“As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Hebrews 3:15 ESV).
The passage quoted above contains a small word with big implications: “if.” In the original language of this passage, “if” references a future event that may (but is not certain) to occur. (1) One commentator expands on this concept by identifying a tendency that may prevent us from “hearing His voice”…
“Where the right path lies clear before the eyes, a disinclination to follow it can be reinforced in the mind by many beguiling lines of rationalization; but to surrender to them results in a hardening of the heart, a reduced sensitivity of conscience, which makes it more difficult to recognize the right path on a subsequent occasion.” (2)
This brings us to the role of the conscience in our decision-making process. You see, the word “conscience” can be defined as “…that moral inner sense of what is appropriate or inappropriate…” (3) Much like an umpire, judge, or referee, the conscience arbitrates between right and wrong. The real question involves the “rule book” that our consciences use to make decisions.
You see, it is possible for two people to act in good conscience while still pursuing different courses of action. From a Christian perspective, it is important to recognize that Jesus identified the Scriptures as the Word of God (John 10:34-35) and the command of God (Matthew 15:3-4). Jesus also taught that the Bible is truth (John 17:17). Thus, we can say that the Word of God should lead and inform our consciences based upon the authority of Christ.
The problem comes when we violate our consciences by knowingly doing wrong. Much like the calluses that develop on the hands of a hard-working laborer, our consciences may become similarly hardened whenever we repeatedly ignore them. Once our consciences have been disengaged in this fashion, there is little to stop us from hurtling into increasingly unhealthy and/or self-destructive behaviors.
One of the more common methods of bypassing our consciences involves the process of rationalization mentioned earlier. “Rationalization” can be defined as “a way of describing, interpreting, or explaining something (such as bad behavior) that makes it seem proper, more attractive, etc.” (4) This may occur whenever we seek to exempt ourselves from a Biblically inappropriate behavior or claim a personal exception for ourselves.
Despite the relief from a guilty conscience that such rationalizations may seem to offer, Hebrews 3:15 reminds us that the end result remains the same: a hardened mindset that rebels against the voice of God.
(1) Strong’s G1437 ean https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1437/kjv/tr/0-1/
(2) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 67]
(3) Dr. Bob Utley, 2 Corinthians 1 [1:12] http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL06/VOL06B_01.html Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International. All rights reserved.
(4) “Rationalization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rationalization. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.