I was sitting here thinking of what a privilege it is to be able to be
a part of a Bible preaching, teaching church; not just because my husband
is the pastor, but because I need to hear the truth of God's Word given
to me in a way that I can be convicted to grow more every day in my walk
with the Lord. Sad to say, many of God's people are finding it more difficult
to find such a church that will provide this for them. Even sadder, not
many want to be under conviction at all! Yes, there are many "social gospel"
churches dotting the countryside, where fellowship and feelings are the
focus more than the truth. It is fast becoming a popular way to "worship"
the Lord. Our society has placed an inordinate emphasis on feeling good.
Hence, conviction is almost extinct and Christians are floundering as
a result.
When was the last time you felt truly convicted of your sin during the
preaching of God's Word? Do you know what the definition of conviction
really is? There IS a distinct difference between feelings and conviction....
Feelings are defined as, "an awareness of something; a notion or belief
not based on reason; emotions rather than intellect (understanding); sensations."
Conviction is defined as, "to prove or find guilty, either by verdict
of a jury or by the decision of conscience; the act of convincing of error;
the act of compelling one to acknowledge his error, or the truth of what
is alleged; the state of being sensible of guilt."
Psalm 38:4
For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are
too heavy for me.
Ladies, we need to be so careful that we do not wait for feelings to come
before we act upon the leadership of the Lord in our lives when it comes
to motivating us to change. We also need to be careful that feelings are
not all we are governing our lives with! True conviction is heavy, yet
it always contains a clear direction to take and that direction is the
confession of sin through a repentant heart as shown in Psalm 51. Feelings
are lightweight and can easily be forgotten, but conviction haunts you
until you deal with your error before God. Feelings, sensations, emotions
etc. can lead you on a roller coaster ride unless lined up with the Word
of God! Many people today are in hell after living their whole lives "feeling"
like they were saved. Apart from the Word of God, we can't know the difference
between feelings or convictions, nor properly understand the role of each
in our lives.
Jude 1:15
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among
them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and
of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Today a guilty conscience is something we avoid like the plague! We've
been told it is unhealthy to feel guilty. Mankind tries to cover up their
guilty feelings by redefining what we do wrong and assign it another name,
something less harsh, more victim-like in description of our behavior.
We also want to ensure that little Johnny and Suzy don't grow up with
guilty feelings because it isn't good for their self-esteem. I hope you
ladies haven't fallen for that line of psychological bologna! Conviction
is good, and guilt is good - when responded to properly! What is the source
of conviction? What is to be the proper response?
Hebrews 4:12
For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of
the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents
of the heart.
This is precisely why Bible preaching, teaching churches aren't popular!
People feel "pierced" or convicted when sitting under the preaching of
God's Word! Amen for that "piercing" in my life! Amen for the Two-edged
Sword that cut the sin out of my heart and exposed my wrong thinking about
myself! Conviction is meant to cut away the crud in our lives... I don't
know about any of you, but I don't want to leave church simply feeling
good about myself, relying only on shallow "warm and fuzzies". No, I want
to leave church right with God and knowing so in light of His Word! I
don't trust my feelings! They change hourly, sometimes by the minute,
amen ladies? :-) I can "feel" like I am in line with God and be completely
off base, unless His Word is the foundation for those feelings. Otherwise,
they are nothing more than a false gospel that one lives by!
2 Cor. 7:11
For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what
carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea,
what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what
zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to
be clear in this matter.
Rather than running the other way, the proper response to conviction is
always repentance - an acknowledging of your guilt before God. A confession
follows, and then a clearing as God forgives you! (1 Jn. 1:9) Then it
is we go home with accurate feelings because we did right in accordance
with the Word of God! This ladies, is God's self-esteem program, and contrary
to popular belief, it all began with a guilty conscience! Imagine that!
Psychiatrists require many sessions to relieve a patient of guilt feelings
that have made the individual sick in body and mind... Jesus' power of
spiritual and moral persuasion was so overwhelming that He could produce
a better effect just by saying, "Thy sins be forgiven thee." The purpose,
therefore, of being guilty is to bring us to Christ! Once we are led to
His feet, then it's purpose is finished... So you see, the guilt we run
so quickly from coming face to face with is actually healthier than if
we were to avoid it!
