by Steve Hale
"Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst" (John 8:9, NKJV).
The conscience is a powerful and essential tool. From the word suneidesis, the term for conscience occurs about 31 times in the New Testament. It is that invisible chain of restraint and moral monitor for our lives.
The second President of the United States, John Adams, said: "We have no government armed power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion--Our government was made for a moral and religious people.
In a free society, we are dependent upon the high moral standards of the people to avoid chaos and anarchy. The conscience, properly trained by the gospel, is that invisible chain the negates the need for armed powers.
When the conscience has become cauterized by the searing of sin (Hebrews 3:13; I Timothy 4:2), people lose their sensitivity to right and wrong, and feelings of guilt. This lack of remorse is devastating and self-condemning.
The two men police say killed 12 year old Adrianne Dickerson three years ago showed no remorse, threatened the lead detective, and even laughed when the charge were read. Why? A lack of conscience!