Charles Spurgeon wrote that at the age of 15, "... that trumpet of conviction, which aroused my soul to think of eternal things, sounded a resurrection note to all my sins; and, oh, how they rose up in multitudes more countless than the sands of the sea!" (C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography:1 The Early Years [Banner of Truth]). This great conviction that Spurgeon felt at such a young age led to his conversion and eventually to his becoming one of the greatest evangelists of his time.
Convicted By The Holy Spirit
John 16:8 says that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world of sin. Conviction here does not mean just knowing what is right or wrong. Conviction doesn't mean feeling bad about what you have done. The Greek word for convict is 'elencho,' which means "to convince someone of the truth; to reprove; to accuse, refute, or cross-examine a witness." The Holy Spirit is like a lawyer who convinces a jury what is true. He quite literally accuses us, refutes our excuses, and reproves us, meaning He reprimands us and makes us question our actions by showing the truth to us.
Absolute Truth
What is the truth? Today, many say there are no absolute truths. They claim that tolerance replaces truth. Oddly, the only absolute truth they believe in is that we must all be tolerant of everything a person decides to do. They believe that no one's truth is more valid than someone else's. Supposedly, they believe that if I think rape or incest is okay, then it is truly okay for me. How absurd! Our very nature, inside our souls, lets us know when things are not right. Universally, people believe that starvation, pain, and evil are not good. We don't each have individual truths. We recognize real truth even if we don't admit it.
Jesus Is The Truth
In John 14:6, Jesus says quite plainly that He IS the truth, He IS the life, and He IS the way to the Father. He says that the path ONLY goes through Him. There is no other way, no other life, no other truth that leads to God but Him.
We Need A Savior
The truth is that we need Jesus. We need a Savior. When we see and recognize our need for Him, we can be open to receive our Lord's grace. His unmerited forgiveness can become ours. Knowledge of sin is not the same as conviction of sin. Knowledge of sin doesn't change us; conviction does.
Are We Selling Jesus?
Too often in our modern churches, we are 'sold' Jesus—the gentle, loving Jesus who never talks about hell, who forgives without repentance and supposedly promises us a wealthier life in this world. When I asked Google to tell me the best way to sell a product, it was a little unsettling. Doesn't the following sound like many of our modern churches' 'pitch,' so to speak?
Highlight the product's benefits
Create a sense of urgency
Use emotional appeals
Coming To Christ
We don't, or shouldn't, come to Christ because we want an emotional crutch. We shouldn't come to Jesus because we want a better, easier life. We don't come to Him because those around us are coming to Him. We come to Him because the Holy Spirit stirs us and convicts us of our great need for a Savior. We sorrow for the sin that separates us from God.
The Life We Should Be Living
We need to be saved because we are slaves to sin. We are condemned except for God's love and mercy. As Paul tells us in Ephesians 2: 4-5,
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)," Ephesians 2:5
I give thanks that God's mercy and love has made me alive with Christ. To live with Christ means to have eternal life with Him forever. We need to be saved to live the life we were always supposed to live—a life of love and service to others.
Live Righteously
Paul continues in verse 21 and says,
"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
God wants us to live a righteous life, one that is pleasing to Him. The only way we can do this is through Christ. We have no righteousness. John 17:19 says we are justified by imputed righteousness. Imputed righteousness means we have been justified by the obedience and righteousness of Christ, who was put to death on a cross for us. We can't minimize our sin. We can't think of it as just some troubling misbehavior. Our sin is the cause of the death of the Son of God on the cross. With Jesus we can live a purposeful life.
Live Abundantly
Jesus says that He came so we could have an abundant life. Too often, you and I think abundant refers to money or things, but that is not what Jesus means. The word abundant in Greek is 'perisson,' which means more than you expect, beyond measure. A life lived for Christ is one that has meaning, purpose, joy, and is eternal. The abundance that we experience is a spiritual abundance, not an abundance of things.
Sharing Jesus
According to 2 Corinthians 5:18, "He has committed to us the message of reconciliation." Our task on earth is to share the good news that has been given to us with others. We are to be a light to the nations. When we share this news, the Holy Spirit will convict those who hear of the truth of Christ. We don't just bring a message to them of a way to a happier life; no, we bring a message that Christ's grace freely pardons those who believe in Him from the eternal punishment for their sins.
Responding To The Holy Spirit
The response to the conviction of the Holy Spirit should be to see our need for a Savior and turn to Him. We come to Christ freely, of our own accord, sensing our unworthiness for such a great love that would send God's only Son to die for us. Thank you, God, for such a priceless gift.
Comments