彼得前书3:13-22

愿恩惠、平安从父上帝和救主耶稣基督归于你们时常存无亏的良心，热心行善，为基督作见证的人。阿们。

圣经里面，尤其是新约，多次论及良心。我们对信心或者心谈论的比较多，但说到良心，这到底是一个什么东西，在基督徒的生命当中扮演什么角色呢？从这个词本身来说，肯定跟我们的心有关联，或者说是心灵活动的一部分。先不说圣经，其实一般人，无论是不是基督徒，都会谈论良心，比如：一个人做了坏事，我们会说，那人真没良心，天良丧尽，良心被狗吃了等等——好像没有褒奖的意思，大部分都说的是贬义。从这个普遍的经验来说，我们也知道，良心是人生来就有的东西，是可以判断对错是非的一个东西。也可以说，上帝造人的时候，就把良心植入人的灵魂里面，让人明白是非对错，也可以说良心印着上帝的形象，有真理和仁义、圣洁。

那么，问题来了，对于世上的所有人来说，这个判断是非对错的良心处在什么状态呢？是好的吗？是善良的吗？就好像中文给它起的名字就是“良心”。其实英文和希腊文都没有说它是善良的，英文叫做conscience，直接的翻译可以说是“人里面共同作见证的认知、认识、知识、意识”，非常接近希腊文的用词。但事实上，大部分人都会对自己或者对身边的人放胆说：“我问心无愧、我凭自己的良心……等等”。也可以毫不夸张地讲，人人都自以为自己的良心是清洁的、无亏的，是好的，干净的，善良的。某种意义上，是对的，如果我们是按照世俗的、民事法律的标准来判断，没问题。也就是一般人所说的，不杀人、不放火等等就是好人，对得起良心。如果我们把良心比喻成法庭，那这个时候坐在审判台上的是谁呢？一般来说，是自己，是自己与其他人的行为相比较，差不多就行，不犯法就可以了。

然而，圣经告诉我们，当然也是人真正的处境和需要，人生来啊，良心就是坏的，糟糕的，不是善良的了。保罗在以弗所书4:17-19说到，不信的人，就是外邦人，都是“存虚妄的心行事。心地昏昧，与神所赐的生命隔绝了，都因自己的无知，心里刚硬；良心既然丧尽，就放纵私欲，贪行种种的污秽。”这个时候，良心的法庭里面真正的法官是谁呢？不再是自己，也不再是身边的人，而是创造人、赐给人良心的上帝。

一个人如果没有真正认识神，悔改归向祂，就不可能拥有无亏的良心。因为神的知识在人被造的时候就放在人心里了，而人之所以不承认、不信祂，是因为人刻意地压制自己的良心。保罗在罗马书说，“神的事情，人所能知道的，愿显明在人心里，因为神已经给他们显明。……他们虽然知道神，却不当作神荣耀祂，也不感谢祂……无知的心就昏暗了。”（罗1:19，21）

换句话说，如果你还不认识神，你的良心的自我感觉良好都是出于无知，是蒙蔽的状态，并没有真正得到医治和改善。这个真正“无亏的良心”是从神而来的礼物，是基督耶稣要借着自己十字架的救恩赐给我们的东西。

希伯来书作者说：“礼拜的人，良心既被洁净，就不再觉得有罪了。……我们既因耶稣的血得以坦然进入至圣所……又有一位大祭司治理神的家，并我们心中天良的亏欠已经洒去。”（来10:2，19，22）

而今天的彼得前书也同样告诉我们：“这水所表明的洗礼，现在借着耶稣基督复活也拯救你们；这洗礼本不在乎除掉肉体的污秽，只求在神面前有无亏的良心。”（彼前3:21）

弟兄姐妹们，谁可以拥有一颗无亏的良心、清洁的良心？换句话说，谁可以真正称得上“问心无愧，凭良心行事为人或做人”呢？只能是受洗的基督徒，因为这颗良心是要显明在神面前，是要站在创造我们、赐给我们良心的上帝面前。一颗无亏的良心是只有在基督耶稣里，因着信心罪过得赦免的人才拥有的东西。

