Acts 26:27-28 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Paul almost convinced King Agrippa to be a Christian. If he had, would Agrippa been saved? I say no. This devotional is about Convinced Vs Convicted.

John 8:4-9  They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

It is a common teaching that Jesus wrote each man’s sin on the ground. It was His awareness of their sins which convicted them. It was sin being exposed within their hearts by the Lord which caused them to turn, cast their stones aside, and forsake judgement.

We know we are sinners when we sin. When we were lost in our sins, it was something we lived with because we could. It is when the Holy Spirit, the agent of truth exposes our sins and we come to know we have been convicted by God Himself, that we truly repent of sin.

Man can convince you that you are a sinner but if God does not convict you, then any exhibit of faith on your part is not a saving faith. Saving faith is a convicting faith.

Luke 18:11-14 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Here is the classic conundrum, the historical church goer who has every faith that he leans upon rather than God. The sinner pleads his case out of desperate awareness of his own inadequacies. The Lord tells us the sinner is justified.

Romans 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

I do not have the right or responsibility to bring anyone’s salvation into question. That is the first part of this verse. The second part is all critical. My security can only be validated by God Himself. If I am to be assured of anything, I must ask God for the answer.

I also have to accept His answer and if there be anything that the Lord asks me to do, I must do. I must because I love him. What separates these two men more than anything is motivation of the heart. If you obey God out of fear of punishment, you have missed the point of this relationship. Love begets love. If you obey for reward you have missed the point. If you obey to be seen you have missed the point.

If you have been convinced, you have missed the point.