Rev. 3:19
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
When the Word of God is left out of our lives, wrong thinking can only
replace our philosophy on life. What is your philosophy concerning a guilty
conscience today? Have you avoided and condemned the church that brings
you face to face with your conscience and chosen the one that makes you
"feel good" instead? Be careful, dear lady, you might just be deceiving
yourself into thinking you are right with God! Keep clear of cover up;
bring your heart out into the open... When there are questions you fear
and eyes you avoid and subjects you won't discuss, then the bloom of spiritual
life within you is gone!
Job 9:20
If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect,
it shall also prove me perverse.
In closing, I want to leave you with this story below in hopes that you
will go back to the day of your salvation and see if you truly understood
the difference between conviction and feelings and the role each played.
I hope and pray that all of you within reach of this devotion are truly
saved. Have you been having any doubts about your salvation? Are those
doubts based on your feelings alone? Or based upon conviction from the
Word of God as it goes out and pierces your soul with it's truth? Please
feel free to write me if you need to talk about it…
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
"No, I won't come tonight," replied the elderly woman in response to my
invitation to come to the altar. "I just don't feel like coming."
"Have you ever felt more like going to the altar than you do tonight?"
I asked.
"Scores of times," she replied, "and when I feel like I used to, I'm going."
"But suppose you never do?" I asked. "Suppose you never have more conviction
than you have tonight?"
"Oh, I'll feel that way again," she replied. "It'll come back again."
In spite of all I could do or say, she refused. My heart was touched as
I left her, as I thought not only of her, but of the thousands like her
who are waiting for more conviction before moving toward God. So stirred
was I that I went back the second time to her. She was now sitting rather
complacently while the evangelist continued the altar call.
"My dear lady," I said, "I'm worried about you. I want to tell you that
the chances are you will never feel more like getting saved than you do
tonight. While it is true that you have had more conviction in the past,
it is also true that you may never have as much again. Continued refusal
has hardened your heart. The gospel that one time softened it does not
do so any more because you have said 'no' so often. If you ever get saved,
you will have to move on the conviction you have."
"But no one can get saved if he is not drawn toward the altar, can he?"
she asked.
"Isn't there a time for everyone to get saved?"
"Yes, there is a time for everyone to be saved," I replied, "and that
time is now. 'Now is the accepted time and today is the day of salvation.'"
"But, I don't feel convicted enough," she replied. "Look at that man over
there. He is shaking under conviction. If I felt like him I would go.
If God wanted me to go He would convict me like He does him. I feel fairly
comfortable."
"You are in far worse condition than he is," I returned. "You were that
way once, but you have rejected so long that it doesn't bother you much
to refuse again."
And then looking her straight in the eye I said, "Unless you move on the
conviction you have, you will never be saved."
Taking her by the arm, I continued, "Conviction for sin is nothing more
or less than being convinced that you are wrong, guilty before a Holy
God, and that you need to get right - get saved. Christ can make you right,
can save you! The degree of conviction has little to do with the result
you will obtain if you seek Him earnestly."
Excitedly she asked, "Do you mean to say that I may never have a greater
desire to be saved than I do now? Is knowing that I'm wrong as God says
I am and desiring to be right enough conviction to be saved on?"
"Exactly," I replied, "and if you will accept a younger person's advice
you will take care of it once and for all."
I felt her yield. In a minute she was on her feet and in another she was
at the altar. It took her a little longer perhaps than if she had gone
under trembling conviction. The Word of God brought her to a state of
repentance as she responded properly to her guilty conscience before God
in that moment.
Hers was a glorious conversion. I give you a word of her testimony, which
is an exhortation to others: "Don't sit around and refuse the appeals
of the Spirit, it is too dangerous. I little realized my true condition.
Satan had me believing that the thing to do was to wait until conviction
seized me as in former days, causing me instead to trust in my feelings.
I can see now that if I had continued to listen to him I never would have
been saved! Move on the conviction you have now."
Yes, conviction is necessary, but there are different degrees of it. A
sad thing to me is to see the hundreds who come to every revival or church
service who are practically unmoved by messages that one time would have
made them tremble. While they congratulate themselves on their present
"feeling" of righteousness, they little realize the danger they are in!
Sinner, do as this elderly woman did. Convicted that she was lost, she
sought to be saved, regardless of her feelings!
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2002
