Afraid or Under Conviction?

 August 2, 2024

Friday

It seems that politicians and preachers have a lot in common. When they want you to come over to their side, they use fear tactics. If you vote for this candidate the world will end! You will burn forever in hell if you don't do as we say!

Now, each of these could be right but that is not an effective way to convince people. Fear tactics work as long as the fear exists. Fearful people are rarely passionate about their fears. They may tell their closest friends and those who already agree with their fears but hardly ever anyone else. There is a difference between being afraid and being convicted.

A convicted person does more than join the organization. A convicted person believes that the dire outcome is true but goes beyond the fear. Conviction becomes a part of the person. Fear only exists while the danger is prevalent. Those who have said a prayer of salvation but did so only because they were afraid without true conviction bought the insurance that they won't use until the time they need it. Those who are under conviction that Jesus is the means of salvation give their hearts to Him and follow Him all of their days. Conviction affects the heart. Fear affects the emotions.

Preachers often give messages that generate guilt. Guilt can be from conviction in the heart or from emotions. The person who is under conviction will decide to do something about what has made them feel guilty. For example, if the preacher gives a message on tithing, the emotional response is to write a check or put something in the offering plate. Conviction results in adjusting the budget so that tithing becomes a habit.

People who are merely afraid of hell, will say a prayer of salvation and get baptized. Since the fear is no longer fearful, they come to church irregularly. You can count on them at Christmas and Easter most years. You can count on them when they are in need of prayer. Other than that, you had better not count on them.

There are thousands and thousands of people missing each Sunday from church. They have no reason to come. They have been inoculated from the fear. They have no conviction.

I believe that many if not most of those missing every Sunday do not know the Lord. They believe they are saved from the words that they said in a prayer and the water that covered them when they were baptized. 

Peter preached on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit enabled the message to go to those who would not have known what he was saying. He told the story of who Jesus was and what He had done. The people listening were under conviction.

Acts 2:37 (NASB 2020) ³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?”

They were "pierced to the heart." That doesn't sound like they were merely afraid. They were convicted. They were willing to change who they were to rectify their condition. So, Peter said:

Acts 2:38 (NASB 2020) ³⁸ Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The evidence of their belief was that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is much different from saying, "You will no longer be afraid."

Do you possess the Holy Spirit? Did you follow others who were afraid of going to hell or were you under conviction that Jesus was your Lord? Only you know. And only one of these changes who you are too.