Romans 14:22-23 -- Conscience, Grey Areas, and Doubt

[De Jager]

Greetings,

I am looking for some help on understanding Romans 14:22-23.

Background: I am a very detail-oriented person and tend to be very scrupulous, with OCD-like tendencies. I often examine my actions extremely closely and tend to be very hard on myself.

In life, we often have to make decisions about matters that are not extremely clear. For a person who is scrupulous and craves certainty in all matters, this is extremely hard for me.

What makes it harder is that Romans 14:23 tells us that "anything that is not of faith, is sin". Does this mean that if we do something that we are unsure of (as to its morality), it is sin? Does 100% conviction on a matter need to be present before we can do that thing? Is our natural disposition to be one of abstinence from anything that we are not completely convinced on?

For example, let's say I have to make a decision at work. My conscience might tell me 'that is immoral'. Suppose I do not roll over and play dead, and start to argue with my conscience. Suppose I can provide a legitimate argument against my conscience; however, a nagging fear and doubt is still present. I can intellectually argue against what my conscience is saying; however, I still cannot do that thing with no doubts or fears whatsoever. In such a situation, may I then do that thing? Is the conscience to be followed even when it is not rational?

Is it possible that Satan can hijack a believer's conscience and use it against him? Is the conscience free from the effects of the fall? I would think not - the conscience is not infallible, is it? If it is not infallible, how do we know when to follow it?

Let's provide another example. I have weighed the arguments for and against the baptism of covenant children. I have often told people that I am about 90% convinced that it is the right thing to do, but there are still lingering doubts. No, I am not satisfied at 90%, but let's say within the next 5 years I have a child and the question comes up. Would I be violating my conscience if I still had some doubts and baptized the child anyways? Of course, the alternative would be to defer baptism, which I would also have doubts about - so it would seem that no matter what I chose, I would not be 100% sure about it. And based on my understanding of Romans 14:22-23, I would be sinning, no matter what route I took.

When Paul says "he who doubts is condemned if he eats", and then "anything that is not of faith, is sin" does that mean that every moral decision we make must be grounded in 100% assurance? What if you have nagging anxiety??

 

[Contra_Mundum]

In the widest possible conception--which has but limited usefulness in real world application--everything can be lumped into the categories of licit and illicit. But if we must make every choice into a moral one, we will be crippled.

We need a new heart, by which we are being sanctified. We need to belong to God, and have union with Christ. What those gifts do is: make whatever is good in our actions acceptable in God's sight. Because--hear me now--whatever proceeds from your flesh, no matter how formally righteous it is, is sin. It still stinks like corruption.

So, whatsoever is of faith that you do, is that which is done in Christ, nothing less, and nothing else. And, there's really nothing that you can do that is 100% free from the taint of your flesh. That's not something you and I can escape from in this life. So, our best works as Christians are still unacceptable by themselves, and cannot please God.

Now what? Do your best. Don't flout your conscience. If you must "brace yourself" to do something, it's probably better if you wait, at least until your conscience is better informed one way or another. But, if seeking to obey, you say to the Lord, "I must act at this time" (say you are at the time when baptism seems appropriate for your child) "and I'm pretty confident my act is in accord with your Word; but I am weak and know I could be wrong;" you can close by asking God for more grace.

Your proposed actions (in this case) don't seem likely to me to wound your conscience, but neither will they in any case be perfect actions. You'll need grace, no matter how intrinsically right they are.

And as a final recommendation: open up the biblical category of "wisdom," and reckon that in your considerations. Not every choice is black and white. Some are better and worse than others. One is best today, and worst tomorrow. OK, that's life in the world of God's providence. All we can do is pray for wisdom, Jas.1:5. Study the Bible for all the wisdom it can give you ready made; then pray for divine blessing on your choices. And trust the Lord, that he will not abandon you to raw chance in the results, Rom.8:28; Prv.3:5-6. Even a decision you call into question after the fact (as if not the best, looking back) will like all the others be sanctified by God to his holy ends for his elect.

Those who must have a law to rule every choice they make lack wisdom, i.e. maturity. Like children, they must be guided in minutiae. They lack training in the way, Prv.22:6, so that their behavior might be generally in the proper direction and fundamentally sound, even if it could at times be better, more agile, more adroit, more skillful and balanced and true. Our footsteps are not right because they never trip, or cannot take a false path. But they are reliable, if they keep us upright and moving.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[greenbaggins]

Paul says that we live by faith, not by sight. Therefore faith cannot be the same thing as certainty. As an example, take the situation of sitting down in a chair. Are you absolutely 100% certain that the chair is going to support your weight? No. Do you sit it in anyway? Most of the time, yes. Same thing with driving a car to work. Do you have 100% certainty that you will not have an accident and get seriously injured or die? No. Do you go to work anyway? Of course. We cannot live if we require certainty in all things. That is because we are finite and do not have all knowledge. Sooner or later, you are going to have to face up to the reality that you are not God. I feel pretty sure you know that theoretically. However, it doesn't seem to have filtered down into the practicalities yet.

The conscience of a believer is a powerful thing. If the conscience is not certain, that is when you pray, not to achieve certainty, but to receive, as Bruce said, grace. It is not possible for Satan to hijack the believer's conscience. It is possible for him to tempt you in such a way that you choose to follow blindly after the sin while muzzling the conscience. But that is not the same thing as Satan himself twisting your conscience.

Heaven is the next life, not this one. Make sure that you are not operating with an over-realized eschatology (in other words, don't operate on the basis of thinking that this life is your best life).

 

[De Jager]

Thanks both of you for your responses, I read them both carefully, and plan on reading them again.

Yesterday I prayed to God and confessed to him that I often try to 'play God', and that this shows a lack of faith and trust. I asked him for a more child-like faith, and for the help of his Holy Spirit. I asked based on this promise:

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”