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CONVICTION OR REBELLION? THE SAME TRUTH — TWO DIFFERENT RESPONSES! Acts 7:51 (KJV) “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” When God's Word exposes sin, two people can hear the same preaching and respond in entirely different ways. One humbles himself before the truth, while the other hardens his heart against it. The difference is not in the Word of God but in the response of the hearer! Conviction is the work of the Holy Ghost, exposing what is wrong and calling the sinner to repentance. But conviction does not guarantee repentance. A person can recognize the truth, become uncomfortable with it, and STILL refuse to obey it! Stephen preached the truth in Acts 7. His hearers were convicted, but rather than repent, they became furious. They resisted the Holy Ghost and eventually stoned the very man who had faithfully declared God's Word! 2 Corinthians 7:10 (KJV) — “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” There is a tremendous difference between being sorry that your sin has been exposed and being sorrowful enough to turn from it. Some become angry with the preacher. Others criticize the message. Still others leave the church, hoping to escape the discomfort of biblical correction. But changing churches, criticizing the preacher, or rejecting the message does not change the TRUTH! Every time God's Word exposes your sin, you face a serious decision. Will you humble yourself before God, or will you resist the Holy Ghost? Repeated resistance is dangerous. The heart that continually rejects correction can become so hardened that sin no longer troubles it as it once did. Remember: Conviction is not your enemy. It is a warning you should never ignore! The same Word that brings one person to repentance may expose another person's rebellion. THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER GOD'S WORD OFFENDS YOU, BUT WHETHER YOU WILL OBEY IT!