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The Art of Turning: From sin to Christ for a joyfully clear conscience
The conscience seems somewhat mysterious. We re often not really sure how to listen to it, if we can trust it or what role it should play in our lives. Kevin DeYoung shows us it isn t something to be puzzled over but rather that a conscience is something good, given by God. As you read this book, you'll discover freedom from the low-level guilt and shame we commonly experience. DeYoung explains that when we daily turn to Christ, we experience a clear conscience that comes with knowing that Jesus blood covers all our wrong.
40 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2017
About the author
Kevin DeYoung
85 books1,080 followersKevin DeYoung is the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan, right across the street from Michigan State University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
March 17, 2023
4.5 stars
A great, little book on the conscience ... having a healthy one and finding peace with God! Easy to read, easy to understand. I would definitely recommend The Art of Turning: From Sin to Christ for a Joyfully Clear Conscience by Kevin DeYoung for Christians who struggle with wallowing in how terrible they are, and for Christians who feel indifferent to sin.
A great, little book on the conscience ... having a healthy one and finding peace with God! Easy to read, easy to understand. I would definitely recommend The Art of Turning: From Sin to Christ for a Joyfully Clear Conscience by Kevin DeYoung for Christians who struggle with wallowing in how terrible they are, and for Christians who feel indifferent to sin.
June 28, 2019
Short but certainly not lacking in thoughtful and challenging content. This book left me wanting more, which may count against it, though one could argue that DeYoung encourages further reflection from his readers without doing all the work for them.
January 11, 2020
Short, but blessedly clear: the conscience is the Christian's friend and ally in the fight against sin and for holiness.
February 28, 2019
This book is about 40 pages, it’s pretty much a booklet, but DeYoung wastes no words or time. He gets to the point, makes great illustrations and exegetes scripture to help you understand the points he’s making. It’s very pastoral in its approach to this difficult topic of conscience. I’m very thankful for DeYoung writing this book and I’m gonna have to get a couple of copies for friends of mine. I highly recommend everyone reading this. You could read it in one sitting or you could read a chapter or two at a time and chew on it for a couple of days. Very, very helpful book.
January 15, 2019
Nothing groundbreaking in this one. Can be read in an hour or less straight through.
Much of what is learned from this book can be found in Tim Keller's Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, which I highly recommend, has totally changed my perception on humility, and could also be read in about an hour or 2.
To summarize the book: if Kevin DeYoung were Jiminy Cricket his song would be:
"And always let your conscience be your guide... if that conscience is being informed by the Holy Spirit"..... hence why DeYoung writes the books and Jiminy Cricket sings the songs.
Much of what is learned from this book can be found in Tim Keller's Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, which I highly recommend, has totally changed my perception on humility, and could also be read in about an hour or 2.
To summarize the book: if Kevin DeYoung were Jiminy Cricket his song would be:
"And always let your conscience be your guide... if that conscience is being informed by the Holy Spirit"..... hence why DeYoung writes the books and Jiminy Cricket sings the songs.
June 19, 2019
One of the best books I’ve read and not just because it is only 40 pages long. DeYoung brings up a topic that I had never thought seriously about, the benefit of the conscience to the Christian. The Puritans talked a lot about the conscience and DeYoung convinced me to go read all about it.
August 25, 2017
Man, these short books always leave me wanting more
January 7, 2019
Something that I haven’t really read any book on and was highly necessary to read for my life
January 18, 2022
L'auteur a su écrire de manière concise et pertinente sur la conscience, son utilité et les différents états dans lesquelles elle peut se retrouver, en plus de nous rappeler de la nécessité de se tourner vers Christ et la Parole de Dieu pour secdetourner du péché et avoir une conscience pure.
October 8, 2022
Short book with a punch. Took me maybe fifteen mins to read but seriously nailed it. Recommended
June 23, 2019
A great and concise reminder of the conscience and the dangers of having too soft or hard a conscience.
March 10, 2024
Just a booklet, read in one sitting. Nancy Guthrie says of this booklet 'short enough to read in one sitting, significant enough to change your whole life'.
April 18, 2019
A Christian's conscience is a topic that, after reading this book, I am surprised is not more common. Thankfully, Kevin has written this one. It is both challenging and refreshing. Kevin's reliance on scripture and gracious tact serve him well.
