Conviction

“Lord, thank you for convicting me.  Thank you for humbling my heart to receive and act on my conviction.  Thank you for forgiving me of my sins.  Thank you for continuing to work in my heart and life to make me more like You.  Please continue to convict me of my sins so that I may know what I need to turn from so that I am not disobedient to you, and so I may bring glory to Your name.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

SIN SEPARATES US FROM GOD

Sin separates us from God.  “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.” (Isaiah 59:2 NLT)  So what do we do?  The answer is to repent of your sins.  The problem is that in order for a person to repent, they must be convicted in their hearts that they need to repent.

Person A learns that they are lost and are a sinner but does nothing about it.  Person B learns the exact same thing and is moved to do something about it.  What is the difference between person A and person B?  CONVICTION!

A person may have knowledge in their head that they are a sinner.  They may sit on that knowledge for days, weeks, months or years without moving to do anything about it.  They conceal the sin - hide it, bury it, ignore it.  However, when the knowledge in their head also becomes knowledge within their hearts (conviction), they will be inclined to do something about it.  They will be inclined to take action.

WHAT IS CONVICTION?

Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit where a person is able to see himself as God sees him: defiled and totally unable to save himself. 

Conviction of sin says deep within us, “I am guilty of that sin!”  It is personal and completely inescapable.  It is usually all encompassing as well, involving the whole state of the heart and why those sins were allowed. 

We are convicted when we become mindful of just how much our sin dishonors God.  We are convicted when we become completely aware of the wrath it exposes to our souls.  The Holy Spirit not only convicts us of sin, but also brings us to repentance.  The Holy Spirit brings to light our relationship with God, opens our eyes to our sin, and opens our hearts to receive His grace.

SOLVE THE SYMPTOM OR THE PROBLEM?

Condemnation comes from Satan and is meant to tear you down - persistently pointing out your failures, your weaknesses and how badly you’ve messed up.  Condemnation shows you the problem, but avoids the situation.  There is no condemnation in Jesus Christ.  Satan, on the other hand, is KNOWN for accusing and condemning.

We often feel guilty for our sin.  Guilt and conviction are results of sin.  Sin is the problem, guilt is the symptom, and conviction shows you the answer.  We must remember that we do not have a guilt problem, we have a sin problem.  We all have a problem with sin.  Conviction shows you the answer - repentance, forgiveness, Jesus washing away your sin.

Attempting to solve the symptoms instead of the problem will make the problem worse.  Person A described previously would try to solve the symptom (guilt) – attempting to feel better without repentance, sweep it under the rug and ignore it.  Person B solves the problem (sin) – recognizes he is a sinner, recognizes his need for God, repents of his sins, receives forgiveness from the Lord, and changes his actions.

AVOIDING CONVICTION?

Conviction is not pleasant.  The wicked heart of man tries to escape conviction.  It is easier to run than to face what we have done.  The only true remedy is repentance and a life of righteous living by faith.  God desires to wash us clean from our sins and pasts. 

Don’t avoid conviction.  Recognize that you are fighting against the Holy Spirit by running from conviction.  You can run, but you cannot hide from the Lord.  “Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?  Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:24 NLT)  Accept your conviction, embrace it, and turn to the Lord with Godly sorrow and repent.  Turn your life over to Him.

GODLY SORROW LEADS TO REPENTANCE

The ultimate outcome of conviction is breaking down of our sins in our hearts.  We must agree with God against ourselves – a deep sense of “godly sorrow.” 

“9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10 NLT)

Godly sorrow says:  I have sinned.  My sinful self is alive in my heart and resists God.  I am more concerned for what I want and feel than what God wants.  I have no excuse and deserve condemnation.

True repentance says:  My heart is completely broken down.  My self is crucified.  I agree with God, against myself.  I now trust in Christ alone for my righteousness.  I now turn and begin a new life of obedience to You.