Conviction

Have you ever done something and at the time you really didn’t think anything about it as being wrong? You were in the middle of your actions when a feeling of remorse, guilt and/or shame started to tingle in your spirit. Well, what about when you go and lie down and as you try to sleep you find yourself tossing and turning, thinking about what you have done. Then just when you have realized how wrong you were, at 2:00 am God wakes you up to chasten you over your actions?

The word convict is translated from the Greek word elencho, which means “to reprove; to accuse, or to refute. Conviction means, the state of being convinced of error or compelled to admit the truth. The Holy Spirit has a very important job that it does in every believer’s life, and that is, he guides us into all truth. One means that he uses is convictions. There are very few people who like to be accused or told that they were wrong, but Hebrews 12:6 says, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It’s because the Lord loves us that we are convicted and disciplined of our wrongs and brought to repentance. Some people will look at this and say, God does no such a thing, but indeed there are several scriptures in the Bible that talks about the discipline of the Lord. That doesn’t mean that God is taking things, or changing his mind on his promises but it does mean that he simply corrects us. Who likes to disappoint a good parent, a parent who loves you beyond measure? When that parent has to get on to you, that doesn’t feel good. In this day and time let’s rejoice that our senses haven’t become dull to the ways of this cruel world and we are still sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s gentle guidance.