vision. We have to be as spectacles to others. So many Christians are short- sighted, so many are long-sighted, and so many have not the right kind of sight; be spectacles to them! A very humble position, but a very useful one. In 1 corinthians 7 Paul makes a distinction between equal rights and equal duties. The corinthians have been criticising paul, and from this chapter onwards he is dealing with their questions, and evidently the whole point is the matter of equal rights. Paul says, no! Equal duties, but not equal rights. We all have equal duties to perform towards god, but not equal rights. Paul deals with the matter in a statesmanlike manner. There is a difference between offence and stumbling. And they were offended in him. But jesus said unto them, a prophet is not without honour, save in his own country . . . (Matthew 13:57). But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, doth this cause you to stumble? ( john 6:61 rv; see also Matthew 5:29; 11:6; 13:41; 16:23; 17:27; 18:67). Offence means going contrary to someones private opinion, and it is sometimes our moral duty to give offence. Did Jesus christ know that he was offending the private opinion of the pharisees when he allowed his disciples to pluck the ears of corn and eat them on the sabbath day? Did he know that he was offending them when he healed the sick on the sabbath day? Certainly he did; and yet our lord never put an occasion of stumbling in anyones way. The passage which alludes to him as a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence has another reference. Stumbling, then, is different from offence. For example, someone who does not know god as well as you do, loves you and continually does what you do because he loves you, and as you watch him, you begin to discern that he is degenerating spiritually, and to your amazement you find it is because he is doing what you are doing. No offence is being given, but he is stumbling, distinctly stumbling. Paul works this out from every standpoint in 1 Corinthians 8 and 9: as long as i live, he says, i will never again do those things whereby my brother is made to stumble; i reserve the right to suffer the loss of all things rather than be a hindrance to the gospel: i will not insist on my rights, on my liberty of conscience, but only on my right to give up my rights. Waive aside your own liberty of conscience if it is going to be the means of causing someone to stumble. The application of this is what our lord teaches in the sermon on the mount in practical experience. To put it crudely, the sermon on the mount simply means that if you are a disciple of Jesus christ, you will always do more than your duty, you will always be doing something equivalent to going the second mile. People say, what a fool you are! Why dont you insist on your rights? Jesus Christ says, if you are my disciple, you will insist only on your right to give up your rights.

God educates every one of us from the great general principles down to the scruples. 15 people who are right with god are often guilty of the most ugly characteristics and you are astounded that they do not see it: but wait; if they go on with god, slowly and surely gods spirit will educate them from the general principles to the particular items, until after a while they are as careful as can be down to the jots and tittles16 of their life, thereby proving their sanctification in the growing manifestation of the new disposition god has given them. No wonder the book of god counsels us to be patient with ourselves and with one another!

(a) Conscience and character in the saint

I say the truth in Christ, i lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy ghost. (Romans 9:1; see also john 17:22)

Character is the sum total of a mans actions. You cannot judge a man by the good things he does at times; you must take all the times together, and if in the greater number of times he does bad things, he is a bad character, in spite of the noble things he does intermittently. You cannot judge your character by the one time you spoke kindly to your grandmother if the majority of other times you spoke unkindly. The fact that people say of a man, oh well, he does do good things occasionally, proves that he is a bad character; the very statement is a condemnation. Character in a saint means the disposition of Jesus christ persistently manifested. You cannot appeal to a saint on the line of self-interest; you can only appeal to him on the line of the interests of Jesus christ. The feeblest, weakest saint becomes a holy terror immediately jesus christ is scandalised. Whose honour are we seeking?

(b) Conscience and conduct in the saint

For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our con- science, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of god, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. (2 Corinthians 1:12)

The point there is an important one; viz. , that the knowledge of evil which came through the fall gives a man a broad mind but paralyses his action. The restoration of a man by our lord gives him simplicity, and simplicity always shows itself in actions. Do not mistake simplicity for stupidity. By simplicity is meant the simplicity that was in Jesus christ. Paul says, i fear, lest by any means . . . Your minds should be cor- rupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 corinthians 11:3). There are men and women of the world whose minds are poisoned by all kinds of evil, they are marvellously generous in regard to their notions of other people, but they can do nothing, every bit of their knowledge and broad mindedness paralyses them. The essence of the gospel of god working through conscience and conduct is that it shows itself at once in action. God can make simple, guileless people out of cunning, crafty people; that is the marvel of the grace of god. It can take the strands of evil and twistedness out of a mans mind and imagination and make him simple towards god, so that his life becomes radiantly beautiful by the miracle of gods grace.

(c) Conscience and communion of the saint

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. . . . (1 john 1:7; see also Ephesians 4:13; Hebrews 9:14)

These references emphasise the together aspect. Nowhere is enthusiasm for humanity mentioned in the bible, that is a modern phrase. Enthusiasm for the communion of saints is frequently mentioned, and the argument in these verses and many others is that if we keep our conscience open towards god as he is revealed in Jesus christ, we shall find he will bring other souls into oneness with himself through us. In 1 Corinthians 4:34 (but with me it is a very small thing that i should be judged of you, or of mans judgement: yea, i judge not mine own self. For i know nothing against myself; yet am i not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the lord RV). Paul mentions three standards of judgement which he has left behind: 1. Judgement according to the standard of the special setit is a very small thing that i should be judged of you. 2. The standard of universal human judgement or of mans judgement. 3. The standard of conscience yea, i judge not mine own self. The standard paul accepts as the final one is our lord. But he that judgeth me is the lord. One of the greatest disciplines in spiritual life is the darkness that comes not on account of sin, but because the spirit of god is leading you from walking in the light of your conscience to walking in the light of the lord. Defenders of the faith are inclined to be bitter until they learn to walk in the light of the lord. When you have learned to walk in the light of the lord, bitterness and contention are impossible.

Ourselves: I; Me; Mine - Chambers, Oswald

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