July 25, 2017
This is a great little book (more of a booklet really) on the conscience. It probably started life as a sermon or conference talk, and can easily be read in a single sitting. I always enjoy Kevin DeYoung's writing, which is engaging and accessible without sacrificing depth and nuance.
He begins by highlighting that both Martin Luther and the Apostle Paul appealed to the testimony of their consciences in their writing, highlighting that a clean conscience is a precious thing.
He then defines the conscience as the moral faculty within human beings that assesses what is good and what is bad. The conscience is what aids us in acquiring knowledge and understanding in ethical and moral matters. There is also a close connection between the Holy Spirit and the conscience, as they work in tandem to produce in us a life of godliness and peace. The conscience is both a prosecuting attorney to convict us of sin when we violate God's law, and a defence attorney to defend us from false allegations. Pointedly, he remarks that to have a malfunctioning conscience is to be less than human.
Next, DeYoung outlines from scripture the ways in which our conscience can misfire. These are:
- An evil conscience (Heb 10:22), where we ignore what our conscience tells us.
- A seared conscience (1 Tim 4:2), where we have ignored our conscience for so long that it no longer works properly. DeYoung memorably describes it as spiritual frostbite, where we start to lose the pain of doing wrong, at which point we are in real danger.
- A defiled conscience (Tit 1:15), where our conscience is so out of whack that we call good evil and evil good.
- A weak conscience (1 Cor 8:7), where our conscience accuses of things that aren't really wrong. The classic example from scripture is eating food sacrificed to idols in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10, and modern examples could be engaging with entertainment, drinking alcohol, or anything else that isn't explicitly in violation of Gods law but where we nevertheless feel guilty. In these cases, we should not violate our conscience although we can seek to educate it in the light of scripture and our freedom in Christ.
Last, DeYoung points the way to a clear conscience. There are only two steps to take, and these are to turn from sin and to turn to Christ. If we live this way, the way we are made to live, then we will avoid being either too hard on ourselves (succumbing to gloomy introspection) or being too easy on ourselves (ignoring and suppressing our conscience as we indulge in what God has forbidden). Rather than swinging from morbidity, to introspection, to moments of victory, to feelings of failure again, we can rest in our forgiveness in Jesus. The key to this is in turning from self and sin to Christ and Christlikeness so that we can be clean, forgiven and free.
The Puritan's used to say that conscience is either the greatest enemy in the world, and this little book represents a very good use of a spare half hour so that our conscience can be our friend and ally in the fight of faith.
He begins by highlighting that both Martin Luther and the Apostle Paul appealed to the testimony of their consciences in their writing, highlighting that a clean conscience is a precious thing.
He then defines the conscience as the moral faculty within human beings that assesses what is good and what is bad. The conscience is what aids us in acquiring knowledge and understanding in ethical and moral matters. There is also a close connection between the Holy Spirit and the conscience, as they work in tandem to produce in us a life of godliness and peace. The conscience is both a prosecuting attorney to convict us of sin when we violate God's law, and a defence attorney to defend us from false allegations. Pointedly, he remarks that to have a malfunctioning conscience is to be less than human.
Next, DeYoung outlines from scripture the ways in which our conscience can misfire. These are:
- An evil conscience (Heb 10:22), where we ignore what our conscience tells us.
- A seared conscience (1 Tim 4:2), where we have ignored our conscience for so long that it no longer works properly. DeYoung memorably describes it as spiritual frostbite, where we start to lose the pain of doing wrong, at which point we are in real danger.
- A defiled conscience (Tit 1:15), where our conscience is so out of whack that we call good evil and evil good.
- A weak conscience (1 Cor 8:7), where our conscience accuses of things that aren't really wrong. The classic example from scripture is eating food sacrificed to idols in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10, and modern examples could be engaging with entertainment, drinking alcohol, or anything else that isn't explicitly in violation of Gods law but where we nevertheless feel guilty. In these cases, we should not violate our conscience although we can seek to educate it in the light of scripture and our freedom in Christ.
Last, DeYoung points the way to a clear conscience. There are only two steps to take, and these are to turn from sin and to turn to Christ. If we live this way, the way we are made to live, then we will avoid being either too hard on ourselves (succumbing to gloomy introspection) or being too easy on ourselves (ignoring and suppressing our conscience as we indulge in what God has forbidden). Rather than swinging from morbidity, to introspection, to moments of victory, to feelings of failure again, we can rest in our forgiveness in Jesus. The key to this is in turning from self and sin to Christ and Christlikeness so that we can be clean, forgiven and free.
