“My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.” (Psalm 7:10)
A good conscience before God is not afraid of the tribunals of men. It wants all the facts to come out. Paul declared that he exercised himself day and night to have a conscience void of offense before God and man. (Acts 24:16) When he was accused of wrongdoing by the Jews he said: “For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die …” (Acts 25:11) When David was charged with wrong by Cush the Benjamite and was being hounded by him, he said:
“O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:) Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.” (Psalm 7:3-5)
The righteous are as bold as a lion. Having a good conscience is a wonderful weapon against the false charges of devils and men. Those who have it look forward to their day in court. They want every detail of a matter to come out. They know that the Lord will defend them.
But those who have done wrong operate in an opposite manner. They may try and justify what they have done, but deep down a nagging conscience will not give them the peace they crave. They must be in charge of the information flow; telling their story to the simple who believe every word, from an angle which of course makes them look good. They don’t tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They withhold crucial evidence that might give others a different opinion of them. They don’t want the other side of the story to be told because it might make them look bad.
One day the truth concerning all things is going to come out. Every idle word we have spoken will be judged. “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Eccl. 12:14) Do not seek vindication from men. Corrupt human judges can condemn the just and justify the wicked. But if you have done no wrong, you have nothing to hide or be ashamed of before men. Don’t be afraid for every fact of a matter to come out. Only the wicked fear the clear judgment of impartial men now. Only the wicked should fear the searching judgment of the Just Judge later.