The preachers quoted here describe conviction as God personally confronting a person about sin, the Holy Spirit's work in an awakened soul. They hold that there is no true conversion without it, and that it is meant to lead straight to cleansing.
Jesus named it as the Holy Spirit's work. "When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). The verb means to expose, to bring to light, to convince of a fault.1 Conviction is being shown one's sin as God sees it.
Scripture records what it is like. At Pentecost the hearers "were pricked in their heart, and said ... what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). Isaiah, seeing the Lord, cried, "Woe is me! for I am undone" (Isaiah 6:5). Peter fell at Jesus' knees: "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8). David wrote, "my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned" (Psalm 51:3-4), and described the misery of resisting it: "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old" (32:3).
The Spirit uses the law and the word to produce it. "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). "I had not known sin, but by the law" (7:7). The word of God "is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). John Owen placed it before conversion: "Conviction of sin is another effect of the preaching of the word antecedent to real conversion to God."2 Thomas Watson said the same more briefly: "Conviction is the first step in conversion."3
Conviction is not itself salvation. Felix trembled when Paul reasoned of righteousness and judgment, and sent him away (Acts 24:25). Paul distinguishes two outcomes: "godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death" (2 Corinthians 7:10). Conviction must be followed through to Christ.
It differs from condemnation. Condemnation is the sentence that rests on those outside Christ, and "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Conviction in a believer is a Father's correction, specific, and aimed at restoring: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent" (Revelation 3:19).
Its proper end is confession and cleansing. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). The publican who could only say, "God be merciful to me a sinner", went home justified (Luke 18:13-14).
- Strong's Greek 1651, elénchō: "to confute, admonish".
- John Owen, Owen Pneumatologia - Part 1, "Chapter II".
- Thomas Watson, A Body Of Divinity, "Effectual Calling".
In their own words
Each line below is quoted exactly from a sermon on this site. Follow the link to hear or read it where it was said.
Conviction is God personally confronting you over you sin.
Robert Wurtz II
in The Conviction We Need!
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The Spirit convicts the quickened soul of the multitude of his sins.
A.W. Pink
in THE HOLY SPIRIT Chapter 13 The Spirit Convicting
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But conviction is always followed by cleansing if we are quick to say, 'Yes, Lord'.
Roy Hession
in The Holy Spirit the Convicter
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Conviction is absolutely mandatory if true redemptive re-genesis is ever to be attained.
Derek Melton
in Conviction vs Culture
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What Scripture says
- John 16:8 he will reprove the world of sin, righteousness and judgment
- Acts 2:37 they were pricked in their heart
- Psalm 51:3-4 my sin is ever before me
- 2 Corinthians 7:10 godly sorrow works repentance to salvation
- 1 John 1:9 if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
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