The Puritan's used to say that conscience is either the greatest enemy in the world, and this little book represents a very good use of a spare half hour so that our conscience can be our friend and ally in the fight of faith.
April 8, 2020
"As much as the Bible talks about the conscience, it's remarkable how little we hear of it today."
That statement in this short little read really grabbed my attention. As a student of God's Word and a preacher for many years, I thought back to how little I have read or studied regarding the conscience in the Bible. And DeYoung is right. God speaks about the conscience a fair amount and it is talked about so little.
Although a scant forty pages long, the author packs an awful lot of food for thought in this mini-book. In the book, he clearly defines what the conscience is, consciences that "misfire" (levels of bad consciences), and then ends with a chapter on how to obtain a clear conscience.
I love that the author beckons to Scripture throughout the book and yet also uses some powerful illustrating truths to shed light on the subject matter. This book would be helpful to any person wanting to learn what God says about the conscience and how to live with a clear conscience.
Here are some quotes that jumped out to me:
"There is a close connection between the work of the Holy Spirit and the operation of the conscience."
"The Holy Spirit works in tandem with the conscience to produce in us a life of godliness and peace."
"Our sense of right and wrong must be informed by the Bible, not by cultural taboos or peer pressure."
"Our consciences must constantly be probed and changed by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God."
"How wonderful it is when we turn from self and sin, and turn to Christ and Christlikeness, when we can be clean, forgiven, and free."
"The Puritans used to say that the conscience is either the greatest friend or the greatest enemy in the world."
That statement in this short little read really grabbed my attention. As a student of God's Word and a preacher for many years, I thought back to how little I have read or studied regarding the conscience in the Bible. And DeYoung is right. God speaks about the conscience a fair amount and it is talked about so little.
Although a scant forty pages long, the author packs an awful lot of food for thought in this mini-book. In the book, he clearly defines what the conscience is, consciences that "misfire" (levels of bad consciences), and then ends with a chapter on how to obtain a clear conscience.
I love that the author beckons to Scripture throughout the book and yet also uses some powerful illustrating truths to shed light on the subject matter. This book would be helpful to any person wanting to learn what God says about the conscience and how to live with a clear conscience.
Here are some quotes that jumped out to me:
"There is a close connection between the work of the Holy Spirit and the operation of the conscience."
"The Holy Spirit works in tandem with the conscience to produce in us a life of godliness and peace."
"Our sense of right and wrong must be informed by the Bible, not by cultural taboos or peer pressure."
"Our consciences must constantly be probed and changed by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God."
"How wonderful it is when we turn from self and sin, and turn to Christ and Christlikeness, when we can be clean, forgiven, and free."
"The Puritans used to say that the conscience is either the greatest friend or the greatest enemy in the world."
July 5, 2017
This new, shorter book/booklet was not really attention grabber for me. I have a deep appreciation for DeYoung and his writings and, with The Art of Turning, I didn't find it the norm for what I usually find in DeYoung's wrings. It wasn't that the content was bad. It just seemed to fall flat. Having said this, it is critical to realize that DeYoung is addressing an absolutely critical topic for the Christian and it is highly probable that this short book will be used to truly help people understand the conscience and the beauty of a clear conscience. I believe that John MacArthur's book,"The Vanishing Conscience" is a better, much more in-depth treatment of the gift of the conscience and MacArthur does what he does best in exposing the methods our culture goes to, to silence the conscience. As I read DeYoung, I thought, "Perhaps this book would be useful in two ways: 1) For an introduction to the concept of the conscience; and 2) For the person who is too busy to read through the much-longer "The Vanishing Conscience' book." I would suppose that this book by DeYoung could also serve to help challenge and encourage the person who doesn't personally care for MacArthur's writings. This was not DeYoung's best book by any means but I'm guessing some will find it helpful as they turn from sin to Christ.
October 1, 2019
Kevin DeYoung’s little book, The Art of Turning: From Sin to Christ for a Joyfully Clear Conscience, is not little in content.
DeYoung begins with the history of Luther not being willing to violate his conscience to Paul defense – and boast – of his clear conscience in II Corinthians.
