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What Does The Bible Say About Conviction

The Holy Spirit Never Convicts Christians

Bible Verses about Conviction What Does the Bible Say?

Ive spent three years of my legal career as a criminal prosecutor, a job that usually has one goal when it comes to wrongdoers: conviction. Once the defendant has pleaded guilty or has been found guilty by a jury, its all over. He has been convicted, and the only thing left to do is sentence him.

Early in my legal career, it struck me how often the word conviction gets used in the Christian community. In Christianese, the word is used anytime somebody feels guilty about something and wants to explain that the Holy Spirit was the source of their guilt . But in Scripture, conviction is a legal term not a word used to describe a feeling.

The Bible certainly uses a courtroom analogy when it talks about Christians but for believers, Satan is the prosecutor, God is the judge, Jesus is our defense attorney, and were declared innocent of all charges . However, the word convict or conviction is never once used to describe the day-to-day interactions of the Holy Spirit and believers. Instead, conviction basically describes how the Holy Spirit interacts with people who dont believe in Jesus and what happens to Christians who try to follow rules instead of the Spirit .

Jesus was already convicted for our sins, once and for all, when He became those sins on the cross and endured Gods wrath in our place . Hes the convict who took our shameful death sentence so that we would never have to be convicted of anything .

The Holy Spirit States Facts And Truths About You And God:

Feelings will follow faith in these facts! The Holy Spirit gives you correct doctrine and the whole truth. Learn your theology to avoid being fooled by Satan . The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth to move, influence and inspire you . He will also guide you to set your mind on Gods interest instead of mans interests .

What Does Jesus Say About Faith

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

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A Prayer For Conviction From The Holy Spirit

  • 2019Dec 27

A Prayer for Conviction from the Holy Spirit By Greg Laurie

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

Some people say that guilt is a horrible thing. In reality, guilt is a design God has put in our souls. It is similar to the pain we feel in our bodies when something is wrong. If Im walking down the street barefoot and step on a piece of broken glass, a signal goes through my body, saying, Red alert! Dont step any further! The pain effectively warns me that more pain is coming unless I stop.

In the same way, when we experience guilt, our conscience says, Warning! Dont do that. That is the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

When someone who claims to be a Christian can live in sin without sensing it, then something is seriously wrong. I know we arent perfect. I know we all fall short of the glory of God. But there is a difference between stumbling unintentionally and being sorry for it and living in habitual, continual sin without any pangs of conscience, guilt, or remorse.

If this is happening in your life, then it means your conscience is being seared with a hot iron . As the Bible says in Hebrews 12, If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? . In other words, if you are a child of God, when you begin to cross the line, the Holy Spirit will be there to say, No, dont do that.

Encouragement Is Gods Message:

A Prayer for Conviction from the Holy Spirit

He encourages you to rely on Gods power, not on your own righteousness or strength . The Holy Spirit encourages you to be anxious for nothing and most times doesnt give a deadline. He comforts and encourages the broken hearted and proclaims liberty for the captives . He even makes intercession for you .

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What Does The Bible Say

So now we know what convict means, lets look at the Bible.

I want to use the scripture most commonly cited as the proof that God wants to convict you and me of our sins. In it Jesus is explaining the Holy Spirits role to mankind and says:

And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: John 16:8

This is one of the most abused verses in the Bible, constantly quoted as grounds for God wanting to convict you of your sinful nature and constant screw-ups. The whole New Testament itself testifies contrary to that. However, lets just read the next three verses.

of sin, because they do not believe in Me of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. John 9-11

Thats interesting isnt it? Jesus went on to describe who exactly in the world He was going to convict and what they would find themselves convicted of. He states in verse nine that He would convict those who do not believe in Him of their sin.

How many of you would say you dont believe in Jesus? I thought so, that means Hes not convicting you of your sin.

And it gets better, not only will the Holy Spirit never convict you of your sins, He actually convicts you of your righteousness! Verse ten outlines who will be convicted of their righteousness believers, followers of Jesus.