虽然人人都想要良心无愧、无亏，但许许多多的人都找错了地方，用错了方法。有人为了让自己良心平安，就去做慈善义工，甚至放生动物，不吃肉，苦行苦修，徒步朝圣等等，甚至还有人远离尘世，去到深山老林独居，免得自己沾染世俗。然而，这一切都是人的作为，都是一厢情愿，并不能真正给人良心的平安，好的良心，正常工作的良心。这事只能神来做，来洁净我们，赦免我们的罪，让我们成为新造的人，赐给我们一颗新心，一颗被圣灵引领和充满的心。

弟兄姐妹们，我们所拥有的无亏的良心来之不易啊。因为基督这位义者代替我们不义的人受苦，钉死在十字架上为我们赎罪，好让我们能够与父上帝和好，能够坦然无惧凭着信心随时随地亲近神。祂从死里复活，叫我们称义，白白地称义，可以站立、侍奉在神面前。

我们再来看下，这洗礼与无亏的良心之间的关系。我们上周也见证了洗礼，要知道，这洗礼之所以能够洁净我们的良心，洗去一切天良的污秽，是因为这洗礼连于基督在十字架上所流出的宝血。也因此，我们“心里尊主基督为圣”。就像挪亚按照神的吩咐建造方舟，一边建，一边传“义道”，警告世人洪水的到来，宣扬主借着方舟呼召罪人悔改得救，我们也同样，一边在基督里享受安息，等候将来完全得赎的日子，一边传讲耶稣基督的救恩，“有人问你心中盼望的缘由，就要常作准备，以温柔、敬畏的心回答个人。”（彼前3:15）当我们这样做的时候，“不要怕人的威吓，也不要惊慌”，因为不是我们自己在做，是主耶稣基督亲自借着圣灵，使用我们为祂做见证。彼得说，“祂借这灵曾去传道给那些在监狱里的灵听，就是那从前在挪亚预备方舟、神容忍等待的时候，不信从的人。”（彼前3:19）这不仅是指着基督降到地狱，宣告祂的得胜，也是指着当时挪亚传道时所做的工作，就是基督借着圣灵所做的传道工作。因为凡不信的人都是已经处在监狱里，受魔鬼的俘虏，地狱权势的辖制。

弟兄姐妹们，既然我们已经得了无亏的良心，就让我们好好地保护这良心，“热心行善”，在基督里要“有好品行”，因为彼得说了，神的旨意是要我们“因行善受苦”而不是“因行恶受苦”。我们要持守真理，不要顺从邪恶的道理，因为保罗在提摩太前书里面警告说，“要常存信心和无亏的良心。有人丢弃良心，就在真道上如同船破坏了一般。……要存清洁的良心，固守真道的奥秘。……”（提摩太前书1,3章）你们知道彼得前面提到什么样的善事吗？彼得前书2章说：忍受冤屈的苦楚 ；妻子顺服丈夫，有贞洁的品行和敬畏的心，或者可以感动不信的丈夫渴慕真道；丈夫要敬重、体贴妻子；第三章彼得继续说：存慈怜谦卑的心，不以恶报恶，以辱骂还辱骂；要禁止舌头不出恶言，离恶行善，追求和睦。

我们知道什么是善的，整本圣经处处指示我们何为神所喜悦的善事，以及神所厌恶的恶事，我们不仅是因为主的吩咐去行善，也是为了我们自己良心的缘故。基督徒所行的任何恶事都是罪，都会伤害自己的良心，使无亏的良心再次蒙羞，若不及时悔改，不听劝，就是刚硬，就会生出茧子来，就会麻木，无动于衷，保罗甚至比喻说，“这等人的良心如同被热铁烙惯了一般”。

弟兄姐妹们，我们是沉溺在这吃吃喝喝的世界中，像挪亚时代不信的人那样浑浑噩噩过日子，“吃吃喝喝吧，反正明天就要死了”，还是说将自己从世人中分别出来，就像基督在我们心中被分别为圣一样，热心行善呢？也只有我们将自己分别出来，看自己为神国度的子民，我们才能带着无亏的良心去宣扬主的道。许多时候，我们被自己的罪缠累，良心不安，在神面前站立不住，也就没有任何勇气和胆量在众人面前作见证了，以至于我们跟人的交往都只是世俗的事务，甚至是攀比，争竞了。

