Day 16 - The Language Of Conviction

What does the conviction of the Holy Spirit sound like? It can touch us with or without words. It might be that we hear good preaching and somehow know deeply that we have to respond. Or in the earliest season of our Christian walk, we might suddenly know, "It's time to get right with God." It isn't that we heard a voice; we simply have verbalized the strong conviction that has come upon us.

He doesn't always needs words to speak to us. Sometimes the Holy Spirit simply causes us to know something, but we know it so strongly and are so persuaded of it that we can put it into our own words, and the words are right.

Conviction may move us to tears, it may cause us to tremble, or it may not stir our emotions at all. The important thing is that it moves us to new obedience to God - to stop doing some things and to start doing others.

Conviction is persuasion. The Holy Spirit persuades us with or without words, but His presence imparts the sense of urgency that causes us to act. This is why the history of revival often includes stories of a great convicting work of the Holy Spirit that moved people to forsake sin and embrace Christ.

These stories reveal one aspect of conviction: that it is the Holy Spirit's work to bring people to Jesus. But once we come to Jesus, we need to keep our ears tuned to the language of conviction. The Holy Spirit will continue to speak to us in the same way.

Sometimes as we consider a new project, everything looks fine and we are ready to commit ourselves. But then the Holy Spirit convicts us that hidden problems are waiting for us if we sign the dotted line. We call this experience "sensing a check in my spirit." It is a form of conviction. If we yield to God, it will save us from heartache later.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit begins to press one of God's promises upon us, stirring us to seek the promise by faith. Our first reaction might be that the promise is too wonderful for someone like me to receive - surely God would give it only to someone far more spiritual than I am. The Holy Spirit doesn't argue with us, but He keeps pressing the promise upon us. Many people describe this experience in these words: "There's a witness in my spirit that%u2026" If we yield to Him, He will help us grow into the kind of person who can receive what God wants to do.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit - the fear of the Lord - is the beginning of wisdom. It's a setup for those who would begin hearing the secret of the Lord on a consistent basis. God may or may not use words when He convicts us, but either way we come to know what He wants us to know.

Pay attention to conviction when it comes. This is one of the main ways God will speak to you.

Look back over your life and list times when the Holy Spirit has convicted you. How did He make His will known to you?

Talk to a few Christian friends and ask them to tell how the Holy Spirit has convicted them. Look for patterns in their testimony that will help you identify conviction in your own life.