Bible Verses About Conviction

for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

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What Does The Bible Say About Convictions

Jan 5th, 2014 / Salt and Light

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Conviction comes from the root word convict and it carries with it the colorful imagery of someone who is a convict dressed in striped prison garb. To convict means to convince, as in prove a person guilty, thus leading to declaring a person guilty of an offense. This is what our conscience does when we have violated its strictures by causing a growing awareness of, and a self-convincing of, personal guilt. The proven guilt becomes a strong belief. It is no wonder that convict has a judicial meaning that carries over into a personal meaningpersonal convictions which must not be violated. Spiritual convincing, and therefore conviction of sin, is impressed upon our heart by the Holy Spirits ministry, just as He is active in building up our hearts with spiritual convictions of which He convinces us through the instrumentality of the Word of God.

The Word Of God And The Holy Spirit

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The Word of God is like a hammerit breaks . Here you have set forth the Word of God as the Law that breaks the sinners heart. Then is says again that the Word of God is like as a fire that is, the Word of God set forth as the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ melts the sinners heart as it searches every recess of the human heart, breaking the sinner completely and pointing him to Christ as his only Saviour. The Bible says the Word of God is like a sword it cuts, lays bare, wounds and slays the sinner, until he is brought to the end of all flesh, where he can be raised to new life in Christ. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and reveals sin in that life to show the sinner his transgressions He brings that sinner to weep and mourn over them until he forsakes them. Then the Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and digs deep into the very nature of that sinners being, and lays bare his prejudices, his pride, his rebellion, and his utter emptiness until he sees his guilty distance from a holy God and is made to cry out, Have mercy upon me, O godAgainst thee, thee only, have I sinned.

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Three Different Players Three Different Convictions By The Holy Spirit

Knowing how The Bible addresses separately the Jews, the gentiles, the Church, the believers, the Devil and at times specific individuals is one of the ways of Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth.

It is crucial to rightly divide John 16:8 and not mix them up. Some of the biggest heretical theologies are created when everything written in the Bible is thought to be for the Church or the believer.

  • The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, not sins, but sin. He convicts of only one sin of unbelief in Jesus.
  • He convicts the believer of righteousness. Since we dont see Jesus physically, sometimes its easy to forget that Jesus is on our side. He is our advocate on the fathers right hand.
  • And finally, the Holy Spirit convicts the ruler of the world that is the devil of Judgment.
  • The only sin the Holy Spirit convicts an unbeliever is the sin of not accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Not Homosexuality, not addiction, not prostitution but he convicts of only one sin that is unbelief in Jesus and his finished works on the cross.

    The Holy Spirit points the believer to his/her righteousness found in the perfect works Jesus accomplished on the cross. Even when we sin he reminds us of our righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

    The Holy Spirit convicts the devil of judgment, he cannot do anything to change that. The only thing he can do is accuse the believers.

    What Does The Bible Say About Conversion

    What Does The Bible Say About Conversion? Today, the term conversion is quite common in theological and religious discussions than it was in the past. Unlike today, it was a relatively rare term in the Biblical times. The term conversion in its popular usage refers to someone who has become a Christian or decided to follow Christ. The Biblical roots of these concepts stem from the use of two terms that mean to turn . The New Testament usage of this term is more like the common theological meaning which has been generally accepted. To picture how a convert looks like in Greek terminology, we can point to the example outside the New Testament whereby a person looks at the term proselyte, the convert from a Gentile way of life to Judaism.

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    The Enemy Of Our Faiths Messages Are Vague And General:

    He generates a blanketing, choking sense of general guilt, as though everything is wrong and theres no one action you can really take to overcome. Often a sense of complete hopelessness and weakness prevails. The enemy attacks you in general. You cant see a light at the end of the tunnel. You feel helpless and hopeless focusing on half-truths.