我们要借着善行保护一颗无亏的良心，因为这颗心被神的话语和圣灵更新了，就有自己正当的角色。使徒约翰说：“我们的心若责备我们，神比我们的心大，一切事没有不知道的。”（约一3:20）我们就要因着这个责备快快悔改，重新归回到主的怜悯恩典当中，归回到起初使我们良心洁净的圣洗礼当中，回到基督在我们身上的作为当中。

我们需要看清楚我们自己所要去的地方，我们在基督耶稣里的，必要跟随基督，去到另一个地方。因为“耶稣已经进入天堂，在神的右边；众天使和有权柄的，并有能力的，都服从了祂”。求主帮助我们如此行。奉耶稣，我们救主的名。阿们。

1 Peter 3:13–22

May grace and peace from God the Father and our Savior Jesus Christ be with you who always maintain a good conscience, are zealous for doing good, and bear witness for Christ. Amen.

In the Bible, especially in the New Testament, the conscience is discussed many times. We talk quite a bit about faith or the "heart," but when it comes to the conscience, what exactly is it, and what role does it play in the life of a Christian? From the word itself, it is certainly connected to our heart—or rather, it is a part of our spiritual activity. Even setting the Bible aside, ordinary people, whether Christian or not, talk about conscience. For example, if someone does something evil, we say that person has "no conscience," that their "born-conscience is lost," or that "a dog ate their conscience." Usually, these are not compliments; they are mostly used in a derogatory sense. From this universal experience, we know that the conscience is something humans are born with—something that can judge right from wrong and truth from falsehood. We can also say that when God created man, He implanted the conscience into the human soul so that man would understand right and wrong. In a sense, the conscience bears the imprint of the Image of God, possessing truth, righteousness, and holiness.

Then the question arises: for all the people in the world, what state is this conscience—which judges right and wrong—actually in? Is it good? Is it kind? In Chinese, the name given to it is literally "Good Heart" (良心). Actually, in English and Greek, the term doesn't inherently say it is "good." The English word is conscience, which can be translated directly as "a co-knowledge or shared consciousness within a person," very close to the Greek term (suneidēsis). But in reality, most people will boldly say to themselves or those around them: "I have a clear conscience," or "I am acting according to my conscience." It is no exaggeration to say that everyone thinks their own conscience is clean, blameless, good, and kind. In a certain sense, they are right—if we are judging by secular, civil legal standards. That is, as general people say, if you don't kill or murder, you are a "good person" and can face your conscience. If we compare the conscience to a courtroom, who is sitting on the judge's bench at that moment? Generally, it is oneself—comparing one's own behavior with others, thinking "it’s close enough" as long as no laws are broken.

However, the Bible tells us—and this is the true human condition and need—that by nature, the human conscience is corrupted and broken; it is no longer "good." Paul says in Ephesians 4:17–19 regarding unbelievers (Gentiles):

"They walk in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity."

At this point, who is the true Judge in the courtroom of the conscience? It is no longer oneself, nor the people around us, but God who created man and gave him a conscience.

If a person does not truly know God and repent and turn to Him, they cannot possess a "good conscience." This is because the knowledge of God was placed in the human heart at creation, but the reason humans do not acknowledge or believe in Him is that they deliberately suppress their conscience. Paul says in Romans:

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them... For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him... and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:19, 21)

In other words, if you do not yet know God, the "good feeling" of your conscience is rooted in ignorance; it is in a state of being blinded and has not truly been healed or improved. A truly "good conscience" is a gift from God, something Christ Jesus intends to give us through the salvation of His cross.

The author of Hebrews says:

"The worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins... since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus... and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience..." (Hebrews 10:2, 19, 22)

And today’s passage in 1 Peter also tells us:

"Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 3:21)

Brothers and sisters, who can possess a blameless and clean conscience? In other words, who can truly claim to have a "clear conscience" and act "according to conscience"? It can only be the baptized Christian, because this conscience must be manifest before God; it must stand before the God who created us and gave us our conscience. A good conscience is something only possessed by those in Christ Jesus whose sins are forgiven through faith.

