PINIMAGEMaybe you’ve felt it…that nagging of the soul. Sometimes we ignore or push it down. Sometimes we drown it out with tasks and busyness. I’m talking about the conviction of the Lord regarding sin in my life. Maybe it’s not blatant or obvious. Maybe, in fact, no one knows about it but you. Does it seem small? Harmless?
Sin destroys. Sin deceives. All sin grieves the heart of God.
And it’s a tough and honest realization that I fall short of God’s perfection. I sin. I’m a sinner.
Throughout God’s Word we are told we will contend with Satan, sin and the world. They are adversaries to our understanding and enjoyment of God and His ways. As children of God, we must develop a habit of contending with our sin. As our obedience to God’s conviction grows, our sensitivity to sin and its trappings will grow. The converse is also true.
We must develop a habit of contending with our sin.
Friend, are you sensitive to the conviction of sin in your life? Do you understand how God sees sin? David did. In Psalm 19 he spoke of the danger of sin in his heart and he said this:
Psalm 19:12-14
12How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
David was so concerned about his sin and how it might hinder his fellowship with God that He asked God to forgive him of what he might not even be aware that was an offense to God.
How about you? How about the culture in which we live today? Do we repent sin or celebrate it? God help us to feel that conviction that leads to repentance and life. Help us to feel that tugging and answer so that we might grow in the conviction of truth and cast off those sins that so easily beset us. (Hebrews 12:1)
Thankfully, God promises victory over sin when we turn to Him. Just in case you feel there are too many sins to confess. In case you’ve felt you’re too far gone, find comfort in 1 John 1:9. It says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (emphasis mine)
Just this morning I was reading in the Psalms,
Psalm 25:4-5 Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.
I get excited when I read passages like these.
“Yes, Lord, show me the right path!”
“Yes, Lord, point out the road for me to follow!”
“Yes, Lord, lead me by your truth and teach me!”
SIGN ME UP!
Can you imagine my surprise when in response to my request, the delicate voice of the Spirit whispers…”Let go of that sin.”?
What if the answer to your request for your next step of the journey is…”Confess and repent of the sin of which I’ve convicted you.”
As I continued to read in Psalm 25 this morning, I saw how David recognizes humility and confession of sin as part of following God.
Psalm 25:8-14
8.The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
9. He leads the humble in doing right,
teaching them his way.
10. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
11. For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.
12. Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.
13. They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.
14. The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant.
This morning, around 3:00 AM I awoke from a dream. I don’t really remember it but as my dream turned to thoughts and I became alert, I felt God speaking to my heart. I felt conviction. It was as if He said, “Are you going to deal with the sin I’ve been pressing in on?” It was pretty much that plain and simple.
Over the past several days, I’ve felt God convicting me that I was allowing other things to take His place on the throne of my life. Now, the sin I speak of may be almost invisible to others. Maybe that’s why I hadn’t really dealt with the delicate leading of God’s Spirit through conviction. It would require me to humble myself. It would require me to acknowledge that I’d let my priorities get out of whack. It would require me to acknowledge that I was wrong. My behavior was wrong.
But even when sin may seem invisible to others, it matters greatly to God. In fact, God clearly sees the sins we hide in our hearts. He works from the inside out…not the outside in. In our hearts we can harbor jealousy, pride, arrogance, guilt, anger, unforgiveness, and so much more.
Part of God’s guidance we so desperately seek in our lives is His leading to the conviction of sin.
As simple as it would seem for me to just say, “God, I realize I’ve allowed my own agenda and selfish desires to take the place of Your Lordship in my life and I repent.” I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Why was my heart so stubborn? God revealed the pride that was bubbling up in the root of my sin. To confess my sin would mean I would need to ask God to forgive me and then to make some life changes to reinforce the decision to forsake it.
Dealing with sin proclaims God’s Lordship in my life. Ignoring it denies His Lordship.
Frankly, we often justify and reason our sin away. We live in a culture that points the finger at others instead of dealing with what’s in our own hearts. Although we allow ourselves to believes sin is inconsequential, God will not allow His children to continue in sin.
Are you frustrated that God is “not leading”? Are you complaining that He doesn’t seem to care about your situation? Has God convicted you of a sin that you have ignored or are not willing to let go of?
I didn’t go back to sleep this morning. Instead, I came down to my familiar spot in the living room. I confessed my stubbornness and pride to the Lord and asked Him to have His way. I began thinking of ways to practically make changes in my life so that this sin doesn’t become a temptation again. And I’ve gotta say, I feel relief. Now, I’m enjoying the freedom from conviction and guilt of my sin. And in it’s place I feel a carefree simplicity has been restored. I’ve taken another step on this journey.
Psalm 51
1. Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2. Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3. For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
5. For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6. But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.
7. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8. Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
9. Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
1o. Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Let us be diligent in the matter of sin. It just might be the next step on your journey.
