CONVICTION (Genesis 42:29 to 43:34)

CONVICTION (Genesis 42:29 to 43:34)

The story of Joseph and his brothers is a picture of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.  For the lost soul does not fully know God, or His Son, and most of all they do not know what Jesus did for them.  Lying between them are the terrible sins that they have committed.  How can anyone ever bridge that gap?  They do not know that Jesus has already provided them with a finished salvation, that it is there if they will accept it.  God knows that the lost soul is not ready for the full revelation of grace that He wants to make to them.  God allows the Holy Spirit to perform the work of conviction to bring them to a point of decision, just as He is with these brothers.  

Sometimes you may feel that when you sin that God is just going to toss you away.  Absolutely not, God won’t toss you off, but He will just squeeze all the tighter.  And this pressure affects how you look at life, it affects your emotions, it affects your psyche, and it affects your health.  One of the consequences of sin is that it depresses your heart, and there is no joy, no gladness.  Sin is often fun while you are doing it, but it is what comes afterward that depresses us.

Don’t mistake happiness for joy.  There is a difference between happiness and joy.  Happiness depends on what happens; that’s why we call it happiness.  When something good happens, you’re happy; when something bad happens, you’re unhappy.  You are not supposed to be happy all of the time.  To be happy all of the time would be like having ice cream for every meal.

Jesus was a man of sorrows; Jesus wept.  He was not happy all of the time, but He was full of joy.  When Jesus was facing Calvary, He was full of Joy.  The joy of the Lord is constant, and the joy of the Lord is your strength.  Happiness is like a thermometer; it registers conditions.  Joy is like a thermostat; it controls conditions. When happiness and joy are together it is a really wonderful time.  When happiness is gone, joy becomes all the more important.  And sometimes God gives you joy, not to take away the pain, but to help you bear it.  And in the midst of excruciating pain, there can be supernatural joy.  

Click on the play button to hear a message about how God convicts us of our sin so that we can have God's joy in our lives. 

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.