Politics and conscience?

One of the greatest gifts God has given to humanity is the gift of a conscience. Previous generations of preachers and teachers tended to focus far more on this than we do. They called the conscience ‘God’s deputy’ and ‘God’s spy in our hearts’.

It is a gift of God’s common grace. This means it is something all humans have. Our conscience is the inner voice we hear when we step outside the boundaries of what is right. Our conscience rarely praises us. It is more likely to accuse us.

How does this apply to politics? Our present day is witnessing what happens when someone reaches the top and does so at the expense of the conscience. Over the past few months, we’ve witnessed the sorry saga of Partygate, where the sinful tendencies of our leaders have been evidenced. While people stuck to rules, those in Number 10 did not.

It should make us angry, and it should make us deeply sad if, as a nation, we have a Prime Minister who has lied to the public and who seems to feel little or no remorse. Truth and standards in public life matter and it is incumbent on those in any form of authority to lead by example.

There is a warning for us all. The Bible suggests and shows us that it’s possible to deaden our own consciences. How? By routinely ignoring them. By shutting them out. There are those whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron (1 Tim. 4:2). I wonder if this is what has happened to Mr Johnson? Has he ignored his conscience time and again until it no longer works properly?

If there is a lesson to be drawn from the events of the last several weeks, then it is, I think, in three directions.

Firstly, the charge to pray for all kinds of people, including those in authority, is crucially important. Let our righteous anger at what’s happened also lead us to plead with God for leaders of His grace, not the ones we deserve. We need to be praying for Boris Johnson, for the leaders of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and all in positions of high office. Whatever we feel about them, however we think them worthy of our prayers, the word of God commands us to pray for them.

Secondly, we must put a great emphasis in our churches on honesty and integrity. Look at the requirements for church leaders, in Titus and 1 Timothy 3 especially. You can’t help but notice its character that matters above all else.

Finally, we must be quick to repent, and we must learn to keep a good conscience before the Lord. That surely means a conscience that respects and rightly fears God. One that is shaped and informed not by the standards of this world or our own selfish desires, but by God’s inspired word.

And, when we go against our conscience, we must be quick to repent. That’s what David did when his conscience pricked him after God sent Nathan the prophet to him. Psalm 51 is a model of genuine, Biblical, hopeful yet humble repentance.

Politics is a mess right now. It’s what happens when sinful human beings ignore their consciences. Alongside any righteous anger we may feel, or jaded cynicism, let’s guard our own hearts and consciences before God.

Spare a thought too for God’s own people now trying to decide what to do in Parliament. May God sustain their faith and keep their consciences tender before Him.