Dying Convictions
Hosea 6:4-5
It is a fact that many
people, upon hearing the gospel preached in the power of the Holy Spirit,
experience deep religious convictions which soon die away, like the morning
dew.
Most people who sit
under the sound of the gospel are, at one time or another, moved by it. Few
will read this article who have not been convicted, in
some measure, and moved toward repentance by the Word of God. God has spoken to
you by his Word. Has he not? You have heard his voice in the gospel. Yet, you
harden your heart. You lay aside the claims of Christ in the gospel, like
Felix, saying, "At a more convenient season I will call for thee."
But, like the morning dew before the rising sun your convictions die away. Be
warned, my friend. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. There are
multitudes in hell who once wept and prayed over their
souls (Read Prov. 29:1).
How many there are who
once stood as pillars in the visible
Are your convictions
dying? Here are three symptoms of dying convictions:
1. The Neglect of
Private Prayer.
2. The Neglect of Holy
Scripture.
3. The Neglect of
Public Worship.
"Be watchful and
strengthen the things which remain" (Rev. 3:2)
WHY DO THE CONVICTIONS OF MANY DIE?
I have preached to many who wept, but repented not. And I have preached to
many who appeared to be truly penitent, who appeared to be men and women of
strong, firm conviction, whose convictions faded away like the morning dew
before the sun. How does this happen? Why do the convictions of many die? Here
are four answers to those questions:
(1.) THEY NEVER KNEW
THEIR OWN QUILT, DEPRAVITY, SIN, AND HELPLESSNESS BEFORE GOD. You may see the
doctrine of total depravity very clearly, without having any personal knowledge
of inward corruption.
(2.) THEY NEVER SAW THE
BEAUTY, GLORY, AND FULNESS OF CHRIST. Many know the doctrine of Christ who
never embrace Christ. Many see his doctrine who never see him. Many love his doctrine
who never love him.
(3.) THEY NEVER BOWED
TO THE RULE AND DOMINION OF CHRIST AS THEIR LORD. Many want a Savior to keep
them out of hell who refuse to bow to Christ as Lord
to rule over them. But Christ will not be your Savior if he is not your Lord.
(4.) THEY STILL LOVE
THE WORLD. If you love the world, the love of God is not in you. Nothing is
more deadly than the cares and pleasures of the world and the deceitfulness of
riches. Sooner or later, the love of the world will cause conviction to die.
Materialism will destroy conviction.
Dying convictions are
natural, legal convictions. Saving faith is the result of Holy Spirit
conviction (John 16:8-11). But DYING CONVICTIONS ARE SELDOM CORRECTED. God will
not always speak to those who refuse to hear. He will not always call those who
refuse to obey. There is such a thing as judicial reprobation. God will fix it
so that those who will not obey the gospel cannot obey. If you harden your
heart, God will harden your heart (Prov. 1:23-33; Lk. 13:23-27). Take heed - In
the Word of God I see no record of God ever crossing a sinner's path more than
once! God has no method of saving sinners but that which you have heard in the
gospel. If you reject the gospel, you reject life. Convictions that are put off
tend to make the heart harden. Just as iron is hardened by being melted and
cooled again, so is the heart of man.
Don Fortner