Spiritual Leprosy: The Dangers of a Seared Conscience
In ancient times, lepers were seen and treated as the most unwanted and untouchable of outcasts. Not only were they shunned and made to live apart from others, but they were feared because of what they represented: disease, uncleanliness, and death. People did not merely dislike lepers. They were disgusted by them, and the thought of becoming one of them was the stuff of ancient nightmares.
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's Disease, still exists today, mostly in Africa and Asia. Leprosy is an infectious disease that causes damage to the skin, nerves, upper respiratory tract, and eyes. As the nerves become damaged, the ability to feel pain is dampened, which leads to repeated injuries and infections going unnoticed. In time, injured and infected extremities become so damaged that they fall off. If left untreated, leprosy can be deadly and even fatal.
There are about 100 cases of leprosy reported in the US every year, making it one of the rarest diseases in the country. But there is another form of leprosy in the Western world that is far more prevalent, a spiritual form of leprosy called a seared conscience. It works in much the same way as physical leprosy, has many of the same symptoms, and like physical leprosy, if left untreated, can be just as deadly and fatal.
Physical vs. Spiritual Leprosy
Just as physical leprosy dulls the nerves of the body, numbing it to physical sensations and pain, spiritual leprosy in the form of a seared conscience dulls the nerves of the soul, making it numb to spiritual sensations and pain. The word seared means the same in Paul's Greek as it does in English: burned, branded, or cauterized. Burned or cauterized flesh cannot feel anything; the same can be said of a cauterized soul. It feels no pain in response to sin and brokenness.
“Burned or cauterized flesh cannot feel anything; the same can be said of a cauterized soul. It feels no pain in response to sin and brokenness.”
A properly functioning conscience feels pain when it does something wrong. That pain can be described as godly grief or remorse (as opposed to worldly grief, which only leads to death, cf. 2 Cor. 7:10). Godly grief is useful in helping to identify areas of sin that need attention. The absence of such protective pain results in areas of sin going undetected for long periods of time. And that sin, being allowed to continue its toxic effects, causes parts of the soul to rot and become unresponsive. This is the real danger of spiritual leprosy.
Analysis of a Seared Conscience
The Apostle Paul speaks about this malady directly in his first letter to his disciple Timothy. In 1 Tim. 4:1-3, Paul writes that in later times, some will depart from the true faith and devote themselves to the deceitful teachings of demons propagated by liars and false teachers whose consciences are seared.
This description of seared consciences reveals three key elements. First, it shows that those with a seared conscience have some awareness of the truth. The phrase "depart from the faith" demonstrates this point. One cannot depart from a truth without first being acquainted with it. One has to know something before one can reject it.
“The false teaching they spread is the virus, and a seared conscience is the symptom that develops from it.”
Second, suffering from a seared conscience involves some degree of choice. Despite whatever difficult external circumstances that may prompt the change, a person on some level chooses to adopt an idea contrary to the truth and to be devoted to it. This choice can be made consciously or subconsciously, but it is made nonetheless. And if the person does not turn from that path early enough, eventually the damage is done, their conscience is rendered dysfunctional, and the problem goes from bad to worse.
Third, the passage implies that the condition of a seared conscience is contagious. Those who depart from the faith are shown to be influenced by liars and false teachers who already suffer from the problem. The false teaching they spread is the virus, and a seared conscience is the symptom that develops from it. Those who follow the false teachers soon develop the same spiritual illness.
The Cause and Cure for Spiritual Leprosy
Spiritual leprosy is caused by pride and pain and develops through a process of consistently denying one's conscience for an extended time. Painful experiences initiate the process. Pride fuels the process and creates the momentum that propels the process forward. The longer the process continues, the more the spirit is seared and numbed to godly grief.
For example, a young woman is hurt by legalism and graceless fundamentalism in her church. This pain drives her out of the church and toward atheism; after all, how could there be a God when so-called "godly" people are so judgmental? The young woman, out of pride, refuses to self-examine and admit that her conclusion may be faulty. The more she denies the truth she had learned in the church and the voice of the Spirit wooing her back to Christ, the less able she is to respond to them. In time, she is so lost in her devotion to the false teaching of atheism that only the divine intervention of God Himself can save her.
“If there is a cure for spiritual leprosy, it must be something sharp enough to cut through the tough, seared shell of the soul.”
Another common example of spiritual leprosy arises out of sexual brokenness. A boy is rejected and looked down upon by all the male figures in his life, including his father and uncles. He is also molested by an older boy at school. The pain of rejection and molestation leads him to crave the attention and affection of men. In later life, he devotes himself to a sexual ethic contrary to the teachings of Scripture. After years of being active in this lifestyle and system of indoctrination, his conscience is seared and is no longer able to feel godly grief.
If there is a cure for spiritual leprosy, it must be something sharp enough to cut through the tough, seared shell of the soul. Hebrews 4:12 reveals the one thing sharp enough to do so:
For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 [Christian Standard Bible]
The Word can cure spiritual leprosy, just as it can cure any deleterious condition. But it is best administered with love, kindness, gentleness, and patience. Using the Word as a hammer will only cause more damage to an already-damaged soul.
Conclusion
In a sense, those suffering from a seared conscience are no different from anyone else; all people are saved by the supernatural work of God alone. Whenever the Word is spoken, it is God's Spirit that works through it to transform the person from the inside out. But spiritual lepers need extra grace and care because they have lost a vital faculty that most others still possess, that is, a functioning conscience. It's like losing one's sense of sight or smell, a spiritual disability.
Pray for those with a seared conscience. God will soften their heart and give you the opportunity to share His truth with them, and the power of the Spirit will drive the truth in and the Son will set them free. Jesus cured many lepers in His time on earth. He is doing the same work today.