Conviction

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,

I have another quick question,thankfully it’s not bringing me too much anxiety,but it’s in regard to the “Holy spirits conviction”.

Now I cannot think back to when I became a Christian,but I can’t remember if I had conviction of sin.Now I’m having anxiety as to wether I’m really saved.

I’ve also heard of guilty consciences.Those of which don’t lead to true change,however I did repent of my inappropriate contentography addiction due to the strong I’d say conviction that if I don’t stop,I’ll perish.

I’m sorry to ask of advice again,I don’t want to be a bother,but is it possible for someone to be saved with or without conviction of sin.I realize knowing your a sinner is crucial,and also can one not even come to Christ without Jesus drawing him?.And whenever I do do something wrong I always have the conviction to tell the truth and confess. Can someone help me see or understand conviction?

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rather you remember back then isn't much of a issue, everyone forgets things, but you always have the conviction now your good. And that is more than likely part of the growing process

Blaise N said:

Can someone help me see or understand conviction?

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The Holy Spirit reveals to your heart something that needs fixed. Since this something dwells hidden and in darkness usually, the psychological defense mechanisms work to hide it again, thus the blasphemous thoughts.

sometimes even with convictions people start out with milk until they are ready for solid food.

1 Peter 2:2
like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,

I have another quick question,thankfully it’s not bringing me too much anxiety,but it’s in regard to the “Holy spirits conviction”.

Now I cannot think back to when I became a Christian,but I can’t remember if I had conviction of sin.Now I’m having anxiety as to wether I’m really saved.

I’ve also heard of guilty consciences.Those of which don’t lead to true change,however I did repent of my inappropriate contentography addiction due to the strong I’d say conviction that if I don’t stop,I’ll perish.

I’m sorry to ask of advice again,I don’t want to be a bother,but is it possible for someone to be saved with or without conviction of sin.I realize knowing your a sinner is crucial,and also can one not even come to Christ without Jesus drawing him?.And whenever I do do something wrong I always have the conviction to tell the truth and confess. Can someone help me see or understand conviction?

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You see the bad within yourself
You repent
You ask the Lord to help you overcome
That’s it. Don’t worry.
The Lord wants you in heaven with him, and he will do everything possible to make that happen.

Matthew 6:33-34
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,

I have another quick question,thankfully it’s not bringing me too much anxiety,but it’s in regard to the “Holy spirits conviction”.

Now I cannot think back to when I became a Christian,but I can’t remember if I had conviction of sin.Now I’m having anxiety as to wether I’m really saved.

I’ve also heard of guilty consciences.Those of which don’t lead to true change,however I did repent of my inappropriate contentography addiction due to the strong I’d say conviction that if I don’t stop,I’ll perish.

I’m sorry to ask of advice again,I don’t want to be a bother,but is it possible for someone to be saved with or without conviction of sin.I realize knowing your a sinner is crucial,and also can one not even come to Christ without Jesus drawing him?.And whenever I do do something wrong I always have the conviction to tell the truth and confess. Can someone help me see or understand conviction?

Click to expand...

Conviction is simply the knowledge that you are indeed a sinner. Just before I was saved, I realised that I was a sinner. My actual sins did not bother me. All I knew was God was holy and righteous and I was not. I accepted Christ with the relief of someone who just avoided the firing squad.

At the time, I was not so much sorry for my sins as I was sorry for the consequences. That's all that God requires. Once we are born again, God begins to deal with particular sins that infest us. Before we are born again, our idea of sin is wrong. Who would say that being independent is sin? God says so. The world applauds the independent. God will bring the independent into a place where they become dependent on Him.

The conscience is where God convicts. It does not condemn, it simply tells us that we are wrong. If you sin and confess your sin, God cleanses you. (1 John 1:9)

Those who are not saved want to justify themselves. They are keen to blame and criticise others, but rarely will they admit to being at fault. Even then, someone else provoked them. It will be the epitaph on humanity's gravestone: "It wasn't my fault!"