At this point, DeYoung defines the conscience: “the conscience is the moral faculty within human beings that assesses what is good and what is bad” (16-17).
Unfortunately, the conscience can “misfire” (19). This happens when it has been corrupted in a one or more of several ways. It can be evil – unregenerate (19). It can be “seared” by our ignoring it (21). It can be “defiled” – such that we rejoice in evil (23). And we can have a “weak” conscience – one that accuses us when we have not done something wrong (24).
Finally, a conscience can be made clean if we “turn from sin” (32) and “turn to Christ” (34).
This is a great primer for those struggling with their conscience and those who ought to be struggling with their science.
[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]
DeYoung begins with the history of Luther not being willing to violate his conscience to Paul defense – and boast – of his clear conscience in II Corinthians.
At this point, DeYoung defines the conscience: “the conscience is the moral faculty within human beings that assesses what is good and what is bad” (16-17).
Unfortunately, the conscience can “misfire” (19). This happens when it has been corrupted in a one or more of several ways. It can be evil – unregenerate (19). It can be “seared” by our ignoring it (21). It can be “defiled” – such that we rejoice in evil (23). And we can have a “weak” conscience – one that accuses us when we have not done something wrong (24).
Finally, a conscience can be made clean if we “turn from sin” (32) and “turn to Christ” (34).
This is a great primer for those struggling with their conscience and those who ought to be struggling with their science.
[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]
November 4, 2017
It isn't a slight to say that one of the best features of The Art of Turning is its brevity. To gain access and insight into a crucial subject so quickly commends this book above a longer treatment.
My wife and I read a chapter a night for 5 days. I dropped 1 star because the title gives the impression that the entire book is about a clear conscience before God in repentance. In reality, this is only the content of the final chapter. I read this book anticipating more help in this area than we received.
Even still, this will be one of the most helpful books we've read this year. Not bad for >50 pages.
My wife and I read a chapter a night for 5 days. I dropped 1 star because the title gives the impression that the entire book is about a clear conscience before God in repentance. In reality, this is only the content of the final chapter. I read this book anticipating more help in this area than we received.
Even still, this will be one of the most helpful books we've read this year. Not bad for >50 pages.
August 15, 2023
This wee, tiny booklet shouldn’t count as a book— but I don’t care. I’m glad I took the time to read it!
Kevin DeYoung is highly practical and grasps the ability to be affectively brief. I was slightly disappointed because I thought this would have more to say about cleansing one’s conscience, but it was rather an introduction to the conscience. He quickly covers the four types of consciences you DON’T want (evil, seared, defiled, or weak) and the final chapter focuses on how a person walks with the Holy Spirit.
Very small, simple, and affective! Maybe a good instructional pamphlet for your teen that wants to learn about a spiritual topic.
Kevin DeYoung is highly practical and grasps the ability to be affectively brief. I was slightly disappointed because I thought this would have more to say about cleansing one’s conscience, but it was rather an introduction to the conscience. He quickly covers the four types of consciences you DON’T want (evil, seared, defiled, or weak) and the final chapter focuses on how a person walks with the Holy Spirit.
Very small, simple, and affective! Maybe a good instructional pamphlet for your teen that wants to learn about a spiritual topic.
April 14, 2018
DeYoung is an exceptionally clear and consistently helpful author. This book is very short (40 pages) and yet it concisely articulates the main points of NT teaching on the conscience.
After considering the well known reference of Luther to his conscience "My conscience is captive to the word of God", DeYoung looks at the apostle Paul's statement concerning his own conscience in 2 Cor. 1:12 and draws helpful lessons. Then he examines what the conscience is supposed to do and in what ways it can misfire. Finally he gives succinct advice for maintaining a clear conscience.
Recommended
After considering the well known reference of Luther to his conscience "My conscience is captive to the word of God", DeYoung looks at the apostle Paul's statement concerning his own conscience in 2 Cor. 1:12 and draws helpful lessons. Then he examines what the conscience is supposed to do and in what ways it can misfire. Finally he gives succinct advice for maintaining a clear conscience.
Recommended
April 9, 2019
Helpful and short, and especially useful for its intended audience, which I would assume is the college-aged student. What a great topic, too! We need much more on the theological significance of the conscience. DeYoung is especially helpful in thinking through how to love those with a weak conscience, while also aiming to help them grow.
