CONVICTION
(Scripture Portion: John 16: 1-11)
The salvation of a soul is always preceded and accompanied by the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. No one is ever truly saved without experiencing this conviction of which Jesus spoke in John 16:7-11. People often think that they can be saved "at will"; that is, just when they decide they would like to be saved, and very often those who preach the gospel fail to realise how imperative it is to secure the convicting work of the Holy Spirit if ever spiritual results are to be produced. In the salvation of a soul it is always God who takes the initiative – look up Genesis 3:9 and John 15:16. If God did not seek man, man would never seek after God – look up Romans 3:11, and compare John 5:6 and 6:44. This raises the question: How does the Father draw men and women to Christ? The answer is – by the Holy Spirit, and the first great work that the Holy Spirit accomplishes is the work of conviction; this means, in simple terms, that He convinces us of our desperate need of a Saviour – look up Genesis 6:3 and Hebrews 3:7-8. His "striving" and His "speaking" are all with a view to His great work of conviction.
1. OF WHAT DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICT THE SINNER?
He convicts the sinner of SIN. Not simply "of sins", the fruit, but "of sin", the root, and of the paramount sin of unbelief – the sin of rejecting Christ (John 16:9). Our consciences, if they are not too seared (1 Timothy 4:2), will convict us of sins, such as theft, untruthfulness or jealousy, but it is only when the Holy Spirit opens our eyes that we see the enormity of the sin of rejecting the Saviour whom God has provided. The greatest sin anyone can commit, and the one sin by which we are condemned, is the sin of rejecting Christ – look up John 3:18 and 3:36.
He convicts the sinner of RIGHTEOUSNESS. He convicts of a righteousness which is required (Isaiah 64:6); of a righteousness which is provided by God and offered to man in the Person of His Son (2 Corinthians 5:21), and which is receivable by faith (Romans 3:21-22). Apart from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, man has no true conception of his own unrighteousness or of God's righteousness (John 16:10).
He convicts the sinner of JUDGMENT. The Holy Spirit convinces man that Satan, and all who belong to him, are already doomed – see verse 11, and look up Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 12:7-9 and 20:10.
What great need there is today for this three-fold convicting work of the Holy Spirit! There is no substitute for it. Organisation, the personality of the preacher, etc., all fail. Only the Holy Spirit can convince men of their desperate need of the Saviour.
2. HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT BRING THIS CONVICTION?
He does His work of conviction through the preaching of the Gospel. The Word of God, the gospel, the "sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17), is the powerful instrument which He uses (Hebrews 4:12) to effect the salvation of all who believe (Romans 1:16). We shall only see conviction resulting from our preaching if we are faithfully preaching "the gospel" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), and "the whole will of God" (Acts 20:27). When Peter preached the gospel on the Day of Pentecost his hearers were convicted of sin (Acts 2:23), of righteousness (Acts 2:24 and 33), and of judgment (Acts 2:19-20) – as verse 37 tells us.
He does His work of conviction through the personal witnessing of Christians. He does it not only by public preaching, but by personal witnessing, as was the case when Philip preached Christ (Acts 8:26-39); when Paul reasoned with Felix (Acts 24:24-25), and when Paul testified before Agrippa (Acts 26:26-29).
He does His work of conviction by special providences and interventions. Saul was brought under conviction by a sudden revelation of the Lord Himself as he travelled down the Damascus road (Acts 9:1-6); the people of Joppa were brought under conviction by the death and miraculous resurrection of Dorcas (Acts 9:36-42 – and note verse 42); the jailer was brought under conviction, not only by the testimony of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25), but by the earthquake which God sent (Acts 16:26 – note verse 30).
He does His work of conviction in answer to the prayers of God's people. Here is scope, not only for the preacher, but for the Christians who are present in a gospel meeting, to pray with the preacher for the convicting work of the Holy Spirit to accompany the message as it goes forth – look up Matthew 18:19.
He does His work of conviction through cleansed, yielded and Spirit-filled lives. Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7:54-60), and Saul witnessed his death (verse 58); he heard his testimony and he saw his Christ-like spirit (verse 59). Was it not at this point that Saul first became convicted?
