I Am Convinced
Discovering the Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 40:25
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· 292 viewsThe proving of a person guilty of sin. Scripture stresses that God has declared the guilt, together with its consequences, of sinful humanity. The term can also refer to a state of being convinced; i.e., the holding of a strong belief, especially a conscious awareness of one’s guilt and the atoning death of Jesus Christ as the means of remission of that guilt.
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9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.
11 And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Saul of Taurus was zealous in his conviction that something must be done about opposing the name of Jesus
Our convictions do two things for us:
They move us in a particular direction
They identify us by the action or absence of action
[Biblical let’s first look at conviction through the identifying lens…]
I. Conviction is proving a person guilty of sin
I. Conviction is proving a person guilty of sin
Many in Jesus day thought him to be a sinner opposed to Moses and the law...
46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
Truth actually convicts non believers in Jesus and His Gospel...
Mankind is held accountable to the prophesy of scripture...
24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,
[It is God who convicts and it is God who determines the consequences of our conviction…]
II. God’s conviction of sinful humanity
II. God’s conviction of sinful humanity
A. He declares them to be guilty
A. He declares them to be guilty
A purpose of the law is to convict man of sin making him accountable to God...
19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
Humanity is certainly accountable
The law has exposed our ignorance and our inequity...
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
7 Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways.
8 The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.
Paul would later quote Isaiah in Rom 3:10-18...
B. He also declares the consequences of their guilt
B. He also declares the consequences of their guilt
We ought to be grateful that the one who convicts is righteous
Ultimately in our conviction He has determined a remedy for our guilty state...
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
[Now on the other side of conviction is our strong belief…]
III. Conviction as holding a strong belief
III. Conviction as holding a strong belief
Paul was convinced that the name of Jesus should be opposed...
We have similar beliefs that make up how we act...
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
Even a little of the right conviction can go a long way.
Consider what Jesus says in Mt. 17:20...
20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Our conviction to follow Jesus ought to be how the Bible encourages, “full assurance”...
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,
The Gospel is the beginning of that full assurance
The Gospel comes to us first in word...
Then in power as it quite literally changes our lives, just as it did Paul’s...
5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
We need be careful that we do not lose our conviction.
remain steadfast in it even until death...
11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,
Our proper conviction draws us closer to God
It will cause us to obey the Gospel and clear our guilty conscience...
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Conviction is the mind’s awareness of his state of being...
If you do not have a strong conviction, that is still a conviction
Those who do nothing, that is their conviction
[So our convictions or the lack of them continues our guilt or effectuates our repentance…]
IV. Conviction as the conscious awareness of one’s guilt
IV. Conviction as the conscious awareness of one’s guilt
A. Examples of conviction not resulting in repentance
A. Examples of conviction not resulting in repentance
27 Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.
See also Ex 10:16; Nu 14:40; Nu 22:34; Dt 1:41; Jdg 10:10
Saul:
Saul:
1 Sa 15:24; 1 Sa 24:17; 1 Sa 26:21
21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.”
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot
3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,
4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”
Governor Felix
Governor Felix
25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”
B. Examples of conviction leading to repentance
B. Examples of conviction leading to repentance
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
David:
David:
13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
The prodigal son:
The prodigal son:
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
Philippian jailer
Philippian jailer
30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
God’s Plan of Redemption
God’s Plan of Redemption
Hear the Word about Jesus
Hear the Word about Jesus
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Believe the Word about Jesus
Believe the Word about Jesus
46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
Adjust your Convictions and Repent
Adjust your Convictions and Repent
4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Confess Jesus before men
Confess Jesus before men
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Be Baptized in this New Conviction
Be Baptized in this New Conviction
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Remain Steadfast in this Conviction
Remain Steadfast in this Conviction
10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.