As Joe and I were walking one day through the park in Colorado Springs we met two men named Bill and Steve. After a lengthy conversation, Bill brought up a good question. "How could people possibly be held accountable before God who have never heard of God or Jesus Christ?"

I replied with "What if you, Bill, stopped by to visit Steve at his home, he was gone but his wife was there. What if, while there, you both entered into an adulterous affair? Would you feel guilty for violating your best friend's wife, even though you had never heard of the 10 commandments or read the Bible? Where do you think that sense of unfaithfulness and of feeling of guilt came from?

God has given, through the conscience, the ability to sense right and wrong and to feel guilt for your wrong. The conscience is the self-judging function of the heart that either accuses or excuses one's self, in regard to their conduct. It is the faculty which recognizes the distinction between right and wrong and demands that one do right and avoid wrong. It also makes one know that he is known and shall be judged. Although it is true that the conscience is not infallible and can make mistakes because of being trained by wrong information (Romans 14:2), it monitors between what is right and wrong.

The scripture tells us that a good conscience plays a vital part in the ability to operate in faith (1 Timothy 1:19) and that also it is only the blood of Christ that has the power to clear, purge and cleanse the conscience. (Hebrews 9:14)

One day, the apostle Paul shared the Christian faith with the Roman governor of Judea and his wife. The scriptures state, "...Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess; and he sent for Paul and listened to him talk about faith in Christ Jesus. But as he continued to argue about uprightness, purity of life (the control of the passions), and the judgment to come, Felix became alarmed and terrified and said, Go away for the present; when I have a convenient opportunity, I will send for you." (Acts 24:24-25; AMP Bible)

Why did Felix become so uncomfortable? Why did he actually become afraid? You see, the conscience was functioning as a kind of court of law in the human heart that was pointing out his wrong and warning him of eternal doom.

A homosexual told me the other day, that Christianity accuses him of being an evil person. No, my friend, Christianity doesn't sentence you and tell you you're a bad person, it is your conscience and my conscience saying, if we will listen, "I need a Savior, the forgiveness of my sins, a changed heart and life, a new conduct and way of living." This sense of guilt is to lead you to the only one that can purge your conscience and give you peace within. It is Jesus, your Savior. (1 John. 2:2)

Will you consider looking for the true answer to human guilt as the tax collector did in Luke 18? The tax collector humbled himself before God, beat his breast in sorrow and cried, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" God accepted him, forgave his sins, purged his conscience and declared him to be in right relationship with Him. (Luke 18:13-14)

This tax collector understood guilt, sorrow for sins and cried for the mercy of God. The Bible says because he humbled himself before God that he found true peace within. (Luke 18:14; Romans 5:1)

There is only one answer for the accusing conscience within. It is to be justified (declared righteous) by accepting the shed blood of Jesus Christ for your sins. (Romans 5:9)

Will you accept the Savior upon which God has laid your sins? Will you follow Him as Lord (your boss) and find peace within?

"All we like sheep have gone astray."(Isaiah 53:6) Is that true of you? Why not return to Him, as all of us must do? (2 Peter 3:9)

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(Tract No. 29 by Don Krow)