The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes- a reflex action caused by self-disgust. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God- “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight…” ( Psalm 51:4). Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Conviction of sin is best described in the words:Ĭonviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |