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, no shame, or fear while the nation’s outrage grows louder. Even if they will be 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 hold endless rallies in Edsa or Luneta or elsewhere, expressing our frustrations over their deep-rooted corruption, 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 such a thing 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; once alive and sensitive, it is now dead — like a fire that once burned with conviction, now reduced to cold ashes: lifeless and numb.

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

The PRESENCE. 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. You are now unable to discern right from wrong 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 regardless of the harm done. People with hardened hearts are in the darkness, blind to morality, deaf to correction, indifference to truth. All that remains in them is a craving to satisfy the lust of the flesh. 

THE ALLIES. Those with a seared conscience often seek partners, accomplices to make them feel okay despite their wrongdoings. They surround themselves with others just as apathetic, where evil feels ordinary and goodness is set aside. They reassure one another with self-made excuses that validate sin:

“It's okay, everyone does it.”

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

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 is wrong. And we see the same today in our leaders: confident on TV, speaking with enticing gentle words while looting the nation’s treasury. Calm faces, carefully crafted facades, yet all cloaked in corruption. 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 terrified at the penalty of sin. And these are not random events but symptoms of spiritual decay. Worse still, many are not only comfortable with evil but proud of it, bold and unrepentant, and influential in leading others astray.

A SPECK 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 been paralyzed, 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 where, his soul, long wayward, at last turns toward God who stands ready to forgive, offering not just pardon, but transformation.

So, I say these words, not in judgment, but in urgency; not out of anger, but out of love. Again, I cry out:

“Mahiya naman kayo.”

“Nakakatulog pa ba kayo?”

“Makonsensya naman kayo.”

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

If these desperate cries reach you and you feel the weight of these words, if something stirs within you, take heart, that is the nudging of the Holy Spirit. It means your conscience is not completely silent, so let this be your first step back to the One who alone can restore what sin has hardened. Don’t wait until your heart grows cold; now is the time to return to Him. For anyone willing to come back, there is still forgiveness, still mercy, still hope.

And to a world that normalizes sin where evil is celebrated and conscience is suppressed, God still speaks. His voice cuts through the noise, steady and full of grace, calling out to every hardened heart: “Return to Me.”

Now, if you’re wondering, “Is my conscience still alive?” that’s a good sign. The very fact that you care about the condition of your heart shows that God is moving within you.

But don’t stop at the question. Allow the Holy Spirit to gently search your heart and bring to light what needs to change. Ask yourself: 

-- Do I still feel guilty when I sin?

-- Do I find myself making excuses for what I know is wrong?

-- Have I grown cold or resistant to God’s correction?

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

These reflections aren’t meant to bring shame, but to awaken your spirit. If you feel even the faintest tug of conviction, don’t ignore it, that is God’s mercy still reaching for you, inviting you back into His grace.

So dear reader, no matter how far you’ve wandered or how unresponsive your heart has grown, remember this truth: God’s grace is greater than your sin. Let His Spirit breathe life into what has ceased within you. Let conviction rise again, not to criticize you but to lead you home. For the same God who reveals our sins also removes it. The same light that exposes our darkness also heals it.

Thus, 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.

PRAYER🙏

Lord, I admit my sins. My heart has grown cold. I need You. Forgive me.  Awaken my conscience. Cleanse me. Draw me back to You. Restore my soul, Jesus, in Your name. Amen.

©@mangliasal