Conscience is God-given and functions as an internal witness which ratifies the biblical message that we are sinners in need of salvation. Conscience contributes to repentance and faith, and plays a pivotal role in the sanctification of the believer. But conscience is also culturally variable. As a result cross-cultural missionaries seldom understand native conscience and frequently work at cross-purposes to it. This article suggests principles for the missionary who wishes to understand native conscience and contends that missionaries who follow these principles will find conscience to be a God-given ally in the tasks of evangelism and discipleship.
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