The still, small voice
Teachers
Lesson Summary
During the August 11, 2024 class, Richard Sutton continued his series on the "still small voice," defining the still small voice as the believer’s conscience. He described the conscience as an internal judge that prompts, condemns, or approves thoughts and actions, and explained that its health depends on the moral standards taught by God’s Word. He contrasted a good conscience—one aligned with Scripture—with a weak or defiled conscience, which results from misinformation, false teaching, or personal desire overriding biblical truth. Sutton used 1 Corinthians 8 to illustrate how a weak conscience can become defiled, especially when believers ignore the unity of God’s truth about idols and food. He applied this principle to contemporary moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and LGBTQ+ debates, arguing that without a God‑centered moral compass, society drifts toward relativism. He concluded that a good conscience responds positively to God's revealed standard, while a bad conscience rejects or suppresses that divine guidance, leading to spiritual compromise.