SEARED CONSCIENCE

When we watch exposés of millions in stolen funds, irregularities in flood projects, and shameless displays of wealth by heartless DPWH contractors and officials greedy for public funds, we, filipinos had these desperate cries in one accord:

“Mahiya naman kayo!”

“Nakakatulog pa ba kayo?!”

“Makonsensya naman kayo!”

Here’s the painful truth though: 

Yes! They sleep soundly, without guilt, shame, or fear while the nation’s outrage grows louder. Even if they are subjected to exhaustive and intimidating interrogations by the Senate, the Blue Ribbon Committee, or any other government agency in pursuit of sentencing; or if we banged on the gates of Discaya or vandalized their house walls outside and we stage unending rallies for our sighs and sentiments to their deep-rooted corruptions, our actions will only be futile. The depth of their evil ways, the extent of their deception reveals their deadened conscience.

Question: How could they do something so vile to their own country and people?

Answer: a SEARED conscience.

As described in 1 Timothy 4:2, it’s like skin burned until it feels nothing. A moral compass that's callous and unable to register guilt, no matter the harm done.

THE CONSCIENCE is our God-given moral compass, the Holy Spirit’s quiet voice within, guiding our soul and guarding our character.

The PRESENCE OF THE CONSCIENCE. When we commit even a small wrong like stealing a peso or telling a lie, our body reacts immediately: a racing heartbeat, nervousness, unease, sleeplessness, even cold sweats. These are the physical signs of guilt, proof that something within us is disturbed.

But what happens when we silence that voice and repeat the same sin? Each repetition dulls conviction until the heart hardens and sin feels normal. You no longer sense the prompting of the Holy Spirit because you’ve grieved Him. Your sense of right and wrong fades, and you make peace with what once made you tremble.

TAMING THE SIN results to a seared conscience, a heart that no longer feels guilt or conviction. People with hardened hearts live in darkness: blind to morality, deaf to correction, numb to truth. All that remains is a craving to satisfy selfish desire.

THE COMPANY OF THE SEARED. Those with a desensitized conscience often seek partners or accomplices who make them still feel okay despite their wrongdoing.They surround themselves with others just as numb, where evil feels ordinary and goodness is mocked. They listen to each one's justifying voices:

“It’s okay, everyone does it.”

“YOLO, you only live once so enjoy your life to the max no matter what.”

APATHETIC. Their conscience, once alive, is now dead, like a fire that once burned with conviction, now reduced to cold ashes: lifeless, numb, unable to discern right from wrong.

FALSE PEACE is, perhaps the most tragic consequence of a seared conscience. the deceptive sense that all is well while one continues to live in sin. Like a man who commits adultery, then comes home, looks his wife in the eye, says “I love you,” and sleeps soundly as if nothing were wrong.

And we see the same today in our leaders: confident on TV, speaking with enticing kind words while looting the nation’s treasury. Calm faces, carefully crafted facades, yet all cloaked in corruption, as if they were doing nothing wrong.. This isn’t peace. It’s delusion, the most dangerous kind of deception.

NUMBED WORLD.  A seared conscience is becoming increasingly common in these last days, a spiritual disease spreading rapidly all around us. Turn on the TV or radio, and the headlines are dark and heartbreaking: corruption in government, broken families, children rebelling against parents, betrayal among friends, and abuse within homes. Nations rage against nations, morality has fallen and is openly mocked, and people neither fear God nor tremble at the penalty of sin. And these are not random events but symptoms of spiritual decay, hearts hardened by sin. Worse still, many are not only comfortable with evil but proud of it, unashamed, unrepentant, and influential in leading others astray.

A SPARK OF LIGHT. But is there hope for a seared conscience?

Yes...there is!

How? Through divine intervention.

God can bring life to what is dead, awaken what has grown numb, and soften even the hardest heart. And often, this awakening comes in moments of deep crisis, when one hits rock bottom: behind prison bars, in seasons of abandonment, or when all is lost, at the very edge of life, a man comes to his senses and his soul, long wayward, at last turns toward repentance.

THE GOOD GOD calls us to come to Him, to confess our sins, for HE stands ready to forgive, offering not just pardon, but transformation.

If you're asking:

“Is my conscience still alive?” then that’s a good sign. It means there is still hope.

Ask yourself:

- Do I still feel guilty when I sin?

- Do I make excuses for what I know is wrong?

- Have I grown cold to God’s correction?

- Do I no longer fear the consequences of my actions?

These questions aren’t meant to condemn you but to awaken you, perhaps even save your soul. Because the moment you stop feeling is the moment you’re in danger.

So I say these words again NOT in judgment, BUT in urgency and with a heart guided by mercy and love:

Mahiya naman kayo.”

“Nakakatulog pa ba kayo?”

“Makonsensya naman kayo.”

May God awaken your soul and turn your heart toward righteousness.

Now if you hear and understand our desperate cries, those of us who suffered under the weight of your seared consciences, let this be the first step in your return to the God who alone can restore you. Don’t wait until your heart grows cold, now is the time to return to Him. For anyone willing to come back to God, there is forgiveness and mercy.

Just pray:

“God, I admit my sins. I need You. Please forgive me. Cleanse me. Change me.”

And for the world growing numb to sin, where evil is celebrated and conscience silenced, God still calls out in compassion. His voice breaks through the noise, pleading with every hardened heart: “Return to Me.”

So you who are reading this blog now, no matter how far you’ve gone or how cold your heart has become, God's grace is greater than your sin. Let His Spirit breathe life into what has died within you. Let conviction stir again.

For the same God who exposes our guilt also offers forgiveness, and the same light that reveals our darkness can heal it. So before it’s too late, listen. While your conscience still whispers, respond. Come back to the One who alone can make your heart feel again.

Jesus is waiting for you.