Conviction regarding sin is not a popular topic to hear. We all want to feel comforted, but we do not want to be convicted of the things we have done or are doing wrong. If we are feeling uncomfortable or being convicted of doing wrong, then know that God is still there, and the Holy spirit is living inside of you.
How did you act before becoming a Christian? Did you feel all that guilt that you would now if you did the same things? You could sin prior and you had little thought about what it was doing to you or those around you. Most likely it did not bother you at all. Oh, maybe on occasion you might feel bad but did you really regret the thing you did, or did you just feel bad because you got caught doing something you should not have been doing? Getting caught and saying you are sorry is not repentance and does not mean you will change. Most people who are living in sin will even think that they are okay, and they like what they do…in other words…they are enjoying their sin. If sinning did not make you somewhere feel good about something you most likely would not be doing it. (sex outside marriage, drugs, alcohol, stealing, lying, cheating, being corrupt…to name a few)
But then there are some who may possibly feel guilty or wish that they had not done something because what people do wrong have consequences and they don’t like the consequences for their actions. The crazy thing is that many people’s conscience might even sound an alarm (a very low tone alarm that is), while in their reality they make excuses for the things they do.
Many of us woke up (thank you Lord Jesus). When we meet Jesus and we asked Him into our life. At that point something deep inside of us changes. First God sends the Holy Spirit to live in us. He comes to help us and help us grow. The Holy Spirit is like a whirlwind that comes through and takes the garbage away from our soul. He cleans up our Spiritual home.
The Holy Spirit begins to work on us. He sure did on me! He will point out what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. What needs to change and what to do so you grow in the Lord. He points out your sins and what you need to change there so you can align yourself with God. He will talk to you about who you are hanging out with, where you go that you shouldn’t what you are doing to your body, your mind, and what you fill your life with that is good for you or bad for you. If something is not edifying to God, He will let you know. Don’t do the things He tells you not to do, and start doing the things He tells you to do. The Holy Spirit will sweep right through your spiritual life and clean up your home. Let Him…. help Him…and do it like He tells you to do it. The harder you fight the harder it is. The Holy Spirit wants to take out all the ugly and fill it with the beautiful. He will point out what is contrary to the word of God in your life so that you can get the help you need to change it.
Do you realize that fear and anger don’t help you or do good for your walk with God. These are things that the Holy spirit wants to help you with. You cannot live a life with God if all you give God is a luke-warm attitude for Him. In fact, your sins are nauseating to God. When we rebel and think we can do things our own way (without God) all we are really doing is hurting our self.
King David experienced this as well and describes how awful we feel when we are disobedient to the Lord. He lists 11 symptoms of sin sickness in Psalm 38:
1.The sharp conviction of sin. “Your arrows pierce me deeply” (v. 1).
2. A feeling of profound heaviness. “Your hand presses me down” (v. 1).
3. Physical weakness. “There is no soundness in my flesh”(v. 3, 7). “I am feeble and severely broken” (v. 8).
4. Sickness. “. . . nor health in my bones” (v. 3).
5. The feeling of carrying a heavy load. “My iniquities . . . like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me” (v. 4)
6. Physical and spiritual injuries, possibly the consequences of sinful choices. “My wounds are foul and festering” (v. 5).
7. A disturbed spirit. “I am troubled” (v. 6).
8. A defeated heart. “I am bowed down greatly” (v. 6).
9. Deep sorrow. “I go mourning all the day long” (v. 6).
10. Gastric distress. “My loins are full of inflammation” (v. 7).
11. Inner turmoil. “I groan because of the turmoil of my heart” (v. 8).
don’t want to walk in sin any longer. Do you? Wake up people for sinful rebellion carries more consequences than just the results of our actual sin. I’ve experienced many of these symptoms when I’ve chosen to ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit when He points out an area of sin in my life. It is time people to look inside your soul and see things as God sees them, then learn what to do about them so that you are aligned with God.
How many of us have what we might call “normal on-going sins”? How do we feel now when we do any of them? Are you happy or are you down-right miserable? Do you have trouble when you sin now with your prayer life? Why is that? Why is because when we are out sinning, we are out of alignment with God. God does not change so it is you/me that needs to change. He is calling us to confess and repent, so we get back into alignment with Him. When we are in sin our spiritual life is off and even our sleep can be greatly disturbed.
The more Christ-like we become, the more we will experience joy, peace, patience, satisfaction, and spiritual fruit. It’s a win/win scenario. He cleans the junk out of our lives and replaces it with treasures. Oh, how I want the treasure of heaven in my life here on earth and to be victorious when I get to heaven. You want that, don’t you? Examine yourself and ask god to help you. Relief is but a prayer away.Relief is but a prayer away. You don’t want God nauseated by you, do you?
Why, oh why, do we resist the Holy Spirit when all he’s trying to do is make us more like Christ?