Effectual Conviction?

Does the conviction of the Holy Spirit always lead to salvation?

One common issue that is raised in light John 16:8-11 is whether or not the Spirit’s conviction is effectual, that is, if the Spirit convicts someone, it will always result in his or her eventual repentance and faith in Christ. For this to be true, The Spirit would always have to convict someone of all three aspects, or none at all. It would mean that an individual would never be able to have a sense of their own sinfulness unless they are eventually saved. There are unbelievers in the world that seem to have a sense of their own sin, and a need for righteousness outside of their own that seek it in things other than Christ. One would be forced to answer the question of where their sense of their own sinfulness has come from if not from the Spirit.

Biblically, we are taught that the gospel is veiled to those who are perishing so they will not see the glory of Christ (2 Cor 4:3,4). There is not anything in Scripture that definitively says unbelievers will never be convicted, just that they have rejected the only True remedy for their conviction, Jesus Christ. Also, what about those who respond to the gospel message, but eventually reject it (Heb 6:4-8; Matt 13:3-9)? Are we to believe they were never convicted of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment in the first place because they have fallen away? It seems reasonable to conclude that the ministry is more evangelistic than effectual, and the conviction for some may not be a once for all, on-going conviction, but a conviction that is able to be snuffed out by the hardening of the heart through the deceitfulness of sin (Heb 3:12-19).

This is not to say the Holy Spirit lacks the power to bring helpless sinners to see nothing but the cross of Christ for salvation, but there is where the mystery lies. To say the conviction of the Spirit is effectual is to suggest that there can be no conviction of sin outside of true believers before their salvation. To say it is not effectual is to suggest that the Spirit would enlighten someone to the reality of their sin (or righteousness, or judgment), but not enough for them to see Christ as their only hope for salvation in a way that leads to true repentance and faith in Him. To ask "Why would the Spirit do that?" is similar to asking "Why doesn't God bring everyone to repentance and faith in Him?" Our task is to be sensitive to the work of the Spirit, and try to bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through His Word. What we can be sure of is we have His help! When we share our faith, the Spirit is working in us and through His Word.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus...

I am noticing that as I mature in my Christian life, the gap between God and I seems to be getting bigger. The truth is, I'm just getting a better picture of how big that gap (chasm?) actually is. Remarkably, the larger that gap appears to be, the bigger Jesus becomes. I may never know how large that gap is this side of glory. I'll pay lip service to its immensity, but will I truly feel the weight of it? I believe if I did, Christ, and what He has done, would be far more precious to me than He is.

House for...anything

A quick update for everyone that reads this. Marie is coming out here the 29th of October, so I get to be a dad and a husband again. Financially we are doing ok, but the house situation is still uncertain. We have it listed to rent for less than what we pay for month, but we're definitely willing to sell it. With what we have into it, we couldn't afford to sell it for less than 199,900, which is still less than we paid for it when we bought it. This amount would enable us to be done with it, and move forward to what God has for us here in California.

God has been so wonderful through all of this, both directly through His presence and peace, and also through His people like my dad, and of course the Downers. God is amazing, and I am so thankful for everything He has done for me.

How Seaworthy is my vessel?

"I gravely question whether some of us will find our vessels, when far out to sea, to be quite so seaworthy as we think them." -Spurgeon

As part of my reading requirement for my ministries course, I am required to read 6 books over the course of the semester, none of which I will be tested on. I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to practice reading quickly, and gave myself 90 minutes to read 50 or so pages. This was a mistake, because this particular section of reading is from "Lectures To My Students" by Charles Spurgeon. The better part of wisdom (no, not my wife) told me to read this intently instead of treating it as an academic exercise, and as a result I have been richly blessed. I've paused several times to consider his admonishments and exhortations, and have tried to read slowly because I don't want to miss any of it.

The quote above is what has caused me to write this because I have often thought about how I will react when true trials come. What I can tell you is I'm not worried about it. In fact, I am as sure that I will be sustained through trials as I am of my salvation simply because the same God that has saved me will sustain me. (Philippians 1:6) The other thing I am assured of is that there will be trials, because the same Word that promises my salvation promises those as well.

Right now, I feel like I'm in some sort of incubator. I have a wonderful family, a wonderful wife that takes care of me, I am part of a church that has been such a blessing to me, and it's pastored by a dear friend who isn't shy about reproving me, but is also very patient with me. Here at TMS I am surrounded by men who pray for me dilligently, and, well, don't even get me started on the Downers, who have not only opened there home to me, but have consistently served me and fed me since I got here more than two weeks ago.

Still, all of these things stand in the shadow of God's sovereign work in my own heart, and in His provision through His people. I have enjoyed such wonderul fellowship with Him, and His Word has been such a joy and comfort to me. I was expecting this to be more difficult, but God has graciously allowed me to be productive, clean, and organized, which, if you know me, is a miracle in and of itself.

All this to say, I don't know when harder trials will come, and I'll also say there are difficult things I am dealing with now in spite of this. Things like the uncertainty of finances and where we will live, having Marie back home finishing up the house with my parents, and not being there to help. Trying to figure out how I will pay for a large mortgage while I'm out here, trying to anticipate logistical things I am neglecting or haven't thought about, (these are things you can be praying for) but in the midst of these things, I am confident that God will provide in every respect, and for that I am eternally grateful. Most of those things are physical, and I wouldn't trade any of them for the sweet fellowship with God I have been enjoying. I wouldn't trade that for any circumstance.

Whom have I heaven but You? And besides you, I desire nothing on earth

Oh Lord, please let this last...

Lovely Palmdale...

I have arrived. That's about all that I have the energy to say, but I am here, and the Downers have wonderfully accommodated me. I am so thankful for them, and so is Marie. What wonderful examples they are. I video taped much of my journey, so if i have the time and energy, I may put something together, but we'll see. The journey was long, but I very much enjoyed it. I spent the last several hours listening to John Macarthur. One thing the Lord has pressed upon me is His fantastic provision in every area of my life, and that kindness makes me worship Him. I only pray I take advantage of any opportunities the Lord gives me to reciprocate the kindness He shows me to others.

Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength...

God has graciously redeemed me from anxiety, and I am thankful. I have had bouts against it now and then, but for the most part, it has been smooth. Today, I'm in Denver, and it doesn't look like I'll be able to hang out with anyone from here. I'm debating just driving as far as I can, and sleeping the evening in the van, but we'll see. It would be nice to have a few hours of leisure between here and Palmdale. if you're wondering about the quote, it's from Spurgeon.

Here is the update:

I drove over 900 miles yesterday, and will drive another 1000 tomorrow. I very much enjoy driving by myself. I have a lot of time to think, pray, observe, and enjoy the relaxation. I finally received tuition reimbursement today, so I have enough to get a place to stay, or pay my mortgage, whichever is required. One prayer request I have, is that in this period of financial uncertainy, The Lord will make it clear to us where we should be tithing, and how much. There is an abundance of ministries we want to support, Lifegate, Capitol Ministries, Mike and Rebecca, Beacon of Hope... but it's hard to know what we should give when we don't know what we'll be making.

Financially, we're stable for now. I'm still not sure how I'm going to pay tuition for this semester, but I have some options, and the fact that I get it reimbursed at the end makes it easier for me to borrow it from someone. Right now, we have an abundance, and I praise Him for it, and I pray I can be faithful with it, because I'm inclined to believe the abundance is so I can bless someone else. I just don't know who yet. I will be praying about that.

The house is still filled with various items we have collected over the years. My parents are helping us get rid of a lot of it, as well as cleaning up our yard. Also, Kevin and Kelsey have agreed to let Marie live with them for a little while so the house can get cleared and fixed up. I am so thankful to God for them. Once the house gets cleared, we can fix it up and show it to renters. It really is a great house.


here is list of things I have been thankful for:

My parents have been incredible. The task has left Marie and I a bit overwhelmed, and almost paralyzed. My mom and dad have taken over, and have helped us get everything we need. I can't wait until Jude is old enough for me to show him the same love. My brother-in-law has sacrificed his entire summer, as well as a lot of his own resources to help us get the basement finished, and I am very grateful to him for that. Mike Watters came over and mowed my lawn on Monday evening, which was a tremendous help. There are moving to Uganda to minister to orphans that live in the slums. May God bless them, and I pray they receive all the support they need to do His Work. Doug and Cindi Downer have given us a place to stay for as long as we need, which is such a tremendous blessing. Laura Long has given me a room in her house to stay at for free, which is so very generous of her. God has safely brought me to Los Angeles as well. My Grandmother and Grandfather bought me lunch on Tuesday and gave me $100! I am so very thankful for them. Joe Lonetti and Ian Pitkanen came over and helped me pack on Tuesday and saw me off. What incredible young men they are. Especially Ian, who at 17 years old is so sharp, and loves the Lord sincerily. I am so thankful for him and his family that have been attending Beacon of Hope. My pastor, Steve Lonetti, took me out for Pizza Tuesday evening, and we had a wonderful time. I am looking forward to seeing him in March. There are so many other things to be thankful for, but for the sake of brevity, let me just say this: God has been blessing us tremendously, and it has been a privaledge watching Him work around me.