Most sobering are his words on the defiled conscience, which I think is more prevalent in Christian circles than we care to admit. Desensitization is a growing problem that must be addressed.
Most sobering are his words on the defiled conscience, which I think is more prevalent in Christian circles than we care to admit. Desensitization is a growing problem that must be addressed.
October 5, 2020
This was short and very sweet! I had lots of people tell me about this small work on conscience and turning from sin. So much to like in a 4o page book. He covers Martin Luther's and the Apostle Paul's stories of conscience in helping to define what the word means. DeYoung spends the last 15-20 pages challenging believers in how we have left our consciences behind and are living lives of sin that Romans 6 calls away from. I would highly encourage all believers to own and read a copy of this work. Very strong from start to finish!
May 23, 2022
Not a bad book, but nothing particularly exceptional either. It's a decent primer on what the conscience is from a biblical perspective. DeYoung is adept at his understanding and usage of the Bible as he should be. However, the size makes it leave the reader wanting more. It's also not near as thoroughly presented as other works. Granted, it's a popular level book that is designed to push the reader to more works. I'd recommend it for younger folks or those who want to get a quick biblical overview of what the conscience is.
January 27, 2018
This was a pretty thorough discussion of conscience in the Bible, even though it only took about an hour to read. I was surprised at how much the conscience is mentioned in the New Testament, but I don't recall it being mentioned much in any sermons or other books. One favorite quote: "the fact that you are offended does not mean that I am automatically guilty." I also really liked his treatment of Pinocchio as it relates to conscience and humanity.
March 11, 2019
This would be a great outline for a teaching series with youth groups.
I liked his short exposition in chapter 4 of misfiring consciences. It was a good insight into the various NT passages that deal with consciences that have become evil, seared, defiled, and weak. Throughout the short 40 pages, DeYoung brings home a balanced position with a reminder of Christ at the center of our conscience.
I liked his short exposition in chapter 4 of misfiring consciences. It was a good insight into the various NT passages that deal with consciences that have become evil, seared, defiled, and weak. Throughout the short 40 pages, DeYoung brings home a balanced position with a reminder of Christ at the center of our conscience.
March 20, 2019
Quality > Quantity is what this book represents. In just 40 pages Dr. deYoung successfully explains how central a clear conscience is for the Christian Life and why we working towards a clear conscience is important. This a very practical book and an easy read. This book is not exhaustive by any means on the issue of conscience (nor it was designed to be) but it has enough content for anyone to find it helpful.
June 30, 2017
Kevin DeYoung gives Christians some great food for thought regarding what it really means to have a clear conscience and what it really means to be forgiven. I like the fact that this book is short and written in language accessible to everyone as well.
I received this book as a free PDF from the Westminster Bookstore.
I received this book as a free PDF from the Westminster Bookstore.
July 31, 2017
I love everything Kevin DeYoung writes. He has a way to making difficult and confusing ideas clear and practical. This is a VERY short book, only 42 pages and I read it in just under an hour. Kevin tackles the idea of your conscience and how to properly understand it and guard against having a not clear one. A must read.
October 30, 2020
This is a very short book that can be read in 15-30 minutes or so.
It reminds Christians of the now neglected topic of the conscience.
I felt like it was a little bit too short, and was left wanting more especially at the end.
(It would have been good to include further resources about the conscience for further reading.)
It reminds Christians of the now neglected topic of the conscience.
I felt like it was a little bit too short, and was left wanting more especially at the end.
(It would have been good to include further resources about the conscience for further reading.)
March 8, 2021
Simple and helpful reflection on how to walk with a clean conscience. Kevin DeYoung explains why the conscience is the Christian's ally in growing in holiness and how to heed the tug of our conscience. He considers the role of the conscience in the ministry of Martin Luther and Paul.
Most helpful to me was DeYoung's chapter on consciences that misfire where he considers an evil conscience, a seared conscience, a defiled conscience, and a weak conscience.
If you like this book, make sure you read Tim Keller's "The Art of Self-Forgetfulness"-another short book(let) on a similar subject.
Most helpful to me was DeYoung's chapter on consciences that misfire where he considers an evil conscience, a seared conscience, a defiled conscience, and a weak conscience.
If you like this book, make sure you read Tim Keller's "The Art of Self-Forgetfulness"-another short book(let) on a similar subject.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews