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Conviction of Sin

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 22, 1875

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 45, No. 17.

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Conviction of Sin.

By Jos. Clarke

THIS should never be stifled, nor dissipated from the mind. The great trouble is, our convictions for sin, and our remorse on account of it, are not nearly as deep and pungent, nor as continued as they should be. Even after our sins are pardoned, we are far safer to have a deep, settled conviction of sin still remaining upon the mind, as it makes us more humble, and watchful, and considerate, and we shall have a greater dread of sin, than if we were wholly relieved of the terror, and remorse which true conviction arouses in the mind.
The godly man trembles at the word of God, and stands in awe of God’s judgments; while the wicked man, denies God’s law, and stands as firm as Dathan and Abiram, in the very presence of the Judgment. Why is this? The good man has never thrown off conviction, while Dathan and Abiram profess holiness already theirs, and see not their corrupt motives.
God’s good Spirit looks down into the deep ocean of man’s thoughts, and sees the hidden spring and cause of each act of sin; and if we ask him he will unfold it to us; but let us not grieve away the Spirit. Just at this point we are in most danger. We may say to such painful thoughts, This is a disease of my fancy. I cannot own to such a sin, or to such a base motive; it is impossible. Or we may excuse our fault, and justify ourselves at the cost of strict integrity. This course will effectually shut out the light of Heaven from our hearts.
God does not propose to make this a place of happiness at present; but it is a place of discipline. It is a fitting-up place; and we can have no surer mark of God’s favor than to experience deep contrition of heart for sin, unless the joy that follows pardon is a greater evidence of favor.
Sinner, backslider, and most of us are, or have been such, let no one of us shake off or despise conviction for sin. It is an evidence that God is calling to you to come to him.
Jos. CLARKE.