A World Without Conviction
One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is conviction. At the very least this means He not only teaches, guides, and gives spiritual gifts to believers. But He also points out the wrongs in the world.
Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “when he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8 CSB).
The cultural impulse of our modern time usually doesn’t want to hear anything convicting. Those who would dare to point out a wrong are often viewed as judgmental haters. The rule of thumb seems to be “if it makes me feel good, it cannot be wrong.” Many won’t allow for the possibility that something they desire may be sinful. Some even work to penalize anyone who thinks it is.
The world wants to live without conviction because conviction doesn’t feel good. Conviction suggests that there are boundaries for behavior. Conviction says that my immediate urge is not the highest good in every circumstance. Conviction means that I may have to change. I may need to go against the grain of what society says is and isn’t acceptable.
If some Christian person out there is speaking against something you are doing, there are, at least, two possibilities. First, the person may truly be an overly judgmental, mean-spirited crank. But, second, the person may be speaking conviction from the Holy Spirit into your life. If what is being said lines up with the Bible, it is certainly worth considering. We all owe it to ourselves to at least consider this second possibility. God may be using it to bring a beautiful next step into our lives.
Pastor George