In closing, note John 16:7-8: "I will send him to you. When he comes (to you), he will convict…" The measure in which He can convict is the measure in which He has come "to you
REPENTANCE
(Scripture Portion: Luke 15: 3-24)
Anyone who has any doubts as to the importance of the doctrine of repentance needs only to read the solemn words of our Lord Jesus Christ recorded in Luke 13:3. The Bible is full of this subject, and the word is used over one hundred times – fifty-eight times in the New Testament alone. Yet, someone has rightly said of repentance that it is "the missing note in modern evangelism." It was the key-note of New Testament preaching: John the Baptist began his ministry with a call to repentance (Matthew 3:2); our Lord's first word was "Repent…" (Matthew 4:17); those whom He commissioned were commanded to preach repentance (Mark 6:12 and Luke 24:47); there is joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10); Peter preached repentance (Acts 2:37-38); Paul preached repentance (Acts 17:30-31); and repentance leading to faith is everywhere laid down in the Bible as the condition of salvation (Acts 20:21).
1. WHAT REPENTANCE IS NOT
Conviction of sin is not repentance. Repentance includes conviction, but a sinner can be deeply convicted and still not repent. Felix is an illustration of this – Acts 24:24-25.
Sorrow for sin is not repentance. Repentance includes sorrow and remorse, but it is more than this, for it is possible to be sorry for sin and yet not to repent of sin – look up 2 Corinthians 7:9, and notice that the sorrowing is "to repentance".
Hatred of sin is not repentance. Repentance includes this, but it is possible to loathe sin and yet not to turn from it. Is it not true in a sense that every sinner hates sin? Nobody can repent without hating sin, but hating sin alone is not repentance.
Promising to be better is not repentance. Many people make a life-long habit of doing this. The Prodigal determined that he would return (Luke 15:18), but repentance was not indicated by his determination merely. "The way to Hell is paved with good intentions."
Turning from one sin is not repentance. It is not giving up sins, the fruit; it has to do with sin, the root.
2. WHAT REPENTANCE IS
Repentance is a change of mind – an intellectual experience; it is a change of feeling – an emotional experience; it is a change of purpose – a volitional experience; and it is a change of conduct – a moral experience. Repentance is not one of these, but all of them together.
Repentance is a change of MIND. The Greek word "metonia" means "after-thought". The change of mind involved in true repentance is so radical that the sinner takes up an entirely new attitude towards God, towards the Lord Jesus Christ, towards sin and towards himself – look up Matthew 21:28-29 for our Lord's illustration of this aspect of repentance.
Repentance is a change of FEELING. After his conversion, Saul of Tarsus was overwhelmed with a sense of remorse when he thought of the way he had treated the Lord Jesus – compare Psalm 38:18. The Publican expressed deep emotion when in penitence and confession he "beat his breast" (Luke 18:13); and so did the Prodigal when he returned and said: "Father, I am no longer worthy…" (Luke 15:21).
Repentance is a change of PURPOSE. The will is involved. The Prodigal said, "I will set out…" (Luke 15:18) – "…so he got up" (Luke 15:20). See what Jesus said to the man in John 5:6, and compare Psalm 119:59; Isaiah 55:7 and Ezekiel 18:30.
Repentance is a change of CONDUCT. This is illustrated in the conversion of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10); Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-6), and the jailer (Acts 16:30-34).
Repentance is to leave
The sins I loved before;
And show that I in earnest grieve
By doing so no more.
3. HOW REPENTANCE IS BROUGHT ABOUT
Repentance is a Divine gift. Look up Acts 5:30-31; 11:18 and 2 Timothy 2:25.
The gift of repentance is bestowed through the preaching of the Gospel – look up Matthew 12:41; Acts 2:38-41 and 19:8, 10 and 19, and compare 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10.
The goodness of God leads to repentance. Romans 2:4 tells us this. When we consider the love of God, especially in the gift of His Son (John 3:16), who went to the cross for us (1 Peter 2:24), then we are brought to repentance.
The sorrows of life bring people to repentance. Trials and bereavements are all instruments in the hands of God for bringing men and women to repentance – look up Psalm 78:34, and compare Genesis 42:21; Exodus 9:27; Job 42:5-6; Psalm 119:67 and Revelation 3:19.
The emptiness of life makes some repent. This was surely so in the case of the Prodigal Son – see Luke 15:17.
4. WHEN IS THE TIME TO REPENT?
NOW – Acts 17:30-31. Look up what is one of the best verses in the Bible – 2 Peter 3:9 –
"The Lord is…patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."