1 Peter 3:16 KJV
[16] “having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”
The wealthiest men are not those having material goods or notoriety but those who have a clean conscience. It is priceless to pillow your head at night and know you have a good conscience toward God. You might wonder how you can have a good conscience and maintain it once you have obtained it.
Let me first say that it comes through knowing Jesus Christ. Salvation is necessary to have a good conscience. A lost man is dead in his trespasses and sins. He needs to be made alive on the inside. Once a soul gets saved, there is an awareness of sin and a desire to live for God.
After salvation, we keep a good conscience by having short accounts with God, which comes by confessing our sins and repenting daily. Another way to retain a good conscience is by reading the Word of God every day and allowing the Scriptures to renew our minds. Obedience to the Word of God and walking in the light that He has given also gives us a good conscience.
Peter reminds us that evildoers will make false accusations against believers. They will lie about Christians, just like they did to the Lord Jesus. However, we don’t have to live in shame by the false accusations of this world. We can maintain a good conscience knowing that they are lies. When you know that you are right with God, it frees you from trying to defend yourself against false accusers. Let the evildoers say what they will because a day is coming when God will bring everything into judgment, and they will give an account to Him for their lies and evil works.
A good conscience will help you sleep well at night and give you peace, knowing that God will protect you. In the book of Genesis, we read of Joseph, who was falsely accused of a crime and thrown in prison. However, the Lord was with Joseph, and his imprisonment was an avenue to the throne of Egypt. God will always vindicate His children and repay evildoers for their lies and wicked deeds. Dear reader, make it your goal to keep your conscience clean in the sight of God.