Daily Devotional
Whose Job Is It to Convict a Heart of Sin?
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’”
Acts 2:37-39
August 8, 2024
Ponder This
A crucial thing that happened to the people at Pentecost was they were convicted by the Lord. I pray repeatedly, “Dear God, let the Holy Spirit of God convict people.” I can’t browbeat anybody into being a Christian. I can’t do a sales job on people. I want us to have such spiritual power in our hearts and in our lives that when the Word of God goes forth, it cuts the hearts of people. They were convicted by the Lord.
Secondly, they were converted to the Lord. Peter said to them, “Repent.” Now, that word “repent” means a change of mind, a turning around. There must be a change of mind about sin. There must be a change of mind about self. There must be a change of mind about God. When I turn to Jesus, in faith, I turn from sin. But nobody has ever been saved unless he or she has been converted. And nobody’s been converted except by repentance. They were convicted by the Lord. They were converted to the Lord. And then, there was a confession of the Lord.
- What do you struggle to turn away from that God may be convicting you about?
- How has your life changed since you were saved by Christ? How does your life reflect living for Him?
Practice This
Pray for a person you know who is far from God and has not been convicted over their sin.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
