Sweet Mercy and Painful Conviction

By: Lauren Thomas 

We often think of conviction as part of the work of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus described in the New Testament. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit - who would come after he left - would convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:7-11). Yet all the way back in Genesis 4, we can find something that fits this description of conviction. Cain was upset after offering a sacrifice that God did not regard. But God spoke to Cain about it. 

“The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.””

Genesis 4:6-7 ESV

We can easily get wrapped up in the story, in the murder that immediately follows, and miss this right here. God was offering Cain an opportunity, an opportunity to be accepted by Him, an opportunity to conquer the sin that was eager to overtake him. We think of Cain as the bad guy, the villain in the story. But what if, instead, we focused on God, the hero, who in love and mercy intervened. God offered Cain the sweet mercy of painful conviction. 

There are two ways of looking at conviction: painful and precious. 

Painful, because it never feels good to be called out on your sin. Precious, because conviction shows God’s sweet mercy that lovingly draws us closer to him. 

Hebrews 12 teaches us that discipline comes from a loving Father in Heaven. Discipline from God is a sign of love and acceptance, not a sign of his disappointment or our sinfulness. So while it never feels pleasant to receive conviction (or discipline), it is actually a sign of God’s sweet and precious love for us.

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Hebrews 12:11 ESV

Cain did not regard God’s discipline. Will you  accept the conviction of the Holy Spirit or ignore it? The choice is yours.

Reflection:

How does it feel when someone points out your shortcomings? Proverbs 27:6 says “faithful are the wounds of a friend.” Is it easier to accept correction from someone who loves you or someone who dislikes you? How do you generally respond when the Holy Spirit convicts you?