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The importance of conviction

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by stilllearning, Jun 24, 2011.

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  1. stilllearning

    stilllearning Active Member

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    I was just reading a article about “easy believism”, and it reminded me of an observation that I had a few months ago.

    At that time, I was thinking about a recent encounter that I had had, with a lost sinner and how I shared the Gospel with him, using Romans 3:23, then Romans 6:23, then Romans 5:8, finishing up with Romans 10:13....
    And as I have done many times before, I told him that these are the facts, and if you believe that you are a sinner and that you deserve to go to hell and that Jesus died for you, in your place to pay your sin debt, than you “can” get saved, “if” you ask for it(Rom.10:13).

    And at that moment, the Lord revealed something about Romans 6:23a, that I had not seen as clearly before.........
    Romans 6:23a
    “For the wages of sin [is] death;...........”

    This “fact”, that the wages of sin is death, is in itself a “requirement” that a sinner, must realize their need for salvation(want to get saved), before they can be saved.
    This may be the best Biblical definition of “conviction” that I have found.
    -----------------------
    Unfortunately, that individual that I was witnessing to on that day, did not get saved.
    And it sure seemed to me, that he didn’t, because he was not under conviction.

    Only the LORD can bring “conviction”; This is why none of us, chose the day that we got saved. God did, by convicting us.

    The Gospel “can” bring conviction, if God allows it to.
     
    #1 stilllearning, Jun 24, 2011
  2. Martin Marprelate

    Martin Marprelate Well-Known Member
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    Thanks for sharing that, Stilllearning. :thumbsup:
    You are absolutely right. The very first command of Christ is to repent (Matt 4:17). It goes without saying that people will not repent unless they see that they have something to repent of, and they cannot come to Christ unless they do repent.

    Too many people today have 'accepted' Christ as a sort of lifestyle accessory without any proper understanding of who He is and what He came to do. They don't know Him, and one day, unless they hear the true Gospel, they will find out that He doesn't know them either (Matt 7:23).

    Steve
     
    #2 Martin Marprelate, Jun 24, 2011
  3. David Lamb

    David Lamb Active Member

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    I would just like to echo Steve's thanks.

    Let us pray that the man you spoke to will indeed be saved, that the Holy Spirit will bring back to his mind the things you said to him, and convict him that he is one of those sinners Romans 3.23 speaks of, that he deserves from God death as his "wages" for sin, as per Romans 6.23, and that he will call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.
     
    #3 David Lamb, Jun 24, 2011
  4. nodak

    nodak Active Member
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    I'm a gree gracer but agree for the need of repentance.

    But we need to remember repentance is not "cleaning up your act." If you could do that you would not need a Savior.

    But I totally agree that you cannot lead a person to Christ and to salvation unless they accept that they are a sinner.

    If there is no afterlife to worry about and no sin, they cannot get saved.

    We are not in the life improvement business, but the soul saving one.
     
    #4 nodak, Jun 24, 2011
  5. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Until someone's eyes are open to their spiritual state, they won't turn from their sin. They don't see it as sin at all. I really do believe that it takes the Spirit opening eyes for someone to be able to come to Christ.
     
    #5 annsni, Jun 24, 2011
  6. MB

    MB Well-Known Member

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    Once a man is in conviction, he will always be in conviction, until he either dies or repents. I know I was. I have no regrets for my repentance because it was immediate relief. It was immediate peace. All I could say was, Thank you Jesus.
    MB
     
    #6 MB, Jun 24, 2011
  7. stilllearning

    stilllearning Active Member

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    Hello MB

    You said......
    This is a new concept to me; And I respectfully disagree.

    A person can be convicted & not get saved, but you can not get saved without being under conviction.

    God sends “Conviction”, when a person is exposed to His Word(the Gospel);
    But....if that person doesn’t “respond” by surrendering to God’s will, God’s conviction will depart.

    Here is an example that I have found..........
    Matthew 13:3-4
    V.3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
    V.4 And when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

    and

    Matthew 13:18-19
    V.18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
    V.19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth [it] not, then cometh the wicked [one], and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

    The sinner hears the Gospel and it starts to work on him, but because his heart is hard he ignores God’s conviction and therefore the memory of the Gospel message soon disappears.

    Although the sinner may have more than one opportunity to receive Christ(by being convicted of his sin again), God is only obligated to send this convection once.
    --------------------------------------------------
    I know some of our Calvinist friends may not believe that God is obligated at all, to send conviction to every human being, above the age of accountability, but He is because of His Holiness; and the Bible says He will........
    Titus 2:11
    “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”
     
    #7 stilllearning, Jun 24, 2011
  8. drfuss

    drfuss New Member

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    I believe a part of Judah's problems that lead to the destruction of Jerusalem, was their lack of repentance.

    Judah just followed Hezekiah and Josiah in "serving the Lord". I don't think that there is any record of the people of Judah actually repenting or asking forgiveness for their sins. Since they immediately forsook the Lord after Hezekial and Josiah died, I don't think they ever really knew the Lord; they were just following the kings lead, i.e. no lasting salvation without sorrow for sins and repentance.

    What do you think?
     
    #8 drfuss, Jun 25, 2011
  9. David Lamb

    David Lamb Active Member

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    Why did you feel the need to put "but", Nodak? Certainly I, and all the people I know who believe in God's free and sovereign grace also believe in the need for repentance.
     
    #9 David Lamb, Jun 27, 2011
  10. quantumfaith

    quantumfaith Active Member

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    Would you agree that continuous and repeated refusal to respond to that conviction hardens our hearts towards God and repentence?
     
    #10 quantumfaith, Jun 27, 2011
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