Hi @Blaise N

Thank you for your honesty.

Look, this "being saved" is a Christian concept that has been distorted from the first century understanding. Salvation isn't an on/off switch, which is why so many worry today if they are saved or not.

True salvation is still yet to come, when we arise from death and are saved from the wrath of the Day of the Lord and taken to be with Him.

The scriptures use a literary device called prolepsis - where something is so sure to happen its spoken of in past tense. Yahweh speaks like this in prophecy, as do the Prophets and apostles. So yes, we are saved or rather (as good as) saved. But we're not literally saved yet, as look at us? We still sin, we're still in our sinful flesh and we will still yet sin (though God forbid).

What is salvation then on THIS side of eternity? Think of it more like which queue you are standing in. The queue for life or the queue for death. If you are in the queue for life, good, you will be saved. Therefore, "being saved" is a present thing. A choice you make each day in where you stand. Do you stand in the light or the darkness. If you stand in the light, good, you will be saved. That's not to say that you achieve salvation for yourself, but you have been like the wise virgins readying yourself ahead of that great Day.

Where my many words fail, perhaps this poem will explain the "presentness" of salvation rather than "past tenseness"...

A fountain’s not that which has sprung,
Nor is it found in the spring yet to run.
A fire’s not in the flame that ascends,
Nor in the burnt fuel that descends.
So it is with eternal life…
We have it now and by it survive.
Unless we persist in selfish desire,
To block the fountain and quench the fire.
(Poet of Ephraim)

Blaise N said:

I’m sorry to ask of advice again,I don’t want to be a bother

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No need to apologise! Ask away. Only stop asking when you want to stop learning.

Peace

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,

I have another quick question,thankfully it’s not bringing me too much anxiety,but it’s in regard to the “Holy spirits conviction”.

Now I cannot think back to when I became a Christian,but I can’t remember if I had conviction of sin.Now I’m having anxiety as to wether I’m really saved.

I’ve also heard of guilty consciences.Those of which don’t lead to true change,however I did repent of my inappropriate contentography addiction due to the strong I’d say conviction that if I don’t stop,I’ll perish.

I’m sorry to ask of advice again,I don’t want to be a bother,but is it possible for someone to be saved with or without conviction of sin.I realize knowing your a sinner is crucial,and also can one not even come to Christ without Jesus drawing him?.And whenever I do do something wrong I always have the conviction to tell the truth and confess. Can someone help me see or understand conviction?

Click to expand...

Jesus has called the Holy Spirit the paraclete, a word rich in meaning and that conveys the idea of helper, advocate, and comforter. The Holy Spirit does not enter into this important work of conviction as the accuser of the brethren or as our prosecutor. He is not sent by Jesus to condemn us but, rather, to help us see our need of grace.

Blaise N said:

I’ve also heard of guilty consciences.Those of which don’t lead to true change,

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Yes, I would say there is guilt which is not the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." (2 Corinthians 7:10)

How can we tell the difference between godly sorrow and the sorrow which produces death?

Well, God's word says godly sorrow brings death, right? So, I understand that if I am sorry the way God wants, I am going to be encouraged to do better, and know how our Heavenly Father is the One to change me so I do better.

And "the goodness of God leads you to repentance" > in Romans 2:4.

So, God will help us and encourage us to the change we need, which He does in us. Or else, yes any of us will have major trouble in trying to get our own selves to change, right? I would say any of us has been through how things can be when we try to change our own selves. What we try does not work; so in case all we have tried has not worked, this could be because what we are able to do does not work!

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

One thing I think of is if we are sorry for what is wrong, we can know and be encouraged how our Father does desire to deeply correct our character so we do better. God does not only expect us to reform our own selves.

So, even if God is not pleased with us, He Himself has hope for us.

