The greatest misunderstanding, I find is not distinguishing condemnation from conviction. Man that is unconverted is always under condemnation. (John 3:18) This does not mean he is always under conviction by the Holy Spirit. God’s spirit must draw a man before he can become a partaker of the heavenly nature, (John 6:44) (John 12:32) through the new birth. God must trouble a man’s heart with conviction – this is done through the work of the Holy Spirit. (John 5) Trying to get a person to call on God in faith and repentance without conviction is impossible.
We are commanded to give the gospel to the world, pray for sinners, and carry a burden for souls. After this, we depend on God to move upon them with conviction to bring salvation.
Jonah was right when he proclaimed—salvation is of the Lord! (Jonah 2:9) If we don’t get back to a Christ honoring gospel, our next generation is gone—God doesn’t need man, man needs God!!!
The gospel is still the power of God that can bring salvation to the vilest of sinners; we don’t have to prop up the message, change it to fit our day or water it down for worldly approval. God help us to tell it as it is, straight to men as they are.
When a sinner comes under conviction, they will stop the stupid questions, as well as worrying about what they might turn from. Conviction settles in, getting right with God is all that matters. Some have tried to read them into salvation, pray them in, work them in—but all is vain except the spirit of the holy one comes down.
Because of the confusion, we now have a problem; our churches have accumulated members that have never been converted. This truth is manifested in several different ways—they hate hard preaching, have a rebellious life style, are unfaithfulness, have problems with biblical authority, and sow discard, just to name a few!
The only hope for these, as well as any lost sinner, is for God to have mercy and move on them with conviction. If conviction does not come, they will die condemned and blinded in their sin and burn forever in the lake of fire.
We would stand amazed at how many religious, lost people will read this article today, dying in their sin, full of pride and procrastination. Will you call upon the Lord while he is near? Is the God of heaven revealing your need of a savior to you right now? You better get saved when you know you can, not when you think you will!!!
Dr. Phil Kidd
Calvary Baptist Church, Becker Mississippi
(Preaching at the Trumpet Banquet Feb. 7th, 2000)