Although everyone wants a clear conscience, many people look in the wrong places and use the wrong methods. Some do charity work, release animals to nature, abstain from meat, practice asceticism, or go on walking or kneeling pilgrimages just to find peace of heart. Some even flee the world to live in remote mountains to avoid worldly defilement. However, all of these are human works and wishful thinking; they cannot truly give the conscience peace or make it work correctly. This is something only God can do—to cleanse us, forgive our sins, make us new creations, and give us a new heart led and filled by the Holy Spirit.

Brothers and sisters, the good conscience we possess did not come easily. It is because Christ, the righteous one, suffered for us the unrighteous, dying on the cross to atone for our sins, so that we could be reconciled to God the Father and draw near to Him anytime and anywhere with confidence through faith. He rose from the dead so that we might be justified—freely justified—to stand and serve before God.

Let us look again at the relationship between baptism and a good conscience. Last week we witnessed a baptism. We must know that the reason baptism can cleanse our conscience and wash away the defilement of our hearts is that it is linked to the precious blood shed by Christ on the cross. Because of this, we "honor Christ the Lord as holy in our hearts." Just as Noah built the ark according to God's command—preaching the "way of righteousness" while building, warning the world of the coming flood, and proclaiming that the Lord calls sinners to salvation through the ark—we likewise enjoy rest in Christ while waiting for the day of full redemption. Simultaneously, we preach the salvation of Jesus Christ:

"Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15)

When we do this, "have no fear of them, nor be troubled," because it is not we ourselves doing it; it is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, through the Holy Spirit, using us to bear witness for Him. Peter says:

"In which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared." (1 Peter 3:19–20)

This refers not only to Christ descending into hell to proclaim His victory but also to the work Noah did when he preached—which was the work of preaching that Christ performed through the Holy Spirit. For all who do not believe are already in prison, held captive by the devil and the power of hell.

Brothers and sisters, since we have received a good conscience, let us protect it well. Be "zealous for what is good" and have "good behavior" in Christ. Peter says that God’s will is for us to "suffer for doing good" rather than "for doing evil." We must hold fast to the truth and not follow wicked doctrines. Paul warns in 1 Timothy:

"Holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith... They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience." (1 Timothy 1:19, 3:9)

Do you know what kind of "good works" Peter mentioned earlier? 1 Peter 2 and 3 say: enduring the pain of unjust suffering; wives being subject to husbands with pure conduct and respect (which may win over unbelieving husbands); husbands being considerate and honoring their wives. Peter continues in chapter 3: have a tender heart and a humble mind; do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling; keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit; turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

We know what is good. The entire Bible points us everywhere to the good works that please God and the evil things He detests. We do good not only because the Lord commands it, but also for the sake of our own conscience. Any evil act committed by a Christian is sin; it hurts the conscience and shames the "good conscience" once again. If one does not repent promptly and refuses to listen to counsel, the heart becomes hardened, calloused, and numb. Paul even uses the metaphor: "whose consciences are seared with a hot iron."

Brothers and sisters, are we drowning in this world of eating and drinking, living aimlessly like the unbelievers in Noah’s day—thinking "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die"—or have we set ourselves apart from the world, just as Christ is honored as holy in our hearts, to be zealous for good works? Only when we set ourselves apart and see ourselves as citizens of God’s kingdom can we proclaim the Word of the Lord with a good conscience. Many times, we are entangled by our own sins, our consciences are troubled, and we cannot stand before God; consequently, we lose the courage and boldness to bear witness before others. Our interactions with people then become merely about worldly affairs, or even about comparison and competition.

We must protect a good conscience through good works. Because this heart has been renewed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, it has its proper role. The Apostle John says:

"For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything." (1 John 3:20)

We should use that conviction to repent quickly and return to the Lord’s mercy and grace—return to the Holy Baptism that first cleansed our conscience, and return to the work of Christ upon us.

We need to see clearly where we are going. We who are in Christ Jesus must follow Christ to another place. For "Jesus... has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him." May the Lord help us to walk in this way. In the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.