Sweet Conviction

Man, it’s been a tough morning. I’m studying the Book of James right now, and it’s getting to me. God is just using His word to really humble me. You know those times in your life... When everything seems to be good. Good personal bible study, good relationships, good marriage, good health, good church, good pastor, good worship, good good good... everything just seems to be good. A lot of these could even be described as going great. It’s so weird to say that too since it was only a little over a week ago I was wondering if we would ever have a house, if John Timothy would be healthy, and if I was doing the right things. God has just really blessed me man... I mean insanely blessed me. So the moment I began to get a little too confident in my life, God directs my heart to begin studying one of the most difficult books in the Bible, James.

This Book should have one of those advisory warnings in the beginning. I do believe it is completely and divinely inspired, but would have it really hurt for James to go back to the beginning page after writing and re-reading this book to put a warning that reads something to the effect: WARNING!! This book will most likely reveal the deepest parts of your still dark heart and leave you feeling like complete crap?? I can’t imagine the look on James’ face after he wrote this and then went back to read it over. “Wow, umm... Lord? Do you think maybe we could lighten this up a little?? Talking about hardcore!!”

It’s so funny how God moves. I’ve spent the last few days pouring over the words in chapters 1 and 2. Here are some of my “Wow, that just slapped me in the face passages”:

• 1:2-4
• 1:6-8
• 1:26-27
• 2:1-4
• 2:10
• 2:17
• 2:19-20
• 2:26

To be honest, I could have just listed every verse in these 2 chapters, but I wanted to at least make sure I pointed these out to you. After studying this morning I just really became overly convicted of how dirty I am. Then after much repenting, I just became insanely thankful. The phrase “What sweet conviction” just kept exploding in my heart. You see, without this hard teaching in Scripture and without the conviction of the Holy Spirit... I would have just remained in my sin. I long to be holy for the God who called me is Holy. I’m in sincere thanks because God divinely inspired James to write this most difficult passage to swallow. Don’t run from tough passages. Don’t become depressed in your conviction. Rejoice, I say again Rejoice!! For the God who loves you and called you is simply sanctifying you for His glory. Oh what sweet, sweet conviction!!