So, in case you have been negative and confused, I would say do not accept that, and do not keep feeding on that, though it might be true. Trust and seek God to have us doing better. Actively seek God to correct us. You might read and feed on Hebrews 12:4-14 about real correction and how we are wise to actively seek our Father to really correct us however He knows He wants. And do not try do-it-yourselfing.

Now, I would like to offer a sample of how Jesus relates with people when we are wrong. And, "of course", who might be that example of who Jesus would be dealing with while he was wrong?

Peter, yes.

Yes, Jesus would rebuke and even criticize Peter, but Jesus also would say things to help Peter. With godly sorrow, then, I would consider that you will see where your help comes from, and that there is hope.

By the way, our Apostle Paul says love "hopes all things", in 1 Corinthians 13:7. Godly sorrow will bring us to hope for ourselves. But also God expects us to have hope for others, loving them as ourselves. So, beware of sorrow which has you mainly or only focusing on yourself and your own failure and not having hope.

Consider how Jesus related with people who were wrong > for example, what happened in Luke 22:31-36 >

"And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.'

"But he said to Him, 'Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.'

"Then He said, 'I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.'

"And He said to them, 'When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?'

"So they said, 'Nothing.'"

I notice here, a few things. Peter was boasting what he would do. He was not worried about if he ever had been under conviction; he was not trying to examine himself, but he was trying to tell Jesus what is true. And Jesus tells Peter the exact opposite is true!

But Jesus has hope for Peter. Jesus says He has already prayed for Peter > even before Peter messed up so much, already Jesus had prayed for Peter! And not only did Jesus pray for Peter to come back to Jesus, I understand, but Jesus tells Peter to strengthen his brethren > to me, this means that the prayer of Jesus for Peter would not only rescue Peter and make him a stronger and humble person, but also the strengthening by Jesus' prayer would make Peter able to strengthen others.

And God's word says Jesus is now praying for us!

"Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us." (Romans 8:34)

So, about how you need to discern . . . right now, you could be confused and uncertain, but Jesus has hope for us. Jesus Himself is praying for us according to His faith. But He is not going to bless you only for your own assurance and peace. But like with Peter, Jesus makes us strong so we also may bless others, encourage and even strengthen others! So, there is all-loving purpose with how God blesses and encourages and assures us.

And I notice how Jesus does not seem to dwell on how Peter will fail. But right away, Jesus moves on to talk with His disciples about how God provided for them.

I think of this now . . . how godly sorrow can have our attention not only on how we have failed, but also on where God desires to take us. Yes, Peter so failed, but Jesus was thinking about where He wanted to take Peter > not only out of his weakness but also to grow strong so he could strengthen others in Jesus.

Because salvation is about all which is possible with God.

This has not been possible with any of us. No one has been somehow so superior that we have gotten our own selves right. The thanks is purely to You, O God our Father. The glory is to You, in the name of Jesus Your own Son. So, please now keep blessing Blaise . . . along with all of us. Prove Yourself to him, how You are able.

Blaise N said:

Do you have to be convicted in order to be saved?

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Having your sin exposed by the Holy Spirit so you feel "convicted" about it is something that follows being born again by the Holy Spirit.

Since it relates to sensitivity to God's presence and the nature of sin, this comes with maturity.

Blaise N said:

I can’t remember if I’ve fel this conviction,Amni not saved or born again?! Because I’m having an anxiety attack

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The anxiety attack originates from the chemicals within your own body.

The body is a temporary dwelling, it just needs to accept it is going to die, and not live in eternally.

The Spirit is what is born again, we get a new body at the resurrection on judgment day.

Blaise N said:

I’m sorry to say this,but my anxiety is out of control as of now and I’m so scared that I may have or haven’t been convicted and I’m afraid I’m still unsaved.

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I went through something similar, it took time to cultivate my inner self like a garden. Had to replace the soil, get rid of the weeds, and replace everything that was removed with beneficials.

(and not even close to perfect anyway)

It takes time, there's no quick fix. I'd recommend to keep praying and if you have an audio bible, keep playing it on auto repeat to drown out the inner noise.