In Reply to: What is "conscience"? posted by Oldtimer on February 18, 2004 at 13:10:22:
1 tim 4:2 talks about "having your conscience seared w/ a hot iron", and relates it to false teachers. heb.5 also talks about reaching maturity and having "senses exercised to discern both good and evil." clearly, we can have our consciences shaped. hearts can grow hard "by the decietfulness of sin." it is sobering to read in 2pet.2 about "righteous" lot, who was "vexed w/ the filthy conversation of the wicked" in "dwelling among them , in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day." humans, even sincere believers, are vulnerable to influence from the atmosphere in which we live. especially when a diabolical force disguises darkness as light... which is why jesus warned "if the light that be in thee is darkness, how GREAT is that darkness."