The Holy Spirit is an avoided and misunderstood subject in the Lord’s church today. Brethren naturally have questions about the Holy Spirit. When there is a lack of teaching done on the Holy Spirit, brethren will sometimes fill this void with the errors they hear from their friends and neighbors and television preachers. More and more, we are hearing brethren claim to be led by the Holy Spirit separate and apart from His word. This can be heard in conversations and read in blogs and exchanges on social media. They are heard to make the same statements made by those in denominationalism: “The Holy Spirit spoke this to me.” “The Holy Spirit laid this on my heart.” “The Holy Spirit moved me.” Sometimes these claims are used to justify departures from the truth of God’s word. Thus, we can see that teaching is needed on this important aspect of the Holy Spirit.  

God has equipped man with a conscience. The conscience is defined as “a knowledge or sense of right and wrong, with a compulsion to do right; moral judgment that opposes the violation of a previously recognized ethical principle and that leads to feelings of guilt if one violates such a principle” (Webster’s Dictionary, 302).

Our conscience is our “guidance system.” It lets us know if we are doing right or wrong. For instance, when we are doing what we understand to be wrong, our conscience will make us feel guilty. When we are doing what we understand to be right, our conscience will justify us or make us feel right.

Each of us responds to our personal conscience. It is a guide, but it is only a safe guide if it has been trained properly. The conscience of the Christian is to be trained by the word of God. The apostle Paul said, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2). Our way of thinking is “transformed” when our minds are renewed. This is not done miraculously. Our minds are renewed as we learn God’s standards of right and wrong set forth in His word. As we learn these standards of righteousness, our conscience is trained. 

The Christian must allow his conscience to be trained by the word of God, and not by family traditions, personal opinions, worldly standards, or denominational doctrines. The conscience cannot be a safe guide if it has been trained by a false standard.

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11). If we have trained our conscience by filling our hearts with the word of God, our conscience will remind us of these Scriptures as we face challenges and make decisions throughout the day. When we see someone in need, we will feel moved to help them, not because the Holy Spirit is “laying that on our heart,” but because we know it is the right thing to do. When we contemplate making a bad decision, we will feel a sense of guilt or disapproval regarding that decision. This is not the Holy Spirit making us feel bad. It is our conscience doing its job.

People who claim to receive miraculous guidance from the Holy Spirit often uphold doctrines and practices which are contrary to Scripture. When the inconsistency between their belief and the teaching of Scripture is pointed out, they will sometimes respond with statements such as, “I would rather have what I feel in my heart than what is written in a whole stack of Bibles,” or, “A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument.” Such individuals give their feelings and experiences more merit than the word of God.

The Holy Spirit has revealed the will of God to man in words which we can understand. He influences man through the word of God. He does not speak directly to the hearts of men today. He speaks, teaches, warns, guides, etc., through the word of God.

Mankind has been created with a conscience which guides him in his life. If trained by the word of God, the conscience will warn man when he is doing wrong and approve man when he is doing right. If we will store up the word of God in our heart through Bible reading, study, and meditation, it will be available to us when we need it in our daily lives. The Holy Spirit does not guide us or miraculously remind us of Scripture in our daily lives. This is the work of our conscience.