when the truth hurts

The Word for today:
James 3

"Ouch!"

When we read the Bible, we will sometimes be convicted.

We'll be reading along when all of a sudden a verse will hurt.  We'll feel an "Ouch" in our spirit.  I have even "ouched" out loud and winced along with it.

The biblical concept of conviction is not quite the same thing as being "convicted" in a court of law.  When the Bible speaks of "conviction," it could just as well say "convince."  In fact, one of the pivotal passages in scripture--the passage which comprehensively describes the ongoing functions of the Holy Spirit--uses the words convict and convince interchangeably, depending upon the Bible version you are reading:

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.
(John 16:8/ESV)
And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.  (John 16:8/NASB)
And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.
(John 16:8/RSV)
And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment.  (John 16:8/NLT)

***

The ouch factor occurs when the truth hurts.  When we are convinced that we have fallen short of God's standards, it is spiritually painful.

There is nothing wrong with this when it happens.  In fact, when this happens, it means that we are responding to the work of the Holy Spirit, as seen in John 16:8, above.

James is full of ouch.  Chapter 3, for me, is one ouch after another.  It starts out by saying that Bible teachers will be judged by stricter standards.  Ouch! that's me!

Then it says that the unbridled tongue sets in motion great evil and destruction.  Ouch! that's me!

Then it says that selfish ambition is unspiritual, even demonically motivated.  Ouch!  That's me! Why, you'd think the entire chapter was aimed right at me. 

It was, Franklyn.

That's conviction.  "Ouch!"