Well, even with the rest, my mind is still a bit scattered. Spiritually, I am doing well. I have been given grace to persue holiness over the next several weeks, which is difficult when I am alone. When I am not surrounded by people, it's harder for me to avoid pitfalls, but, if you read the title of this blog, I am resolved, by the power of the Spirit of God, to be holy as much as I am able. I'm convinced that unless my everyday walk is marked by a passionate pursuit of holiness, I will be useless to God. I don't just mean in what people see, either. I have always been able to put on an excellent front, but I would rather have people detest me falsley than praise me for only what they see. I would rather be holy and usless than acheive any measure of success knowing that my thoughts and attitudes have violated God. If they do, and believe me, they do, I repent, and thank God for the cross. I remind myself that Christ is the supreme example of a man who was despised, rejected, detested, and abandoned by even His closest friends, but still in every way holy. Because of that, I am free. :)

"Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death! Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Romans 7:24,25b

"So where you stayin'...?"

I get asked this question frequently, and so I'll use it as an opportunity to talk about one of themost delightful families I've ever had the privilege of being friends with. They have have exemplified Christ to us in such powerful ways that it has compelled Marie and I, especially Marie, (because I always knew I wanted to go to TMS before I met the Downers) to make the move to Los Angeles to attend seminary. They are the most delightful, humble people you would ever meet. And they give and give never expecting anything in return. I'm embarrassed to admit we haven't given them anything in return, aside from our love and gratitude. Marie and I have tried to think of gifts we could give them, so we could show our appreciation, but we haven't been able to. They opened their home to us without hardly knowing us, let us stay in the master bedroom, bought most of our food for us, let us use their car whenever we needed it, and treated us like family while we were there. We never felt uncomfortable, and they never over-did anything. We felt like a part of their family. Doug even picked us up from the airport, and dropped us off very early in the morning. They did as much as possible for us, and we were absolutely blow away when they invited us back again for the 2009 Shepherd's Conference! That week was the same treatment. And to make an already amazing week even better, Doug gave me a beautiful calf-skin Bible that I have treasured ever since. It's so nice to get such a beautiful Bible like that as a gift, because every time I open it, I am reminded of the selflessness and generousity that was shown to me and my family in Palmdale, CA, and when I read the words inside, it becomes abundantly clear to me why they are the way they are...

They would be the first people to admit there isn't anything special about them. They are quite simply the result of changed lives and hearts surrendered to an all loving, sufficient, gracious, kind and merciful God that loved them enough to save them from a deceitful and wicked heart, and put His Spirit in them to give them new hearts and new desires.

To my knowledge there was never anything real special about Marie and I that made them feel compelled to serve us in that way. Their hospitality towards us was poured out of hearts that have been transformed by God. It was (and is) truly supernatural, and I'm not sure if they'll ever read this post, but if they do, thank you so much, and I pray God will bless you even more richly than He already has. God used the Downers to make Marie excited about living in Los Angeles. They have always been such a picture of Christ to us, reflecting His Glory. Of course they are human, and they're not perfect, but they are very good examples of what lives surrendered to God and His Word look like, and they are something Marie and I aspire to be.

But, to make an already long story short. That's who I am staying with until we can find a permanent place. I talked to Cindi a couple of days ago, and she assured me that if there is anything they can do to help, to just ask. I really love those guys. Everything is pretty up in the air right now. We don't have a permanent place to stay, our house still isn't finished and ready to show for potential renters, and I leave in 11 days.

I'm still not worried. God IS faithful. We never have to worry about anything as long as we turn our eyes upon Jesus. He has made it clear to myself and Marie where we are supposed to be, so we will move forward and trust Him. He is faithful, and what gives Him the ability to be so faithful in every circumstance regardless of ourselves is His divine infinite power and absolute sovereignty. Which is why I always say with the prophet Habbakuk,

"Though the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vine, though the olive crops fail, and ther fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen, and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior, the sovereign LORD is my strength."