    The Holy Spirit Is Specific:

    6 Biblical Principles for Handling Personal Conviction in ...

    The Spirit says, Fix this one thing and youll be free. He commands you to take one specific action to make a choice of your will. And you must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which cannot profit or deliver because theyre futile. For the Lord will not abandon His people. The conviction of the Spirit is specific to the sin. The Spirit defends you against your over-sensitive conscience. He draws you to God.

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    What Does The Bible Say About Faith King James Version

    Hebrews 11:1 KJV. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

    What is faith according to King James version?

    Hebrews 11:1 KJV. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

    What scripture says about faith? Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! John 8:24 unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.

    What is faith without works KJV?

    Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

    The Enemy Brings Negative Scriptures To Mind:

    As Shakespeare said, The devil knows how to quote scripture to his purpose! Satan threatens judgment and says, Grace is denied because you didnt fulfill the conditions! He uses the Law against you to justify yourself and rely on your own righteousness . He comes and sometimes takes away the word which has been sown .

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    God Will Not Convict Believers Of Sin

    The conviction of sin has, for hundreds of years, been a very important part of the day-to-day life of believers. It might come as a shock to you, therefore, to find out that the Bible has no record of a believer at any point being convicted of sin. There are only two verses that strongly allude to the conviction of sin and two that outright mention it , however all four verses refer to those who do not believe in Jesus.

    Id like to propose something to you. The Holy Spirit will never convict you of your sins!

    Just to clarify, when I say never I mean never.

    Conviction Of The Holy Spirit In The Correct Context John 1: 8 Explained

    Your Convictions About The Bible Dr. Charles Stanley

    Preachers who use John 16:8 to claim the holy spirit convicts a believer of sin do not read further to the next verses, John 16:9-11.

    of sin1, because they do not believe in Me1 of righteousness2, because I go to My Father and you2 see Me no more of judgment3, because the ruler of this world3 is judged.

    ~ John 16:9-11

    The #1 players are people of the world, the ones who dont believe in Jesus and his finished works on the cross. The #2 players are the disciples, the believers. And finally, the #3 player is the devil, the ruler of the world.

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    What Is The Difference Between A Conviction And A Preference

    I would define a conviction as my perception of something I should do, or not do, for which there is no direct biblical command or prohibition. It is my personal sense of what is right or wrong for me, based upon inferences I have made from the Bible. When the Bible forbids adultery, it is not a matter of conviction it is acommand, and thus it is a matter of my obedience or disobedience.

    A conviction is not a preference either. We all have preferences in food, in activities, in entertainment. I may prefer chicken fried steak to split pea soup, but I am not sinning if I eat split pea soup. A conviction is a personal value, and if I violate one of my own values, it is a sin for me. If I think drinking coffee is a sin , so long as I think it is a sin to drink coffee, I will sin by drinking it.

    John 1: 8 Is Used To Control And Keep You Under The Bondage Of Fear

    There are many reasons why Christianity still preaches that The Holy Spirit Convicts a Believer of Sin even though the Bible shows the opposite.

    Maybe its tradition, the pride of denomination or confidence in old theologies they cannot escape from. But the primary reason is to control people and keep people under the bondage of fear.

    When you put the church under the threat of fear, judgement and condemnation, you can make more money out of the people. You can control and abuse the Church effectively using fear.

    For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

    ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

    How does reminding of our sins by the Holy Spirit result in power, love and sound mind? A restless mind is an evil mind, how can that produce the fruit of the spirit?

    Proponents of the Theology of The Holy Spirit convicts a believer of sin love to mix conviction of the world of sin and convicting the believer of righteousness.

    When they realise that John 16:8 does not say that the Holy Spirit convicts a believer of sin, they resort to this tactic saying First, The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and then after we repent he convicts us of righteousness.

    This tactic is used to put you under the box of their idea of righteousness and good behaviour using fear. In essence, they want you to change your behaviour by your effort instead of being justified by faith in the finished works on the cross and Jesuss resurrection.

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