Biblegems
#301
Question: Christians frequently say things
like, “I feel convicted by the Holy Spirit.” Does the Holy Spirit convict
Christians, or is conviction the same as condemnation and judgment, and only done
by God as Judge?
It
would certainly be terrific in an ideal world if people always used perfectly
precise words to express themselves—words such as “convict,” for example. I expect that in heaven all the communication confusion we experience in the fallen world will be clear up. Until then…
The
word “convict” is sometimes taught to
be a legal term of judgment and condemnation exclusively, and therefore not to
be used to describe how the Holy Spirit interacts with believers. It is usually
claimed in these circles that the word “convict”
is never used in the Bible of the Holy Spirit’s interaction with believers.
“Convict” in the Bible
Speaking
of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:
John.
16:8 And when he comes, he will convict
the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:… (ESV)
The NT
Greek word behind the English translation is elegcho (pronounced, el-eng-ko). Its specific meaning is
broad, depending upon the context. The Mounce Greek Dictionary defines elegcho and gives scriptural examples of
its various uses:
“…to
put to proof, to test; to convict, Jn. 8:46; Jas. 2:9; to refute,
confute,
1 Cor. 14:24; Tit. 1:9; to detect, lay bare, expose,
Jn. 3:20; Eph. 5:11, 13; to reprove, rebuke, Mt. 18:15; Lk. 3:19;
1 Tim. 5:20; to discipline, chastise, Heb. 12:5; Rev. 3:19; pass.
to experience conviction, Jn. 3:20; 1 Cor. 14:24 ˘ rebuke;
refute” —(Underlining is mine).
As
the definition and variety of uses shows, it is incorrect to say that “convict” is strictly a legal term of
condemnation and judgment. In fact, the apostle Paul uses the word elegcho (“conviction”) to describe how
God can expose the secrets of an unbeliever’s heart who participates in a worship
service:
1Cor. 14:24-25 But
if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted (elegcho) by all, he is called to account by all, the
secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will
worship God and declare that God is really among you (ESV).
He
is “convicted by all”—meaning the Holy
Spirit working through the believers present in worship. This is not judgment;
it is spiritual surgery!
For
Christians to use “convict” in
describing the corrective ministry of the Holy Spirit is neither incorrect nor
unbiblical, unless it is used in the sense of condemnation.
Words
do mean things, and improperly used words can lead to confusion. But we all
“get it” when a believer says he is convicted by the Holy Spirit. Such “conviction”
is how the Lord rebukes His children in love:
Heb. 12:5-6 And have you completely forgotten
this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It
says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you (i.e.,
“convicts”; Gk.: elegcho), because
the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and
he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
